Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and Women’s Health
Colleen Parker MD, FRCPC
Functional gastrointestinal disorders are a group of disorders where there are alterations in how the gut and the brain communicate with each other. These are diagnosed based on the presence of combinations of various symptoms and, typically, no abnormalities are found on diagnostic testing. The most common functional gastrointestinal disorder is irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. This disorder is characterized by abdominal pain that is related to changes in bowel movements or habits. It is 2-3 times more common in women than men. Possible factors that may contribute to this difference include differences in sex hormones, pain sensation, gut motility, behaviors in response to pain, the processing of pain signals in the brain and societal gender roles. Further research is needed to understand the role of these factors, in IBS and other functional gastrointestinal disorders.
IBS often has a negative impact on quality of life and can impair the ability to be productive at home, work and school. Symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and gas are very common in this condition and patients often feel embarrassed talking about them. In addition, IBS can overlap with painful gynecological conditions such as endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain, painful menstruation and vulvodynia, and other painful conditions that are more common in women such as fibromyalgia. Patients may feel uncomfortable discussing these non-gastrointestinal conditions with their gastroenterologist. Though it can be difficult, it is important to discuss these symptoms and overlapping conditions as they can impact on the choice of treatment. Given that these are issues are often hard to talk about, it is important that health care providers ask about them and create an environment where it feels safe for patients to discuss them openly.
Functional gastrointestinal disorders, like IBS, are common and can often interfere with daily activities. It is important that patients with these conditions discuss their symptoms, questions and concerns with their health care providers. There are a variety of treatment options available including medications, diet therapies and psychological therapies that can improve symptoms and quality of life.