Gut Infections Leave 1 in 10 With Chronic IBS, Raising Focus on Early Symptoms
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 12
Gut Infections Leave 1 in 10 With Chronic IBS, Raising Focus on Early Symptoms
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 12
Summary
Research suggests up to 1 in 10 people develop post-infection irritable bowel syndrome after a gastrointestinal infection, leaving abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, bloating or gas long after the original bug fades.
Experts say the condition can follow bacterial, viral or parasitic illness when infection disrupts the gut microbiome, damages the intestinal lining and heightens nerve sensitivity, making normal gut activity feel painful.
Women, younger people, patients with anxiety or depression, and those with more severe or prolonged infections appear to face higher risk; doctors diagnose PI-IBS mainly from symptoms lasting at least three months unless alarm signs require testing.
Treatment largely mirrors standard IBS care—diet changes, fiber, antispasmodics and drugs tailored to diarrhea or constipation—and specialists say PI-IBS often improves over months to a few years.