Do IBS Symptoms Change with the Seasons?
Have you noticed your IBS habits change from season to season? Maybe your symptoms flare up as the heat of summer turns to a cool crisp autumn air? Or maybe as the cold winter days are making way for the warmth of spring you notice a difference in your bowels?
Well, you aren’t alone if this is the case. You may have a subset of IBS that is referred to as ‘seasonal IBS’. The more research that is done on IBS, the more we find different subtypes that help doctors and patients alike to better manage symptoms.
If you do notice a difference between seasons, then this article might help you to focus on what affects your specific type of IBS.
How does IBS affect the body?
Irritable bowel syndrome, commonly known as IBS, is a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID). This means it is known to affect the gut and brain via the gut-brain axis. The exact origin of this condition is unknown, but it appears to be triggered by traumatic psychological events, emotional stress, and/or severe intestinal infections.
Some of the common symptoms of IBS include:
- Diarrhea and/or constipation
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain/cramping
- Gas
- Mucousy stools
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
- Depression/anxiety
Some of the different things that can cause or worsen a flare-up include:
- Certain foods (spicy, sugary, processed, etc.)
- Stress
- Medications
- Caffeine
- Dehydration
- Travel/lifestyle changes
- Increase/decrease in activity levels
- Seasonal changes
Why and how do the seasons affect IBS symptoms?
If you think about locations where they get each season in full — where they have a definitive change between spring, summer, fall, and winter — you can imagine the differences in the air. Even in places where it seems like it just goes from summer to winter, these same changes happen it just isn’t quite as visible.
Each season brings different IBS inducing effects:
Spring — pollen
Summer — heat, traveling/diet changes
Fall — back to school colds, pollen/mold, holidays with traveling, and diet changes
Winter — less sun exposure/increased depression (if your IBS is more affected psychologically), traveling for holidays, and dietary changes for those events
During season change we see different allergens, pollens, and even molds become more potent or die off. The different ways that weather affects our bodies is an area of study called human biometeorology. It explains why we experience spring and hay fever. The different molecules in the air affect our bodies causing an immune response.
When the immune system is kicked into higher gear it causes an inflammatory state within the body. All the immune cells become more active to help your body get back to normal. The vast majority of our immune system resides inside our guts (70% to be exact).
MALT — mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue
GALT — gut-associated lymphoid tissue
MALT and GALT are where we see allergens affecting the gut and immune response. When we see a higher amount of allergens they compromise the intestinal barrier (GALT) allowing bacteria to float freely in and out of the gut (whether they belong there or not). This causes damage to the intestinal tract and throughout the body leading to an even more heightened immune response.
People who have IBS have a lower capacity for their immune response because of this specific mechanism. The lower capacity is referred to as a total toxic load/burden/capacity.
Where does total toxic load fit in with seasonal IBS?
The total toxic load is how much stress from environmental toxins that your body can withstand. People with IBS are extremely sensitive to higher volumes of toxic interaction. These toxins cause flare-ups to begin.
There is an infinite number of toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis, including but not limited to:
- Heavy metals
- Mold
- Allergens
- Pesticides
- Medications
- Stress
- Unhealthy foods
All of these, among other things, contribute to our toxic loads. Heightened toxic loads are associated with gut disturbances, disease progression, and even death.
How can you best manage your seasonal IBS symptoms?
If you’ve noticed a pattern in your IBS symptoms and it seems to be seasonal, talk to your doctor about this new discovery. See what is the most common agitator during those seasons and what might be affecting your symptoms.
From there you can try:
- Taking antihistamines (allergy medicine) — studies show that antihistamines actually helped to reduce some IBS symptoms like abdominal pain and abnormal bowel habits.
- Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like air fresheners, mold, and allergens.
- Check your diet — certain FODMAP-containing foods actually increase the histamine levels in your body causing that allergic response to flare up
- Keep your gut healthy — if your intestinal tract can stay strong, it helps when you come into contact with all of these instigators. Continually keep healthy routines including:
- Adequate hydration
- Enough sleep every night
- Exercising regularly
- Eating fresh, healthy foods that aren’t pumped full of antibiotics and histamines
- Avoiding antibiotics and hand sanitizer use if possible
How can Atrantil help your IBS?
Atrantil was created to help IBS patients get back to living a more normal life. Dr. Ken Brown and his team at Atrantil worked hard to find the right blend to not only help symptom management but to get to the root of the problem for IBS patients no matter the cause of their symptoms.
The polyphenolic blend stops the archaebacteria that cause your bloating and stomach pains. It continues by repairing the tissues that were harmed and nourishing the microbiome. The specific polyphenols used help feed your healthy bacteria so they can become the predominant species residing in your gut to help repair unhealthy tissues and fight disease.
Talk to your doctor to see if Atrantil is right for you! Then grab your bottle here.
Do you think your IBS may be seasonal? If so, let us know in the comments what seasons you tend to notice the most symptom flares. What type of symptoms do you notice for those seasons?