Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Can the Root Cause Be Treated?

Key takeaways

• IBS is one of the most common digestive disorders. According to the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), about 12 percent of people in the United States have IBS.
• It is diagnosed by symptoms, not by a single test — but that does not mean there is no underlying cause to find.
• The NIDDK reports that women are up to two times more likely than men to develop IBS, and that people younger than age 50 are more likely to develop it than those over 50.
• Common root drivers include an imbalanced gut microbiome (dysbiosis), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), food sensitivities, and a disrupted gut-brain axis.
• Standard care often manages symptoms with diet changes and medication without investigating why the gut became reactive.
• A root-cause, functional and environmental medicine approach aims to calm the gut and restore balance rather than only quiet symptoms.

What is irritable bowel syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic disorder of gut-brain interaction in which the digestive tract becomes hypersensitive and its motility is disrupted, producing recurring abdominal pain along with diarrhea, constipation, or both. This heightened gut sensitivity is often described as visceral hypersensitivity. Unlike inflammatory bowel disease, IBS does not damage the bowel wall, but it can significantly affect quality of life. It is among the most common gastrointestinal conditions — affecting an estimated 12 percent of people in the United States, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), which also reports that women are up to two times more likely than men to develop IBS. More broadly, the NIH notes that digestive diseases such as IBS affect an estimated 60 to 70 million Americans.

What are the symptoms of IBS?

Because IBS involves both the gut and the nervous system, symptoms vary from person to person and often flare with stress or certain foods:

• Recurring abdominal pain or cramping
• Bloating and abdominal distension
• Diarrhea, constipation, or alternating between the two
• Excess gas
• Mucus in the stool
• A feeling of incomplete bowel movements
• Urgency or changes in stool frequency
• Fatigue and poor sleep
• Food intolerances that seem to come and go

What causes IBS — and why standard treatment often misses it

Conventional care usually diagnoses IBS by ruling out other conditions and then manages symptoms with fiber, antispasmodics, laxatives or anti-diarrheals, and general dietary advice. That can bring some relief, but it does not answer the deeper question: why did the gut become reactive in the first place? In our experience, IBS symptoms are frequently driven by an imbalanced gut microbiome (dysbiosis), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), specific food sensitivities, and a disrupted gut-brain axis — often layered on top of increased intestinal permeability, commonly called “leaky gut.” Environmental toxins can add to this burden by stressing the gut lining and microbiome. According to the NIDDK, bacterial infections in the digestive tract, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and food intolerances or sensitivities are all among the factors that may play a role in causing IBS. When these drivers go unaddressed, symptoms tend to persist or return.

“Functional GI disorders, which doctors now call disorders of gut-brain interactions, are related to problems with how your brain and your gut work together.” — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

How Deeper Healing treats IBS

Deeper Healing takes a root-cause approach built on detailed intake and comprehensive testing — not just a symptom checklist. Dr. Bauerschmidt and our team look for the specific microbiome imbalances, bacterial overgrowth, food sensitivities, and toxic exposures driving the irritable gut, then address them in a deliberate order using environmental medicine, light and oxygen therapies, and targeted gut-repair, detoxification, and nervous-system support. The goal is to calm the gut, rebalance the microbiome, and help patients regain comfort and quality of life.

Conventional care vs a root-cause approach

Conventional IBS care	Deeper Healing root-cause approach
Diagnoses by symptoms and ruling out other disease	Investigates the microbiome, SIBO, and food triggers behind the symptoms
Manages symptoms with fiber, laxatives, or anti-diarrheals	Identifies and treats the drivers of the irritable gut
General dietary advice; symptoms often recur	Personalized gut-repair, detox, and gut-brain support
Rarely tests for dysbiosis, SIBO, or toxins	Tests for microbiome imbalance, bacterial overgrowth, food sensitivities, and total toxic burden — including mold (mycotoxins), heavy metals, and chemicals

Key terms explained

Dysbiosis

An imbalance in the community of bacteria and other microbes in the gut. Dysbiosis can disrupt digestion, immune signaling, and the gut lining, and is a common contributor to IBS symptoms.

SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)

An excess of bacteria in the small intestine, where relatively few should live. SIBO can cause bloating, gas, and altered bowel habits and overlaps heavily with IBS.

Gut-brain axis

The two-way communication network between the gut and the nervous system. When this signaling is disrupted, the gut can become hypersensitive — a central feature of IBS.

Visceral hypersensitivity

A heightened sensitivity of the gut in which normal amounts of gas or stool are perceived as painful. It is a hallmark of how the IBS gut over-responds to ordinary signals.

Motility

The coordinated muscular contractions that move contents through the digestive tract. When motility is too fast or too slow, it contributes to diarrhea, constipation, or both.

FODMAPs

A group of fermentable carbohydrates (found in certain fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy) that can draw water into the gut and ferment quickly, triggering gas, bloating, and pain in many people with IBS.

Intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”)

A weakening of the gut barrier that allows partially digested food and microbial products to pass through more easily, which can drive immune reactivity and food sensitivities.

IBS subtypes (IBS-C, IBS-D, IBS-M)

IBS is grouped by predominant bowel pattern: IBS with constipation (IBS-C), IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D), and IBS with mixed bowel habits (IBS-M). The subtype helps guide which treatments are most appropriate.

Patient experience

Many patients arrive after years of being told their tests are “normal” while bloating, pain, and unpredictable bowel habits continue to disrupt daily life. Read how a root-cause approach uncovers what standard testing misses: Deeper Healing patient stories →

Frequently asked questions

Can IBS be reversed or improved?

IBS is not always “cured,” but many patients experience meaningful, lasting improvement when the underlying drivers are identified and treated. By addressing the microbiome imbalance, bacterial overgrowth, food sensitivities, and gut-brain disruption behind the symptoms, the goal is to calm the gut and reduce flares rather than only managing episodes as they occur.

What is the root cause of IBS?

There is rarely a single cause. IBS typically develops when several factors overlap — an imbalanced gut microbiome (dysbiosis), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, food sensitivities, increased intestinal permeability, and a disrupted gut-brain axis, sometimes following an infection or a period of significant stress. Our work focuses on finding which of these drivers apply to you.

Is IBS related to SIBO and gut bacteria?

Often, yes. A large share of people with IBS also have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or broader microbiome imbalance. Excess or misplaced gut bacteria can produce the gas, bloating, and altered bowel habits that define IBS, which is why we test the microbiome rather than assuming the gut is simply “sensitive.”

What tests help identify what is driving IBS?

Beyond ruling out other conditions, we may use breath testing for SIBO, comprehensive stool and microbiome analysis, food-sensitivity evaluation, and testing for toxic exposures — including mold (mycotoxins), heavy metals, and chemicals — along with nutrient status. The aim is to move past a symptom-only label and understand the specific imbalances driving your gut, so treatment targets the actual cause.

Can food sensitivities and toxins trigger IBS?

Yes. Specific food sensitivities can provoke or worsen IBS symptoms, and environmental toxins can stress the gut lining and microbiome, adding to the overall burden. Identifying and reducing these triggers — while repairing the gut barrier — is central to how we approach IBS.

Do I have to follow a restrictive diet forever?

Not necessarily. Temporary dietary changes can help settle symptoms, but the longer-term goal is to repair the gut and rebalance the microbiome so that tolerance improves and the diet can be broadened. Many patients are able to reintroduce foods over time as the underlying drivers are addressed.

Is IBS caused by stress or is it “all in my head”?

IBS is a real, physical disorder of gut-brain interaction — not something imagined. Stress can worsen symptoms because the gut and nervous system are closely linked, but it is not the whole story. Physical drivers such as microbiome imbalance, SIBO, and food sensitivities are usually part of the picture and deserve to be investigated.

Where can I find a root-cause IBS doctor near me?

Deeper Healing Medical Wellness Center is located at 234 Seven Farms Drive, Suite 110, Charleston, SC 29492, on Daniel Island. We see patients from across the country who travel to us for root-cause digestive care after standard treatment has fallen short.

Your next step: find out what’s driving it

Because hidden environmental toxins and gut imbalances so often sit at the root of IBS, the most useful first step is understanding your own “body burden.” Our free two-minute assessment helps you gauge whether accumulated toxins could be contributing to your digestive symptoms — and what to do next.

Sources

• National Institutes of Health, NIDDK — Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• National Institutes of Health, NIDDK — Definition & Facts for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (prevalence ~12%; women up to twice as likely as men)
• National Institutes of Health, NIDDK — Symptoms & Causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (SIBO, bacterial infection, and food sensitivities among contributing factors)
• National Institutes of Health, NIH News in Health — Keeping Your Gut in Check (digestive diseases affect ~60–70 million Americans)