IBS – Caused by a Food Allergy or a Food Intolerance?
Last Updated: 29th December 2022 · Written by Donna Mastriani
Believe it or not, as much as 20% of the UK population suffers from some form of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Of those, there is an equally substantial sum that is not in possession of their own specific set of IBS triggers and as such, spend their days failing to truly cope with its often-unpleasant symptoms.
At Lifelab Testing, we offer a range of simple and painless allergen testing and drink and food intolerance test services that can be used to accurately pinpoint exactly what foods are causing you a problem. Affordable and easy to perform, millions of people have already used our tests for allergies to free themselves of the shackles that IBS can place upon a person.
IBS – Caused by a Food Allergy or a Food Intolerance?
Before we can answer this question, it’s important to differentiate between an allergy and an intolerance. In truth, the number of those who suffer from what can actually be classed as a food allergy are dwarfed by those who are really suffering from a food intolerance.
A food allergy will usually manifest itself in some sort of fairly immediate physical reaction, be it a swelling, a rash or even asthma. The symptoms of an allergy will normally be quick to surface, and they can be as mild as a runny nose and as severe as a life-threatening bout of anaphylactic shock. The reason for the severity of the reaction is that an allergy is a triggering of the body’s immune system, which also accounts for the speed of a reaction.
The most notable characteristic of a food allergy is its severity, as an attack can be fatal. Those with an allergy to things like peanuts and shellfish are sometimes required to carry around an allergy EpiPen to counter the effects of unexpected exposure to it.
A food intolerance, however, is the result of consuming foods that your body has an issue processing. The effects can happen quickly, depending on the severity of the intolerance, but most often, the symptoms can take hours or even days to surface. It is this slowness that makes an intolerance that much harder to diagnose, as you’re likely to consume a variety of foods over the course of a day – each a potential trigger.
Intolerance symptoms are usually very much milder in comparison and include things like bloating and diarrhoea. Unpleasant granted, but not causing any significant threat of causing death.
The Verdict
When it comes to IBS, the quantity of people who can say that theirs is caused by a food allergy, rather than a food intolerance, is very small, as the symptoms are just too dissimilar. What is true in most cases is that if IBS is triggered by a food, it will be because of an intolerance. The symptoms of IBS bear a striking resemblance to some of those caused by a food intolerance, so it stands to reason that the two are connected in some way.
If you would like to get yourself intolerance or allergy tested, with a choice of four tests, to determine what exactly IS causing your body to react in unpleasant or painful ways, you can find out everything you need to know on our Lifelab Testing website. You can also chat with one of our friendly experts over live chat (available on our website) or you can call us on 01332 321892 between 8am and 8pm every weekday.
Armed with the vital information that intolerance testing and allergy testing offers, our customers can take back control of their lives by knowing what to avoid and how to manage their diet.
You can too… and for as little as £68.99 a test.
Click here to read our blog all about the things that link ‘Autoimmune Diseases and Allergies‘ together.
