Pandemic Lockdown Was Unexpectedly Beneficial For People With IBS

A newly published study reveals a surprising benefit the COVID-19 lockdown offered IBS sufferers: their symptoms improved during the stay-home orders. This was opposite the expected outcome, according to the researchers, who anticipated that the patients' symptoms would have gotten worse during this stressful period of time, not better.

The research comes from Buenos Aires University, where scientists investigated the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on a total of 129 IBS patients. Data had already been gathered on these patients before the pandemic lockdown in Argentina started, giving the researchers the opportunity to contrast the information with survey data gathered during the lockdown.

The participants completed the online survey during lockdown, answering questions that shed light on things like their depression and anxiety levels, as well as their IBS symptoms, among other things. Despite Argentina's lockdown having been one of the longest enacted by a country, the study found that many patients experienced a significant improvement in their condition.

For example, the number of participants who experienced severe IBS symptoms dropped to 39 from 65. The collective severity scale for the participants also dropped 66 points, and participants reported improvements in things like anxiety, distention, pain, chronic fatigue, and more. The researchers say these findings point toward the influence the brain has on the gut.

The study's lead author Juan Pablo Stefanolo, MD, said:

One of our main hypotheses was that these patients were going to be worse because of pressure and stress due to COVID-19. We think the results have something to do with people staying at home. They were not exposed to outside stress, and at home they were able to avoid food triggers.