Women with IBS feel the pain, but can't switch it off

Irritable bowel syndrome can leave a person checking for the bathroom whenever going through a new environment. It's not a very convenient condition, but one that a lot of people have learned to live with. But a new study is shedding light on IBS, specifically regarding women and pain.

They've run tests which measure how women react to pain, and the anticipation of it. Using a functional MRI, scientists checked brain activity while trying to elicit a response. What they found was that women with IBS can't switch off a brain trigger which tells her body there's pain.

This explains why they are so sensitive to abdominal discomfort. The MRI showed active brain areas when the women anticipated pain. However, those with IBS couldn't reduce these areas of the brain. It's worth noting that both sets of women reacted to pain when it was actually present, to no surprise. You can read more about here if you're interested.