
However, hormones are not useful for women trying for a baby or women who suffer side-effects. Standard treatments include hormone treatment and laparoscopic surgery to remove endometrial tissue. These have a range of effects including increased sensitivity of the internal organs and the pain experienced by women with IBS and endometriosis. More work is needed to answer this question, but it appears that both may have a common cause associated with inflammation and immune cells called mast cells and the chemicals they release. What causes the link between IBS and endometriosis? Endometriosis can take many years to diagnose, but early diagnosis leads to better outcomes. Given both conditions are difficult to diagnose, it is a good idea if you have had a diagnosis of IBS to get your doctor to check you carefully for signs of endometriosis, especially if your symptoms are worse around the time of your period or if you have a family history of the condition. The higher rate of IBS is not simply in women who have endometrial tissue associated with their intestines, but also women where this is not the case. The risk of IBS is 3 times higher in women with endometriosis, and 50% of women with endometriosis meet the criteria for IBS.

They found that IBS is indeed more common in women with endometriosis. To fully understand the pattern, the authors of a recent review carefully gathered and analysed many studies from around the world.
