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IBS and Quality of Life
The Quality of Life of Patients with IBS Is Lower
Formal studies using validated research instruments have demonstrated decreased quality of
life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).33-36 For example, a recent study
compared the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with IBS with that of
United States population norms and with patients with selected diseases that are chronic,
episodic, associated with acute symptom flare-ups, and prevalent among similar populations.
Results revealed that, overall, patients with IBS experience a poorer HRQOL
compared with United States population norms and patients with gastroesophageal reflux
disease (GERD), asthma, or migraine (Fig. 9).33
IBS Negatively Impacts Patients’ Daily Routines, Social Lives,
and Emotional Well-Being
The fear of debilitating symptom recurrences prevents many IBS patients from leading
productive, fulfilling lives, as follows:
• IBS has a significant negative impact on patients’ social lives, often preventing them from
participating in sports/recreational activities and family gatherings. Anxiety and embarrassment
related to IBS symptoms lead many patients to cancel travel plans or to decline
leisure activities such as dining out or attending sleepovers.37
– More than two thirds of respondents (68%) to the International Foundation for
Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) survey reported missing an average of
11 or more activities or social occasions within 3 months—equivalent to about 1
missed activity per week.25
• IBS often is not viewed as a serious medical condition, leading to a lack of sympathy from family
members, friends, and coworkers. Symptoms are often equated to a simple stomachache.37
• Sexual intercourse often can be painful for IBS patients—a possible manifestation of
increased pain perception. Syndrome-associated fatigue or discomfort, embarrassment, or low
self-esteem can also decrease or eliminate sexual desire. Embarrassment or fear of symptoms
can prevent patients from pursuing personal relationships, and symptoms can cause stress
and discord with spouses or other family members.37
– In the United Kingdom-based survey conducted by Silk and colleagues, of 1,204
respondents who were married or living with someone, 19% reported experiencing
problems in maintaining a physical relationship with their partner because of IBS, and
45% believed that IBS negatively affected their sex lives.26
For one third of respondents in the Gastrointestinal (GI) Sufferer Study, symptoms restricted
participation in sports and recreational activities and interfered with intimacy or patients’
sex lives. On average, IBS symptoms caused women to change social plans or alter personal
activities (such as travel plans) 3 days per month. That translates into 18 disrupted weekends
per year or more than 1 month per year (36 days) of canceled or altered activities.
Half of the women interviewed said that IBS limits their diet, and almost one third reported
frequenting restaurants less often because of symptoms (Fig. 10). Two thirds of survey
respondents reported having bathroom anxiety (always needing to know the location of
the nearest bathroom).
IBS-related symptoms strongly contribute to patients’ emotional and interpersonal problems.
In the GI Sufferer Study, two thirds of the women surveyed reported that they would feel
better about themselves if they did not have symptoms, more than half reported extreme
embarrassment caused by disease-related symptoms, and about a quarter of the women
experienced anxiety about the potential negative effect IBS symptoms might have on their
relationships with friends and family (Fig. 11).
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