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Keep having stomach aches and diarrhea? Not just simple enteritis? 3 warning signs of irritable bowel syndrome

Experiencing sudden abdominal pain accompanied by frequent trips to the restroom is something everyone has gone through at least once. Most people brush it off lightly thinking, "My gut must have been upset for a while," or write it down as simple enteritis, assuming it will get better with time. But what if these symptoms repeat? Unlike temporary enteritis that improves after resting for a few days, if you continue to have abdominal pain and diarrhea that cause major discomfort in daily life, you should suspect irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It's not just that your gut is sensitive; it could be an abnormal signal sent from deep within your body.

💡 Core Answer Top 3 most common causes of continuous abdominal pain and diarrhea: ① Intestinal mucosal dysfunction / ② Gut-brain axis imbalance due to stress / ③ Changes in the gut microbiome environment Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic purifies the intestinal environment and restores the balance of the gut-brain axis to calm the hypersensitive reactions of the gut.

Simple enteritis is a disease where the intestines become inflamed due to bacterial or viral infection. It mainly appears acutely, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and fever, and tends to improve within a few days. On the other hand, irritable bowel syndrome is a functional bowel disorder where chronic abdominal pain recurs along with changes in bowel habits such as diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal bloating, even though no specific abnormalities are found in endoscopy or imaging tests. In other words, it occurs due to a problem with the gut function itself, not a structural problem in the gut.

Many people express frustration upon hearing "tests show nothing abnormal," which is a textbook characteristic of irritable bowel syndrome. The sensitivity of gut function increases, causing it to react excessively to minor stimuli. These hypersensitive reactions are caused by complex factors not only in the gut itself, but also by the imbalance of the 'gut-brain axis' where the brain and gut interact, stress, and changes in the gut microbiome environment.

Yes, it is entirely possible. In Korean medicine, irritable bowel syndrome is not viewed merely as a gut problem, but is treated by comprehensively examining the overall balance of the body and the functions of the visceral organs. In particular, it focuses on regulating inflammatory reactions in the gut and stabilizing the autonomic nervous system, which has become vulnerable to stress.

Research results published in May 2026 in the international pharmaceutical journal 'Pharmaceuticals' by a research team led by Professor Go Seok-jae of the Department of Korean Internal Medicine at Kyung Hee University Hospital in Gangdong scientifically proved that the herbal medicine 'Banhasasim-tang' is effective in improving irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. This study confirmed through animal experiments that Banhasasim-tang acts on signaling systems that induce inflammation in the body to suppress inflammatory reactions, resulting in improving gut dysfunction and pain. In particular, major indicators related to irritable bowel syndrome, such as decreased gut length, changes in stool consistency, and increased pain behavior, significantly improved, and inflammatory cytokine levels also showed a decreasing tendency. The researchers concluded that these results open up the possibility of a fundamental treatment approach that goes beyond temporary symptom relief to directly regulate gut inflammatory reactions and manage the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome. Based on these data, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic performs 'intestinal detoxification' treatment to manage the deep-rooted intestinal inflammatory reactions of irritable bowel syndrome and normalize gut function.

In addition, clinical trial results from a joint research team of the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine and Kyung Hee University published in April 2026 in the international journal 'Integrative Medicine Research' show the significant therapeutic effect of the herbal medicine 'Gwakjeongtang-gami'. The research team conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on 60 adult patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) who met the diagnostic standard 'Rome IV criteria'. As a result of the clinical trial, the patient group taking Gwakjeongtang-gami showed a treatment response rate more than twice as high as the placebo group. In particular, the overall response rate, abdominal pain intensity response rate, and stool consistency response rate according to treatment duration consistently showed higher figures in the Gwakjeongtang-gami group compared to the placebo group, and generally showed excellent improvement patterns in IBS symptom severity scores, pain-free day ratio, and loose stool occurrence day ratio. Furthermore, during the 4-week intake period, not a single drug-related side effect or adverse reaction occurred, securing safety that allows patients requiring long-term treatment to take it with confidence. This study provided clinical evidence that Gwakjeongtang-gami significantly improves symptoms and is safe in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. These research results support the direction of fundamental treatment pursued by Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic as a Songdo irritable bowel Korean medicine clinic.

Did you know that over 70% of the body's immune cells exist in the gut? The gut is an important defense line protecting our body's health, going beyond a mere digestive organ. 'Intestinal detoxification' is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic's core treatment principle that restores and strengthens gut function to regain the health of the entire body.

Looking at people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, the intestinal wall is often damaged, increasing the permeability of the intestinal mucosa. Also known as 'leaking gut syndrome', this causes intestinal toxins and microbial debris to spread through the blood throughout the entire body, inducing chronic inflammatory reactions. This is precisely why skin troubles, allergies, chronic fatigue, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and indigestion appear together with irritable bowel syndrome.

Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic's 'intestinal detoxification' treatment aims to maximize the gut's detoxification function by restoring damaged intestinal walls and regaining the balance of beneficial gut bacteria, going beyond merely suppressing symptoms. It removes 'damjeok' that accumulates and hardens in the stomach, activates intestinal peristalsis, and balances the gut-brain axis to calm the gut's hypersensitive reactions. When the gut becomes healthy, the body's overall immunity is enhanced, unnecessary inflammatory reactions are reduced, and a robust body where symptoms do not recur can be built. As a 'Songdo Korean medicine clinic', Dalimchae establishes a treatment plan optimized for each patient's gut health state through meticulous diagnosis and customized herbal medicine prescription.

Check how many of the following questions apply to you. If you have experienced repetitive abdominal pain averaging once a week or more over the past 3 months and meet 2 or more of the symptoms below, you can suspect irritable bowel syndrome.

• Abdominal pain is relieved after defecation.
• Abdominal pain is accompanied by changes in bowel frequency.
• Abdominal pain appears along with changes in stool form (consistency).
• Constipation and diarrhea appear alternately.
• Sudden abdominal pain and diarrhea appear when stressed.
• Inconvenience due to excessive gas accumulation along with abdominal pain.
• Disruption in daily life due to frequent diarrhea or constipation.
• Unexplained abdominal bloating or feeling bloated.

Judgment Criteria:

• 3 or more items apply: Suspected irritable bowel syndrome stage. It is recommended to consider Korean medicine combination treatment for gut function improvement.
• 5 or more items apply: A stage requiring immediate diagnosis and treatment. Visit Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic, a Songdo enteritis Korean medicine clinic, to receive an accurate diagnosis.

Q. How are irritable bowel syndrome and enteritis different? A. Enteritis is an acute inflammatory disease caused by bacterial or viral infection and usually improves within a short period. On the other hand, irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disease accompanied by chronic abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits without structural abnormalities in the gut.

Q. Can irritable bowel syndrome be treated with Korean medicine? A. Yes, in Korean medicine, the cause of irritable bowel syndrome is viewed as gut dysfunction, gut-brain axis imbalance, and stress, and treatments such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion are used to restore gut function, control inflammation, and stabilize the autonomic nervous system. The efficacy and safety of Korean medicine treatment have been proven through actual research.

Q. Can irritable bowel syndrome be cured only with diet control? A. Diet control is very important for managing irritable bowel syndrome, but it is difficult for it to be a fundamental solution. Professional treatment must be combined to solve complex causes such as gut inflammatory reactions, functional disorders, and gut-brain axis imbalance.

Q. Is stress closely related to irritable bowel syndrome? A. Yes, there is a very deep connection. Stress affects the gut-brain axis, making gut motility and sensation hypersensitive, and acts as a major factor worsening symptoms. In Korean medicine, autonomic nervous system imbalance due to stress is viewed as a key causative factor, and treatments to regulate this are performed.

Continuous stomach aches and diarrhea cannot be solved by enduring them. You no longer need to turn away from the signals your body has been sending for a long time. When approached in the right direction, the body responds faster than you think. Bring the symptoms you are currently experiencing just as they are. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic will find the cause together with you.

A place where life blossoms. Herbal medicine is, after all, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check symptoms similar to yours first through Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic's website AI consultation!

This article is health information organized together by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Songdo Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Oh Hyunmin (based on intestinal disease treatment standards, Intestinal Disease Column) #IrritableBowelSyndrome #AbdominalPainDiarrhea #Enteritis #IntestinalDetox #GutBrainAxis #SongdoKoreanMedicineClinic #SongdoIrritableBowel #KoreanMedicineTreatment Intestines - Irritable Bowel Syndrome