Why does irritable bowel syndrome not cause intestinal damage?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) does not cause permanent intestinal damage because it is classified as a functional disorder rather than a structural or inflammatory disease.12

While the condition causes significant discomfort, its symptoms—such as abdominal pain, cramping, and altered bowel habits—arise from disturbances in the motility of the intestines or increased sensitivity to distension, rather than from physical injury or damage to the intestinal tissue. Because the underlying mechanism involves how the digestive system functions and reacts to stimuli like stress or specific foods, the intestinal lining remains intact and free from the permanent lesions or tissue destruction associated with other digestive diseases.13