<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

For those of you who may have asthma, this article says that more than 15
percent of patients with IBS (which most of us have probably been diagnosed
with at some time or another) tested positive for asthma, while only 1.45
percent of those who did not have IBS tested for asthma. Heads or tails? :)

COMMON DISORDER MAY UNDERLIE ASTHMA AND IBS Asthma appears to be more
prevalent among patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) than among
individuals without IBS, which suggests that there are
pathophysiological processes common to both conditions, according to
Turkish researchers. http://gastroenterology.medscape.com/38894.rhtml?
srcmp=gas-061501 <a href="http://gastroenterology.medscape.com/38894.
rhtml?srcmp=gas-061501"> Read it Here</a>

Here's a couple of interesting paragraphs from the article: -vance "In a
previous study, the research team notes, patient responses to a
questionnaire showed that "IBS, gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, and
symptomatic bronchial hyper-responsiveness occur together more often
than expected and that the conditions are independently associated with
each other."

"Some of the lines of evidence for an association between IBS and
asthma, according to the researchers, are that in both disorders there
is an altered contractility and smooth muscle tone, the autonomic
nervous system is involved, and inflammation probably has an etiologic role. "

Am J Gastroenterol 2001;96:1511-1516.