A new blood test has been developed by doctors that could help diagnose irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS.

According to American Live Wire, IBS affects over 45 million Americans and there has not been a reliable way to detect it until now.

Two simple tests have been developed by a group of researchers that could indicate the presence of the disease in the blood. The tests measured the amount of antibodies present in the blood as a result of certain bacterial toxins.

The team believed that these toxins triggered a response from the body’s immune system. This led the toxins to attack the intestinal tract. Thus, even after the elimination of toxic bacteria, antibodies remain present and can cause symptoms like diarrhea and bloating.

Thus the findings indicated that the immune system response to the toxins can cause symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome long after the toxins are gone. In a sample of 2375 patients, the tests were 44% effective at detecting irritable bowel syndrome.

IBS can also happen by a lot of other factors, particularly diet. According to WebMD, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can be worsened by chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, artificial sweeteners like sorbitol, and fructose. IBS also occurs from excessive amounts of fiber and fried foods.

Wide range of medications can treat IBS, primarily antidiarrheal drugs. However, they fail to address abdominal pain and swelling.

Dr. Mark Pimentel of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles developed the tests. He said, “We now have a test to say, you have a disease. Having a test like this shortens the time of suffering, it shortens the time of investigation and accelerates getting the patient directly to treatment”.

The team will continue research to make the tests more effective, and hope to expand the tests for small clinical trials in the near future. The results of the study were published in the journal PLOS ONE.