What are the causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
The cause of IBS is still unknown. IBS is a motility disorder some experts say. An oversensitive or hyperactive gut is another possible cause of IBS. and the gut will react to changes influenced by stress, food and hormones.
With the typical chaotic bowel habit of IBS, it is not surprising that it is thought of as a motility disorder. There is an abnormality in the transit time of ingested food.
Sometimes it is slower than normal causing constipation and other times it is faster causing diarrhoea. There are two types of IBS, diarrhoea predominant and constipation predominant. In some cases constipation and diarrhoea alternate. In IBS stools can vary from watery and unformed to hard pellets.
Some say there is a link between diet and IBS.
Certain foods will trigger IBS symptoms. Intestinal gut activity is stimulated by ingesting food. This is a normal action and the most common is the Gastro colic reflex. This reflex is strongest after breakfast. Gastro-Colic reflex in IBS is strongest after fatty or large meals. This results in abdominal pains and or diarrhoea.
There is no evidence that food causes IBS but certain foods and the volume consumed at one time can trigger symptoms.
One suggestion is that it is a brain-gut disorder. The Enteric Nervous System is a complex interconnection of brain cells in the gut. Some researchers believe that to understand IBS, we have to understand the workings of the Enteric Nervous System.
The Gut has the richest supply of serotonin in the body. This chemical is closely connected to the nervous system. At present a lot of research is focused on gut serotonin receptors.
Serotonin affects the nerves in the intestine and controls contractions of the smooth muscles of the gut. Low levels of serotonin lead to constipation and higher than normal levels cause diarrhoea.
Psychological factors such as anxiety, stress and depression can affect the gut. Trauma suc h as physical, sexual and emotional abuse can affect the gut. In IBS, records show a higher incidence of such trauma. Addressing these issues may produce better long term results.
Gastroenteritis as a cause of IBS: IBS can develop is 20-30% of cases of severe gastro-enteritis. The common infective organisms are Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella shigella, and Escherichia coli. Serotonin levels in gastro-enteritis is very high and in cases that develop IBS this high level continues.
In women with IBS, the hormones progesterone and estrogen vary during the menstrual cycle and the symptoms may fluctuate. These hormones can affect the colon and the passage of residue along the gut. In some women IBS is worse at certain stage of their cycle.
Prof. Jonathan Brostoff of Middlesex Hospital believes that yeast is involved in some cases of IBS. These patients have reduced levels of friendly bacteria, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in their large bowel. This results in overgrowth of Candida.
Related Articles
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: What is the best treatment? Hypnotherapy is not only a treatment of stress, it is the best treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Although in Irritable Bowel Syndrome, there is no abnormality of the gut, it is very distressing to the individual who has it. It
- Creating A Proper Diet For IBS Syndrome There are millions of people out there who are suffering from IBS syndrome right now, which is why it is important for people who have not yet been diagnosed to know how to watch for IBS syndrome. This way if
- IBS. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is very common and in America at least 58 million have or had IBS at some stage in their lives. They complain of diarrhoea and/constipation and cramp like abdominal pains. These symptoms vary in individual Irritable Bowel
- Treatment For IBS: Gather Information About The Different Options In regard to picking the right treatment for IBS there are five different and major categories of treatment that can be used to cure IBS. The problems experienced with IBS include nervous system disorders which are typically seen as feeling
- IBS and the Law of Attraction. Irritable Bowel Syndrome affects as much as 20% of people in USA and Europe. Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome are pains in the abdomen associated with altered bowel pattern and bloating. Rectal symptoms such as irritation, pain or urgency
- How Is IBS A Common Solution Over The Counter Medication ? Typical IBS symptoms include having to put up with cramping that is especially painful and you might also have to suffer bloating and diarrhea and even constipation. One of the more common solutions when it comes to getting relief from
Comments
Leave a Reply