Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
No one will give you a specific cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 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 food, hormones and stress.
Typically the bowel habit in IBS becomes chaotic. There is no surprised, therefore that it is considered a motility disorder. The transit time from ingestion of food to excretion is abnormal.
Sometimes it is slower than normal causing constipation and other times it is faster causing diarrhoea. IBS is generally divided into two groups, constipation predominant and diarrhoea predominant. In some cases constipation and diarrhoea alternate. In IBS stools can vary from hard pellets to watery and unformed.
Some say there is a link between diet and IBS.
IBS symptoms can be triggered by certain foods. 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 strong gut contraction can cause 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 highest level of serotonin, a neuro-chemical is found in the gut. Significant research is currently done on the chemical and its role in IBS.
Contractions of the smooth muscles of the gut are affected by serotonin. High serotonin levels are found in diarrhoea and low levels in constipation.
Psychological factors such as anxiety, stress and depression can affect the gut. In addition psychological trauma such as physical, emotional and sexual abuse can affect the gut. Statistics show that there is a greater incidence of psychological trauma and disturbances in IBS. It is suggested that in addition to treating the IBS, treating the other issues will give better long-term results.
Gastroenteritis as a cause of IBS: Between 20-30% of patients who develop severe gastroenteritis will go on to develop IBS. The common infective organisms are Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella shigella, and Escherichia coli. Gastroenteritis results in inflammation of the gut lining resulting in an overproduction of serotonin. In the thirty percent that develops IBS, the serotonin imbalance continues.
In some women, symptoms fluctuate during the menstrual cycle. The two hormones that control the menstrual cycle are oestrogen and progesterone. The passage of food residue along the large gut is affected by the female hormones.
Yeast according to Prof. Jonathan Bostoff of The Meddlesex Hospital could be a possible cause of IBS. These patients have reduced levels of friendly bacteria, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in their large bowel. This results in overgrowth of Candida.
