Posts Tagged ‘causes of ibs’
What are the causes 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.
In diarrhoea the transit time is faster and in constipation it is slower. IBS is generally divided into two groups, constipation predominant and diarrhoea predominant. Some have diarrhoea and constipation alternating. 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 the Gastro-Colic reflex and develops in response to food entering the stomach. In IBS, large meals, fatty meals or just the wrong meal can trigger a very strong gastro colic reflex. 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 the fault that results in IBS resides in the Nervous System. The Enteric Nervous System is a complex interconnection of brain cells in the gut. To understand IBS, experts think you need to understand how the Enteric Nervous System works.
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. In addition psychological trauma such as physical, emotional and sexual abuse can affect the gut. In IBS, records show a higher incidence of such trauma. 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: IBS can develop is 20-30% of cases of severe gastro-enteritis. Escherichia coli, Salmonella shigella and Camplobacter jejuni are the most common organisms involved. Serotonin levels in gastro-enteritis is very high and in cases that develop IBS this high level 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.
Prof. Jonathan Brostoff of Middlesex Hospital believes that yeast is involved in some cases of IBS. An overgrowth of Candida occurs when there is reduced levels of good bacteria, Lactobacilli and Bifidobactreia.
Tags: Health, exercise, nutrition
