What are the causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
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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 food, hormones and stress.
Typically the bowel habit in IBS becomes chaotic. There is no surprised, therefore that it is considered a motility disorder. There is an abnormality in the transit time of ingested food.
In diarrhoea the transit time is faster and in constipation it is slower. There are two types of IBS, constipation predominant and diarrhoea 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.
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. 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.
Food is not a cause of IBS but can trigger symptoms.
One suggestion is that the fault that results in IBS resides in the Nervous System. The gut has a complex network of brain cells called the Enteric Nervous System. This “Brain of the Gut” is connected to the Brain. To understand IBS, experts think you need to understand how the Enteric Nervous System works.
The highest level of serotonin, a neuro-chemical is found in the gut. At present a lot of research is focused on gut serotonin receptors.
Contractions of the smooth muscles of the gut are affected by serotonin. Low levels of serotonin lead to constipation and higher than normal levels cause diarrhoea.
The gut can be affected by stress, anxiety and depression. 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: 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 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.
Yeast according to Prof. Jonathan Bostoff of The Meddlesex Hospital could be a possible cause of IBS. An overgrowth of Candida occurs when there is reduced levels of good bacteria, Lactobacilli and Bifidobactreia.
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