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Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

February 6th, 2010

No one will give you a specific cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. IBS is a motility disorder some experts say.  A hyperactive or oversensitive gut is another possible cause of IBS. and the gut will react to changes influenced by stress, food and hormones.

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, diarrhoea predominant and constipation predominant. Some have diarrhoea and constipation alternating. Stools in IBS can vary from hard pellets to watery and unformed.

Some say there is a link between diet and IBS.
Certain foods will trigger IBS symptoms. Just eating food stimulates intestinal muscle activity. 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 results in 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 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.

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: Between 20-30% of patients who develop severe gastroenteritis will go on to develop IBS. Escherichia coli, Salmonella shigella and Camplobacter jejuni are the most common organisms involved. 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.

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.

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