Health Choices

No one will give you a specific cause of IBS. 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. 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. Stools in IBS 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 results in abdominal pains and or diarrhoea.

Food is not a cause of IBS but can trigger symptoms.

One suggestion is that it is a brain-gut disorder. 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.

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. 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.

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.