The cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome is still unknown. Some experts think IBS is a Motility Disorder. 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, diarrhoea predominant and constipation 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.
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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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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