| IBS can seem to come from nowhere, and its | | | | account for the symptoms of IBS. |
| sufferers often have trouble figuring out why | | | | Another more common theory is that IBS is a |
| they are afflicted. The latest research sheds | | | | stress-related disease. It is often suggested that |
| some light on the problem. | | | | stress, anxiety and depression cause IBS, but |
| A number of theories aim to explain the disease | | | | thinking is now more along the lines that these |
| in terms of physiological disorder. These include | | | | psychological maladies only exacerbate the |
| possibilities such as smooth muscle abnormalities, | | | | symptoms rather than bring them on. Research |
| altered small intestinal mobility, or a sensory | | | | has found the colon muscle of someone with IBS |
| condition causing normal mobility of the gut to feel | | | | is more sensitive than that of a non-sufferer, |
| strange and abnormal to a person. However, no | | | | which means that IBS sufferers have strong |
| real evidence has been found to support any of | | | | reactions to stimuli that would not affect others. |
| these explanations. It is in fact often the case | | | | It is also suggested that hormones may influence |
| that IBS sufferers are thought of as | | | | symptoms, as women generally have more |
| hypochondriacs without any real problem, and | | | | symptoms of IBS when menstruating. |
| doctors who hold this belief tend to almost | | | | A third possible cause of IBS is food intolerance. |
| disregard their patients' gastrointestinal complaints. | | | | Although caffeine and alcohol are generally found |
| It is possible that an overgrowth of bacteria is | | | | to aggravate IBS, different individuals may find |
| what causes irritable bowel syndrome. The surge | | | | they have 'trigger' foods which vary widely. |
| of bacteria would be present in the small intestine, | | | | Sometimes this can be found out by trial and |
| as one researcher publishing in the Journal of the | | | | error in diet, but it is only possible to confirm food |
| American Medical Association has proposed. The | | | | intolerance by blood testing for antibodies. Once |
| proposal suggested that ordinary bacteria normally | | | | the foods are identified by the test, they can be |
| found in the large intestine may end up in the | | | | cut out of the diet, leading to an improvement in |
| small intestine giving rise to the characteristic | | | | IBS symptoms. It is even the case that after a |
| symptoms of IBS; uncomfortable bloating and gas | | | | time, the foods which were previously a problem |
| and a change in bowel movements, together with | | | | can be phased back into the diet as the immune |
| muscle and joint pain, chronic fatigue and | | | | system appears to reset itself in the interim. Food |
| headaches which are sometimes found in | | | | intolerance testing kits are available from some |
| sufferers. There may be 100 trillion bacteria in the | | | | pharmacies to make it easier to identify problem |
| gut, but they are usually scarce in the small | | | | foods that may provoke the symptoms of IBS. |
| intestine, so an increase in bacteria here may | | | | |