Top 12 IBS Questions and Answers – Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Causes

What Causes IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)?

There are no precise causes of irritable bowel syndrome. Various factors such as increased stimulation of bodily functions, abnormal gastrointestinal tract movements, or any disruption between the GI tract and brain can cause IBS. Factors that appear to play a role include:

Inflammation in the intestines – Some people have an overstimulated immune system that causes active inflammation in the GIT. It usually presents itself in form of abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Muscle contractions in the intestine – Normal muscle contraction of the GIT muscles is important for regular stool consistency and frequency. Anything such as diet or environmental toxins that cause increased or decreased muscle contraction can result in diarrhea or constipation respectively.

Nervous system – Your digestive system depends on the brain for digestion and absorption. Any abnormality in the nerves responsible for digestion can result in greater stretching of the stomach and in turn, increased gas and bloating. Poorly coordinated signals between the GI tract and brain can also result in pain, diarrhea or constipation.

Severe infection – Microbial infection of the GI tract such as gastroenteritis can develop into IBS.

Changes in microflora – Microflora are the group of healthy bacteria that reside in your gut and play a key role in digestion and absorption of the food. Depletion of the normal flora due to infection, surgery, or overuse of antibiotics can cause IBS. Research indicates that people with IBS have less number of microflora than normal people.