IBS facts

Submitted by Thiruvelan on 19th Sep 2015 | Last updated 30 November 2016
Irritable bowel syndrome facts

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) facts; it is a complex condition affecting 15% of the U.S. population. It is the most misunderstood among patients and physicians alike.

IBS Facts

 

  • Research studies indicate the IBS symptoms vary and can occur at any age. These symptoms vary in frequency and intensity from person to person and within an individual person from day-to-day.
  • IBS develops due to unknown reasons; most probably due to more sensitive bowel than normal and problem with bowel coordination.
  • Women are two to three times more chances to suffer from IBS than men are in United States and Europe. About 75 % of people with IBS in this world are women. However, in India and Sri Lanka men with IBS is more than women (that is 26% women to 74% men). 
  • IBS symptoms does not always occur persistently. It can come and go over time, mostly triggered by diet and stress.
  • Irritable bowel syndrome is often call by many names: colitis, mucous colitis, spastic colon, spastic bowel, and functional bowel disease.
  • IBS can trigger by stress, and IBS symptom flare-ups are associated with major stressful life events in the majority of people with this condition.

IBS is not psychosomatic

For many years, physicians consider IBS was a psychological condition, only exist in the patient’s head. Even many patients with IBS experience depression or anxiety. Psychological distress or stress could worsen IBS, but may not be the primary cause of it.

Stress & IBS

Stress may be a risk factor for IBS. Stress can certainly aggravates IBS symptoms. Therefore you need to keep the stress level to a minimum and manage it well to prevent it affects you.

Stressors put you on stress, there are two types of stressors physical stressors such as infection, surgery, etc. and/or psychological stressors such as divorce, loved once death, loss of job, etc. 

Serotonin Vs IBS link

Interestingly, more than 90% of the serotonin in the body is manufacture and found in the intestine. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter enhances mood. Serotonin affects food and feces movement through the intestine. Latest IBS research indicates a biochemical imbalance of serotonin in the digestive system of patients with IBS 

Brain, nerve & GI connection

We all know that there exist an interaction between the brain, central nervous system, and gastro intestinal system. In the case of people with IBS this interactions has somehow disturbed.

The colon of people with IBS reacts severely for the stimuli resulting in irregular intestinal muscle contraction, increase in pain sensitivity, and abnormal gut motility (extremely low or fast); thus, IBS symptoms developed.