IBS Causes and Risk Factors

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• QWhat foods can trigger irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms?

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  A StoneSprings Hospital Center answered

  The most problematic foods for patients with IBS are fiber and dairy.

• QDoes stress cause irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

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  A Dr. Eugene F. Yen, MD , Gastroenterology, answered on behalf of NorthShore University HealthSystem

  

  While stress can worsen someone's gastrointestinal symptoms, stress is not thought to cause IBD. Learn more from Dr. Eugene Yen on behalf of NorthShore University HealthSystem about stress and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

  

  Find out more about this DVD:

  Does Stress Cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?
  Buy DVD

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• QWho gets irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

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  A Riverside Health System answered

  Up to one in five Americans has IBS. IBS often begins before the age of 35, but it can start at any age. IBS seems to run in families—people with IBS often report having a family member with IBS. Most people diagnosed with IBS (up to 75 percent) are women. But, it is not known for sure that IBS affects more women than men. It may be that women are more likely to talk to their doctors about their symptoms.

  This answer is based on source information from The National Women's Health Information Center.

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• QWhat is post-infective irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  Some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) say their symptoms appear to have started shortly after a bacterial infection, such as severe gastroenteritis. Doctors have recognized this as "post-infective IBS." There is evidence that, in at least some people, infection and inflammation may play key roles in the development of symptoms. Additionally, post-infective IBS appears to be more common in women and in people under high stress. Symptoms can linger for months to years after the infection and inflammation improve.
  
  This content originally appeared on HealthyWomen.org.
• QWhat foods are common triggers for irritable bowel syndrome flare-ups?

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  A Sigma Nursing answered

  You may find that eating dairy products and caffeinated foods leaves you with cramps and bloating. Avoid the sugars and sweeteners found in those products. Also, chocolate, milk and alcohol may lead to further constipation, while soft drinks, fruits and vegetables may cause bloating.

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• QWhat causes irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

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  A Patsy Catsos , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered

  The origins of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are not well understood by clinicians and scientists. Over the years, our view of IBS has changed and evolved and will probably continue to do so. At the present time, it seems likely that IBS arises from some combination of the following:
  

  • Abnormal contraction and relaxation of the intestinal muscles that move food through the gastrointestinal system, known as a motility disorder. Motility disorders may cause food to move through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract too slowly or quickly, and can sometimes cause intestinal muscle spasms to occur.

  • Low pain threshold for distention in the intestines of affected individuals, known as visceral hypersensitivity. This means that a buildup of gas or fluids in the large intestine may hurt the IBS sufferer but not cause a painful sensation to someone who does not have IBS.

  • Miscommunication between the gut and the brain, possibly relating to a nervous system dysfunction.

  Stress and inflammation may influence these three proposed origins of IBS in ways that are unclear at this time.

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• QHow does dietary fiber affect irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

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  A Dr. William B. Salt, MD , Gastroenterology, answered

  Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may have a significant problem with abdominal bloating and flatulence when they increase the fiber content of the diet and do not seem to be able to adjust to the change. Because of an increased sensitivity to what is happening in the digestive tract, gas released by the breakdown and fermentation of the complex carbohydrates of fiber causes distention of the colon that is perceived as discomfort, bloating and pain. Furthermore, some people are more likely to produce gas than are others. If bran causes gas and flatulence, try concentrating on eating more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Fiber supplements can be tried, and some products may be better tolerated than others.

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• QHow is serotonin related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

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  A Dr. Patricia L. Raymond, MD , Gastroenterology, answered

  Serotonin is one of the many chemicals that helps the gut to contract properly to produce peristalsis, the "milking" motion that moves your food from your mouth to your posterior. In addition, it is one of the chemicals in your gut responsible for the transmission of pain sensations up your spinal column to be perceived by your brain. Serotonin is found in the brain as well, but of the eight receptors specially designed to attach to serotonin, numbers 3 and 4 are in the gut, 1 and 2 are in the brain. The different drugs used for serotonin-related diseases, which include migraines and depression, as well as IBS, work solely on their designated receptors.