Irritable Bowel Syndrome and its Causes

It has been found that one in every five people in the US alone suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This is one of the most common digestive diseases affecting the adult population. In around half of the cases, it occurs before the age of 35.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of the intestines. It is characterized by bloating, abdominal cramping and constipation or diarrhea. IBS is an ongoing condition. Symptoms can come and go. They may be mild, moderate or severe. One particularly important thing to note is that the symptoms do not get worse with time. More importantly, this digestive disease has not been found to cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract. It does not lead to more serious conditions including Crohn's disease and cancer.

Extensive research is done to determine the causes of irritable bowel syndrome, but researchers do not have a clear answer yet. There are some theories which have been supported by research evidence to a great extent. It is worth looking at them to get an idea of the most probable causes of IBS.

This digestive disease may be due to a great sensitivity of the intestines. The colon may have a strong response to certain types of foods, to specific medications usually antibiotics, to hormonal changes and to stress. While the gastrointestinal tract of most people handles these with ease, those who have IBS may experience a flare up of their symptoms.

There are also speculations that it may be caused by improper work of the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract. It is speculated that there may be something abnormal in the way they move. It is possible for this digestive disease to be caused by an abnormality in the way in which signals are sent from the brain through the nervous system to the gastrointestinal tract.

Irritable bowel syndrome may be related to bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract and to celiac disease, an immune disorder characterized by gastrointestinal intolerance to gluten. For these reasons, it is suspected that the immune system may play a role in the development of the condition. More research is necessary to determine any specific link between the functioning of the immune system and IBS.

At present, there is no cure for irritable bowel syndrome. If its precise cause or causes are discovered in the future, maybe cure will be found as well. The good news for sufferers is that in most cases the symptoms of the condition can be managed effectively without disrupting their daily life.