Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the gastrointestinal tract, which is comprised of the stomach and intestines. It’s characterized by a group of symptoms that include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation. This common condition is uncomfortable, but you can manage it if you adjust your daily routines, diet, and medication, and try certain therapeutic approaches. We explore some of the possible causes of IBS and how you can manage symptoms.
Types of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
IBS is sometimes referred to as irritable colon, mucous colitis, spastic colon, and spastic colitis.
Three main types of IBS exist, namely IBS-D (diarrhea-predominant), IBS-C (constipation-predominant), and IBS-M (diarrhea-constipation mixed). Stool appearance is typically involved in categorizing IBS.
- IBS-C – IBS with constipation occurs when poop is lumpy, hard, and difficult to pass.
- IBS-D – IBS with diarrhea occurs when poop is loose and watery.
- IBS-M – IBS with mixed bowel habits occurs when you experience both hard and lumpy poop and loose and watery poop.
Symptoms of IBS
Specific symptoms of the condition include abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, or both.
Severe symptoms are not typical of IBS, but if present, are usually alleviated with medication or other therapy. Symptoms of IBS may vary, but they usually stick around for a long time. The most common symptoms are:
- Abdominal pain, cramping, or bloating linked to passing a bowel movement
- Changes in the appearance of bowel movements
- Changes in the frequency of bowel movements
- Sensation of incomplete evacuation of stool
- Increased gas or mucus in your stool
More serious symptoms of IBS include:
- Diarrhea at night
- Weight loss
- Rectal bleeding
- Anemia
- Unexplained vomiting
- No relief of pain by passing gas or a bowel movement
What Are The Causes of IBS?
The exact causes of IBS are still a mystery. According to an article published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, although the cause of IBS has not been fully explained, it involves dysregulation of communication between the brain and gut (brain-gut axis) which is linked to alterations in intestinal motility, gut permeability, visceral hypersensitivity, and gut microbiota composition.
Thus, IBS is considered related to gut-brain interaction. This means that patients tend to experience problems with how the gut and brain work together to help the digestive system function properly. Some possible factors that may be linked to IBS include:
Brain-Gut Connection
Communication between your brain and gut may not always be normal. When there is a disruption, it could lead to a few issues, including:
- Dysmotility. This happens when GI muscles cannot properly transport food through the GI tract. As food travels through your digestive tract, the walls of the intestines contract. When contractions of the intestinal walls are stronger and last longer than normal, this can lead to bloating, gas, and diarrhea. However, if the contractions are weak, this can slow the passage of food and cause stool to become hard and dry. In IBS, the muscles of your large intestine may contract more, causing cramps and pain.
- Visceral hypersensitivity. This means the GI tract nerves become extra-sensitive. When there is a nerve problem in your digestive system, this could result in discomfort when your abdomen expands from gas or stool. Poorly coordinated signals between the brain and the intestines can lead to an overreaction by your body to changes that normally occur in the digestive process. This can leave IBS patients’ digestive tracts with a high sensitivity to abdominal pain or discomfort.
Gut Bacteria
Based on research findings, irritable bowel syndrome may be caused by altered bacteria in the GI tract, which contribute to certain symptoms of the condition. While in people with IBS, bacteria type and level may vary from one person to the next, research suggests that, in general, people with IBS had significantly lower diversity in their gut bacteria composition than healthy people.
Severe Infections
Research indicates that one of the possible causes of IBS could be related to severe infection affecting the GI tract. According to an article published in the Gastroenterology Clinics of North America, acute infectious gastroenteritis results in the development of IBS in roughly 1 in 10 people. Also, the article further highlights that IBS risk is highest with parasitic infections, followed by bacterial, and then viral. As such, it appears that IBS can develop after an infection in the stomach or intestines.
Food Intolerance
The causes of IBS may also involve food intolerance, according to reports of people experiencing worsening symptoms after eating specific foods. Specific food consumption highlights the strong connection between food intolerances and IBS.
Food intolerances often exhibit a dose-dependent pattern, posing a challenge in identifying trigger foods. This means that it can be hard to identify food intolerances because they may not bother you when you eat a little of the food, and it only becomes a problem when you eat a lot.
An article published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology suggests that food intolerance is associated with IBS. Specifically, adults with lactose and lactose plus food intolerance have higher rates of IBS, increased psychological symptoms, and poorer quality of life.
We discuss other foods that are well-known IBS triggers below.
Childhood Stress
There appears to be a connection between trauma and IBS. Severe stressors in a person’s early life/childhood may also be another of the causes of IBS. These stressors may include physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. The link between traumatic events in childhood and IBS appears to stem from the triggering of abnormal signaling from the protein known as nerve growth factor. This results in a sequence of changes that ultimately contribute to the development of IBS.
Is Food Poisoning One of the Causes of IBS?
Food poisoning is the leading known cause of IBS. Research suggests that one in nine individuals who get food poisoning develop a form of IBS referred to as post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS). In other words, PI-IBS is caused by a food-borne gastric infection.
With this form of IBS, a diarrheal component is usually present, and patients tend to suffer from symptoms of IBS-D or IBS-M. If IBS-C symptoms appear, post-infectious IBS is less likely.
Your healthcare provider can detect PI-IBS by measuring biomarkers in your blood.
Food poisoning develops into IBS when bacteria containing the toxin Cytolethal Distending Toxin B (CdtB) is released into the body. Shigella, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli are among the most common bacteria that release CdtB. This toxin triggers a disruption in the gut microbiome, causing gut nerve damage and improper gut cell functioning.
However, after the initial infection, it could take a long while for IBS to develop. In this instance, often patients do not remember the food poisoning that may have caused the IBS.
You may have post-infectious IBS if you have IBS-D or IBS-M and have experienced the following:
- Chronic or traveler’s diarrhea, or mixed diarrhea and constipation symptoms
- Abdominal pain and bloating
- IBS absent other serious symptoms such as blood in your stool
- Have had food poisoning in the past
Causes of IBS: Foods That Trigger IBS
Certain foods can trigger IBS in some people, and their impact varies from person to person. Aside from food intolerances, many of these foods can act as triggers for IBS.
Consider limiting or excluding some of these foods to avoid IBS flare-ups:
Beans- Fruits, like bananas, apricots
- Foods containing sorbitol, mannitol, or xylitol
- Onions
- Carrots
- Raisins
- Dairy foods, like milk, ice cream, yogurt, and cheese
- Carbohydrate foods, like pretzels, bagels
Causes of IBS: Adrenal Fatigue and Gut Health
Chronic stress can also lead to various dysregulations in the body that can cause gut problems, including IBS. Adrenal Fatigue is a condition where the body is unable to keep up with long-term stress, resulting in various nonspecific symptoms such as delayed food sensitivities, unexplained constipation, gastritis despite normal gastroscopy, and low thyroid function, among other symptoms.
The Inflammation circuit of the NeuroEndoMetabolic Stress Response, including your immune system, GI tract, and microbiome, is easily affected by Adrenal Fatigue. Chronic inflammation can lead to a leaky gut and a weakening of the tight junctions in the intestines, allowing food particles into the body that then trigger food sensitivities. It can also affect the composition of your gut microbiome, leading to more bad bacteria that cause bloating, inflammation, poor digestion, and other IBS symptoms. If stress is a factor in your IBS, managing stressors and addressing Adrenal Fatigue is essential.
Tips for Managing IBS Symptoms
Functionally, it’s very important to try to get to the root cause of IBS Symptoms. If you need to look for dysbiosis consider a comprehensive stool test. If you have underlying chronic stress, practice adrenal breathing. Typically, when addressing IBS, a care plan is often specific to the person’s needs and focuses on improving their quality of life. Some typical approaches to addressing IBS include:
Dietary Changes
Changing what you eat could be significant in easing IBS symptoms for some people. This can mean eating nutrient-rich meals, eating smaller meals, and avoiding food triggers. You could test for food sensitivities and try to avoid those triggers.
Also, you could try the low FODMAP diet. A FODMAP is a type of hard-to-digest carbohydrate found in certain foods, and research links them to some common digestive issues. Furthermore, it’s also beneficial to increase your fiber intake of grains, nuts, prunes, fruits, and vegetables if you experience constipation with IBS. However, be cautious not to overload your gut, and stop consuming immediately if you develop any negative effects following the change.
Herbs, Supplements, and Medication
Depending on your symptoms, the best herbs, supplements, and medication could vary.
If you experience constipation with IBS, digestive enzymes and magnesium may help loosen the stools.
Probiotic supplements may help replenish the gut microbiome.
Some medications that are specifically used to manage IBS include dicyclomine, hyoscyamine, lubiprostone, linaclotide, and rifaximine.
Certain supplements may also help soothe the gut. GI Mend, for instance, combines licorice and aloe to promote a healthy gut lining and a harmonious digestive environment.
However, before adding any supplement to your diet, especially if you have Adrenal Fatigue, you want to get to the root cause and find someone experienced with fixing the gut naturally.
Activity Changes
Making changes to exercise, stress levels, and sleep may help. Regular, moderate exercise for 30 minutes most days or around 150 minutes each week could help with symptoms. Certain relaxation techniques can help you to destress and calm your overtaxed nervous systems, such as daily yoga, meditation, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Furthermore, get quality sleep by getting at least seven hours of sleep each night.
Causes of IBS: The Takeaway
Different people experience IBS differently. While the exact cause of IBS is unknown, certain factors can lead to the development of IBS. These may include food poisoning, gut bacteria composition, infections, food intolerance, visceral hypersensitivity, and dysmotility. But while you can’t cure IBS, there are ways to avoid triggers and manage symptoms with diet, exercise, supplements, and medications. If you have questions on how to heal the gut, contact Lam Clinic to book an in-person or virtual visit. We will review your symptoms, assess possible root causes, and outline a plan you can start right away.
