As discussed previously, irritable bowel syndrome is believed to be due to  the abnormal function (dysfunction) of the muscles of the organs of the  gastrointestinal tract or the nerves controlling the organs. The nervous control  of the gastrointestinal tract, however, is complex. A system of nerves runs the  entire length of the gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus to the anus in  the muscular walls of the organs. These nerves communicate with other nerves  that travel to and from the spinal cord. Nerves within the spinal cord, in turn,  travel to and from the brain. (The gastrointestinal tract is exceeded in the  numbers of nerves it contains only by the spinal cord and brain.) Thus, the  abnormal function of the nervous system in IBS may occur in a gastrointestinal  muscular organ, the spinal cord, or the brain.

The nervous system that  controls the gastrointestinal organs, as with most other organs, contains both  sensory and motor nerves. The sensory nerves continuously sense what is  happening within the organ and relay this information to nerves in the organ’s  wall. From there, information can be relayed to the spinal cord and brain. The  information is received and processed in the organ’s wall, the spinal cord, or  the brain. Then, based on this sensory input and the way the input is processed,  commands (responses) are sent to the organ over the motor nerves. Two of the  most common motor responses in the intestine are contraction or relaxation of  the muscle of the organ and secretion of fluid and/or mucus into the organ.

As already mentioned, abnormal function of the nerves of the  gastrointestinal organs, at least theoretically, might occur in the organ,  spinal cord, or brain. Moreover, the abnormalities might occur in the sensory  nerves, the motor nerves, or at processing centers in the intestine, spinal  cord, or brain. Some researchers argue that the cause of functional diseases is  abnormalities in the function of the sensory nerves. For example, normal  activities, such as stretching of the small intestine by food, may give rise to  abnormal sensory signals that are sent to the spinal cord and brain, where they  are perceived as pain.

Other researchers argue that the cause of  functional diseases is abnormalities in the function of the motor nerves. For  example, abnormal commands through the motor nerves might produce a painful  spasm (contraction) of the muscles. Still others argue that abnormally  functioning processing centers are responsible for functional diseases because  they misinterpret normal sensations or send abnormal commands to the organ. In  fact, some functional diseases may be due to sensory dysfunction, motor  dysfunction, or both sensory and motor dysfunction. Still others may be due to  abnormalities within the processing centers One area that is receiving a great  deal of scientific attention is the potential role of gas produced by intestinal  bacteria in patients with IBS. Studies have demonstrated that patients with IBS  produce larger amounts of gas than individuals without IBS, and the gas may be  retained longer in the small intestine. Among patients with IBS, abdominal size  increases over the day, reaching a maximum in the evening and returning to  baseline by the following morning. In individuals without IBS, there is no  increase in abdominal size during the day.

There has been a great deal  of controversy over the role that poor digestion and/or absorption of dietary  sugars may play in aggravating the symptoms of IBS. Poor digestion of lactose,  the sugar in milk, is very common as is poor absorption of fructose, a sweetener  found in many processed foods. Poor digestion or absorption of these sugars  could aggravate the symptoms of IBS since unabsorbed sugars often cause  increased formation of gas.

Although these abnormalities in production  and transport of gas could give rise to some of the symptoms of IBS, much more  work will need to be done before the role of intestinal gas in IBS is  clear.

Dietary fat in healthy individuals causes food as well as gas to  move more slowly through the stomach and small intestine. Some patients with IBS  may even respond to dietary fat in an exaggerated fashion with greater slowing.  Thus, dietary fat could–and probably does–aggravate the symptoms of IBS.

For more information visit: http://www.bowtrol.com/?aid=619131



Thanks to Brandon Bettes for contributing this article to our IBS blog:

Diet For Ulcerative Colitis

 

Crohn’s disease (also known as regional enteritis) is a chronic, episodic, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is generally classified as an autoimmune disease. Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus as a result, the symptoms of Crohn’s disease vary among afflicted individuals. The disease is characterized by areas of inflammation with areas of normal lining between in a symptom known as skip lesions. The main gastrointestinal symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody, though this may not be visible to the naked eye), constipation, vomiting, weight loss or weight gain.

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptoms of Crohn’s disease are abdominal pain, often in the lower right area, and diarrhea. Rectal bleeding, weight loss, arthritis, skin problems, and fever may also occur. Bleeding may be serious and persistent, leading to anemia. Children with Crohn’s disease may suffer delayed development and stunted growth. The range and severity of symptoms varies.

Blood in your stool. Food moving through your digestive tract can cause inflamed tissue to bleed, or your bowel may also bleed on its own.

Feeling generally unwell - fever and extreme tiredness,

Loss of appetite and weight,

What causes Crohn’s disease?

The cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown. Some scientists suspect that infection by certain bacteria, such as strains of mycobacterium, may be the cause of Crohn’s disease. To date, however, there has been no convincing evidence that the disease is caused by infection. Crohn’s disease is not contagious.

The body’s immune system, which protects it against many different infections, is known to be a factor. There are still a number of unknowns about the cause of the disease. Fortunately, a great deal is known about the disease and especially its treatment.

Treatment of Crohn’s disease

Biologic therapies. In August 1998, the FDA approved the first biologic therapy for Crohn’s disease. This was infliximab (Remicade®), which is indicated for moderately to severely active Crohn’s in patients who have not responded adequately to conventional therapy.

Crohn’s disease makes it hard for your body to absorb nutrients from food. A meal plan that focuses on high-calorie, high-protein foods can help you get the nutrients you need. Eating this way may be easier if you have regular meals plus two or three snacks each day.

Steroids are generally used for people who have more severe disease. In more aggressive disease, steroids may be used with immunosuppressants or with a newer medicine called infliximab (brand name: Remicade). If you have very severe Crohn’s disease, you may need to stay in the hospital. Sometimes surgery is needed, but it cannot cure the disease.

Drug Therapy

Drugs are used to suppress the inflammatory response associated with Crohn’s disease, which in turn helps the intestines to heal and relieves symptoms. Once symptoms are under control, medications are used to decrease the frequency of flare-ups and prevent symptoms from recurring. There are several types of drugs available to treat Crohn’s disease including aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immune modifiers and biologic therapy.



Thanks to peterhutch for contributing this article to our IBS blog:

Feline Irritable Bowel Syndrome

A health condition that is often considered to be most disruptive to daily living is IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome. As one can tell from the term itself, IBS is a disorder of the bowels that is most commonly characterized by frequent bowel movements, irregular bowel activity patterns and a great deal of discomfort. One of the primary symptoms of IBS is severe abdominal pain, which should be reported to a medical professional.

Other symptoms that are common to IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome include things such as having excessive gas and bloating in the abdominal area, and often a sensation that the elimination of the stools was incomplete. Doctors have reported that IBS is the most common complaint that they receive in terms of people dealing with intestinal issues.

IBS is a condition that is more likely to affect women than it does men. Furthermore, it is most prevalent in the thirty to fifty years age bracket, but seems to impact all races equally. Irritable bowel syndrome has been classified as a functional disease of the intestines, since it interferes with and limits the ability of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract to perform correctly. IBS is a condition that cannot be diagnosed with x-rays or blood tests and anybody who has dealt with it can testify to the reasons why a healthy colon is so important.

IBS is typically referred to as functional bowel syndrome, irritable colon (since the large intestine is also known as the colon), spastic colon and spastic bowel. However, IBS is not the same condition as Crohn’s disease, which is an inflammatory bowel disease. One of the frustrations with this condition is that it is often difficult to pinpoint the reason for the discomfort, making it difficult to treat. Oftentimes a person with IBS will have a colonoscope done only to discover that there is no indication of a physical problem.

Many doctors and health care professionals consider that IBS is caused by abnormal functioning, or a dysfunction, of the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract or in the nerves controlling the area, or both. However the root cause of this dysfunction remains a mystery in the majority of cases, which leads many folks to look for alternative remedies, such as doing a colon detox program or trying out colon cleansing pills.

However, there have been several reports of these steps actually making the condition worse, so they should be used with caution. This is particularly true of folks who have serious health concerns, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and migraines, to name but a few.

There are also many people who insist that IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a result of the poor eating habits to which Americans have become accustomed. They advocate a change in diet to more natural and healthier foods, combined with a gentle, herbal colon cleansing formula that can help to restore the proper functioning of a clean colon.



Thanks to Eddie Hudd for contributing this article to our IBS blog:

Feline Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Managing stress in your life is a great way to help get your negative emotions under control, but unfortunately, stress is only one of many IBS causes. In fact, research that has been conducted over the past few years has found that IBS may also be related to Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).

What is SIBO? It is an overgrowth of bacteria that naturally occurs in the small intestine. The small intestine contains a small amount of bacteria that is essential to the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. However, when too much bacteria exists, problems such as fat malabsorption occur. In addition, it also stops carbohydrates from being absorbed, leaving them to rot in the intestines causing a number of unpleasant and often foul-smelling symptoms including bloating, pain, gas, mucus in stools and diarrhea.

Bacterial overgrowth can lead to nutrient deficiencies, food allergies and digestive enzymes that barely function. It is a common condition that usually goes undetected for years, even when symptoms are present. Why? Most people who have chronic digestive problems and have bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation are typically diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. Doctors rarely consider bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine as the problem.

What causes bacterial overgrowth? There are many different factors that can lead to SIBO. Some of the following conditions that could cause an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine include:

? Reduction of motility in the small intestine - condition caused by too much dietary sugar and chronic stress. This condition can also occur from diabetes, scleroderma and hypothyroidism.

? Structural abnormalities within the small intestine - abnormalities may be caused by small intestinal diverticula, gastric bypass surgery, and intestinal obstruction. etc.

? Hypochlorhydria - As people age, they produce less stomach acid. Stomach acid helps to eliminate bacteria in the small intestine. Thus, if there is a decline, the acid won’t be able to eliminate enough of the bacteria.

? Other causes - stress, prolonged use of steroids, antibiotics, antacids, birth control pills and other medications, immune deficiency, pancreatic enzyme deficiency and a diet insufficient in fiber.

Are IBS and SIBO related?

One study that was conducted by researches at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in California involved 202 participants with IBS. Each participant was tested for bacterial overgrowth with a lactulose breath hydrogen test. A person with bacterial overgrowth produces high levels of methane or hydrogen gas. The lactulose hydrogen test analyses the gas in breath, and is the best test for diagnosing SIBO.

At the end of the study it was found that of the 202 participants, 157 tested positive for SIBO. When the 157 people that were diagnosed with SIBO were treated for the condition, and the extra bacteria within their intestine were eliminated, 48% of them had an improvement in their IBS symptoms.

Although it has been found that bacterial overgrowth and IBS can co-exist, researchers are still determining whether or not IBS symptoms are caused by SIBO. Some theories suggest that the high levels of methane or hydrogen gas that are caused by the overgrowth of bacteria produce IBS symptoms. However, the theories are yet to be proved.

How do you treat SIBO?

Excess bacteria are eliminated through the use of antibiotics. Unfortunately, although antibiotics can control bacteria overgrowth it isn’t a cure. Like IBS, SIBO symptoms often return when medication is ceased. Thus, antibiotic treatment is often a continuous process.

If you think you may have SIBO, talk to your doctor about taking a lactulose hydrogen test. If you find that SIBO is related to your IBS causes, or even if it’s not, it is a good idea to look into other alternative and complimentary forms of therapy to treat your symptoms such as acupuncture aside from medications.



Thanks to Susan Reynolds for contributing this article to our IBS blog:

Irritable Bowel Spastic Colon