The cause of spastic colon has not been clearly established. Spastic colon is a condition of the intestinal tract that leads to abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation. The term spastic colon is not generally used by health care professionals. Instead, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is used to describe the illness characterized by abnormal intestinal movement. Most people with IBS appear healthy, but their digestive tracts are extremely sensitive to stimuli leading to the symptoms of spastic colon.
Abnormal Intestine Activity
In normal digestion, once food is eaten it passes from the esophagus to the stomach. The food moves from the stomach to the small intestine then travels through the large intestine and out the body. This movement is coordinated by regular, rhythmic contractions of the muscles that line the intestine. If the digestive system is functioning normally, these contractions are unnoticed. In spastic colon, the contraction can be spasmodic, last longer than normal and be stronger than normal, leading to pain and abnormal bowel movements.
Pressure inside the intestines, from large amounts of food or gas, can cause the strong intestinal contractions in IBS. In IBS patients, the brain-intestine nervous system may be arranged differently from normal leading to hyperreactive dysfunction.
Foods
Eating can trigger a spastic colon episode, as can certain types of foods. Cells involved in allergic reactions have been shown to be increased in IBS patients, indicating a hypersensitivity to certain foods. For example, fatty foods can act on receptors in the intestine and cause them to make the intestine behave abnormally. Other common food triggers are chocolate, dairy products, alcohol, red meat and artificial sweeteners. Eating also large meals may initiate an onset of symptoms.
Stress
Psychological problems such as depression, anxiety or sexual or physical abuse can make spastic colon symptoms worse. Even everyday stressors can exacerbate IBS. Chemical changes or imbalance in the central nervous system heighten the pain sensation and motility in the intestines. While stress may increase IBS symptoms, it is unclear if it causes the symptoms or just make the disease worse. It may be that IBS sufferers have poor coping skills in dealing with their psychological problems and stress.
Hormones
Women with IBS typically report a worsening of symptoms around and during menstruation. While research is not conclusive, it appears the fluctuating hormones during a woman's period can affect the gastrointestinal tract. The stomach and intestines have estrogen receptors that react to changing hormone levels. High progesterone levels during menstruation cause menstrual cramps and also cause intestinal spasms. Pregnant women will also have extreme fluctuation in hormones leading to increased or varying symptoms of IBS.
Serotonin, a hormone that helps regulate intestinal movement and sensation, has also been implicated in IBS. Some IBS patients have an increased number of intestinal cells that release serotonin in response to eating. This leads to diarrhea. Conversely, some IBS patients have too little serotonin, which leads to constipation.
Intestinal Infections
IBS may start after an intestinal infection. An acute case of gastroenteritis caused by Salmonella, Shigella or Campylobacter may cause a change in the intestinal lining. This change may persist after the initial infection is cleared. After an outbreak of E. coli in May 2000 in Walkerton, Ontario, which sickened thousands, a third of the reported victims experienced IBS symptoms extending several years after the initial outbreak.
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