Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterised by a mixture of
symptoms that are believed to be due to a disorder of intestinal
motor function.
It is the commonest condition seen by gastroenterologists and some
estimates suggest that as many as one in five of the adult
population in the UK suffer from it at any one time.
The normal gut moves food along the gut through muscular
contractions, known as propulsion. There are also areas of hold-up,
known as segmentation).
The combination of propulsion and segmentation is called
peristalsis. You are completely unaware of it when it is working
normally.
The control of peristalsis is complex. The best way to regard IBS is
as a loss of coordination of these muscular contractions.
In addition, there is evidence that patients with irritable bowel
syndrome have increased sensitivity to stimuli arising within the
gut.
As well as the intestinal symptoms, psychological factors are often
involved. This is not to say these symptoms are not real (they are),
but IBS is often the outcome of a complex interaction between
psychological and physical factors.
A gut function disorder can affect the gut anywhere from the mouth
to the anus, which accounts for the diversity of symptoms seen in
IBS.
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