STRESS AND I.B.S

[harvey576]

Is it true stress can bring on ibs?

[harvey576]

very helpfull thanx i suffer bad with itit cripples me on bad days r u a sufferer?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hi,

Yes, that’s absolutely right. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel disorder characterized by mild to severe abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating and alteration of bowel habits. In some cases, the symptoms are relieved by bowel movements.Diarrhea or constipation may predominate, or they may alternate (classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). IBS may begin after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI) or a stressful life event.

Majority of IBS patients have Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Another 20% have depression, and the rest have other disorders.

Psychological factors that influence the mental state of IBS sufferers (work stress, family or relationship stress, getting held up in a traffic jam, even the stress of planning a journey for some sufferers, or even turning out for a sporting event and certainly interviews and exams) are thought to cause chemical changes or imbalances in the brain that may in turn influence motility (the propelling of contents through the gut). These stress related chemical changes may also influence the perception of pain signals sent to the brain from the sensory nerve endings that respond to events occurring in the intestines.

I hope that helps. Pl do keep me posted.

Kind Rgds.