Spastic colon (irritable bowel syndrome)

Bowel pain Spastic colon is not a disease but a chronic disorder regularly suffered by 20% of the Belgian population.
Like most complaints, spastic colon may have several causes: tiredness and tension, hormonal fluctuations, physical exertion, excitement, chemicals, medicines, certain food products and sleep deficiency. That is why women are more likely to suffer from it around their menstrual period.

Spastic colon is characterised by periods of diarrhoea alternated with constipation, stomach ache and cramps, flatulence and bloated feeling.
The term “spastic” refers to the contractions of the muscles which may take place in the small and large intestine. However, sometimes the action is simply slower, and therefore this term does not always apply.

In 70% of the people suffering from spastic colon the application of an exclusion diet significantly improves their symptoms. An exclusion diet allows you to discover the food products which stimulate the release of histamine (the so-called food triggers). Histamine stimulates the smooth muscles, which causes increased intestinal motility and periods of sudden diarrhoea. Histamine can also generate gastric acid secretion and stomach ache.

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