Smoking vs IBS

As with all stimulants that seem to affect IBS sufferers more severely than those without IBS, tobacco is one of the most extreme. Whether you smoke or chew, tobacco is a powerful gastro-intestinal stimulant, irritant and carcinogen. Because people with IBS have a very sensitive intestinal tract, tobacco should be avoided at all costs. But even if you don't have IBS, the effects of tobacco on your GI tract are severe.

Tobacco has harmed the entire digestive system. Two of the most common diseases caused by smoking are heartburn and acid reflux, which is a condition that people with IBS are more likely to suffer from.

Tobacco weakens the sphincter in the esophagus, thus allowing stomach acid to flow into the esophagus. Tobacco is also known to increase your chances of developing peptic ulcers and chemicals in tobacco also prevent the healing of ulcers and make patients more likely to develop additional ulcers later in life. The actual increase is unknown, but it is estimated to be 10 times as high.

Doctors also believe that there is a link between the development of Crohn's disease and the possible development of gallstones in tobacco users.

The addictive and toxic part of tobacco, nicotine, can cause many health problems. Increased weakness in the esophagus sphincter, increased acid production in the stomach and decreased pancreatic pancreatic sodium bicarbonate, neutralized stomach acid. But nicotine is not the only problem with tobacco.

There are more than 400 toxins and at least 43 known carcinogens in tobacco, all of which will hit someone with IBS harder than they will hit a healthy person. The most common side effects of smoking are increased air intake, which can cause bloating and bloating.

And of course, the most common outcome in long-term smoking or chewing tobacco is the development of cancer, including cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, such as colon, bladder, pancreas, kidney and stomach cancer. It is not known if IBS sufferers are at high risk for developing gastric cancer, but additional irritation and stimulation to the body are unlikely to benefit IBS patients.

Tobacco irritates the intestinal tract, which can cause diarrhea, intestinal cramps, pain, bloating and gas in IBS patients. Nicotine has been reported to increase stomach frequency in IBS.

Tobacco use also lowers digestive efficiency and can also slow down their metabolism with IBS. This can change bowel movements, which is already a major problem for people with IBS, and causes bloating. The withdrawal from nicotine can cause both constipation and diarrhea, again, is already a major problem for people with IBS.

So for people with IBS, sometimes just a little bit of stimulation for the digestive tract can be too much. The effects of tobacco use are overall negative for ordinary people and can be dramatic for those with IBS. There is no known cure for IBS and treatment options are not widely accepted, even by experts. But one treatment that everyone can agree on is to reduce or eliminate tobacco use, even if you don't have IBS!

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