There is no doubt antibiotics are considered as lifesaving drugs. Due to antibiotics therapy, millions of lives are saved against infection during the last few decades. Antibiotics do their job well and kill the pathogens (germs responsible for infection). Unfortunately, they are not selective in nature and are responsible for disrupting useful gut microbiota (trillions of harmless microbes living in human gut) by altering their species and their numbers. Now this alteration in gut microbiota is considered as one of the leading causes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Let’s discuss,
WHAT IS IBS?
IBS is a group of symptoms in which a person experienced abdominal pain during bowel movement accompanied with change in bowel habits as sometime patients have constipation or sometime diarrhea or sometime both, abdominal bloating and distention. IBS has great impact on quality of life of patient and put a serious burden on health care systems.
WHAT IS GUT MICROBIOTA?
Gut microbiota is inhabitants’ microbes of gut. It is established early in life and stay relatively stable while undergoes some framing according to age, diet, lifestyle and medicine factors.
WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF GUT MICROBIOTA?
Gut microbiota has significant role in many functions of gastrointestinal tract. As we all know very well that gastrointestinal has its own local enteric nervous system
(ENS) which independently control digestive activities within the gut. ENS is also known as SECOND BRAIN OR LITTLE BRAIN. Gut microbiota influence ENS functions directly or indirectly through its metabolites. Gut microbiota mediates its functions through metabolites and influence the immune system of body, metabolism of dietary products and synthesis of vitamins and provides protection against enteric pathogens.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF ANTIBIOTICS THERAPY IN PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF IBS?
Antibiotics altered the gut flora by modifying their composition, species, and their numbers. This change in gut flora can lead to development of IBS symptoms which is primarily because of change in helpful and useful metabolites which is produced by gut microbiota. This metabolite of gut microbiota has positive impact on enteric nervous system. By losing their beneficiary effects on ENS, there will be changes in immune system, emotional problems, impaired gut movement, increased intestinal permeability and visceral hypersensitivity. All these problems of gut after using antibiotics therapy are possible mechanism of action of IBS. We can say that changes in gut microbiota metabolic activities will result in the development of IBS.
HOW LONG IBS LAST AFTER ANTIBIOTICS THERAPY?
It can last from few weeks to months or years. It can become permanent and life-long condition. Sometimes people develop IBS after 20 to 30 years because of taking antibiotics during childhood and physicians are also unable to identify the root cause of IBS in that particular case.
CONCLUSION
We can say that antibiotics therapy is leading cause of IBS and negatively affects quality of life of people. Irrational use of antibiotic not only responsible for antibiotic resistance but also responsible for IBS like problems in health care systems.
