Smoking and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Smoking does not only cause lung cancer but also worsen symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Tobacco just like caffeine and alcohol also worsen IBS symptoms. It really does not matter whether you smoked, chewed or inhaled Tobacco. The facts still remains that Tobacco is a potent GI tract irritant, carcinogen and stimulant.

People with Irritable Bowel Syndrome have sensitive gastrointestinal and are very susceptible to certain stimuli may it be in the form of food or even the simple waking up actions. Tobacco is one of the worst factors that trigger Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms and can cause various types of cancer.

Tobacco in general affects almost all the parts of the digestive system. It does not only cause heartburn but also reflux which are considered two conditions which IBS patients are likely to acquire. And since smoking damages the esophageal sphincter, the acidic contents of the stomach tend to flow upward and down into the lower portion of the esophagus. Nicotine leads to hyper production of acid in the stomach and at the same time decreases the pancreatic production of sodium bicarbonate, which is an important substance in counteracting the production of stomach acid.