Understanding the Link Between Anxiety and Gastrointestinal Disorders
Did you know that 40% of Americans experience anxiety and stress-related stomach issues at some point in their lives? This happens because anxiety and stress can impact your digestive system and can increase the risk of gastrointestinal issues. However, several coping tips can help you prevent stress and anxiety-related stomach problems. Read this article to find out how anxiety and gastrointestinal disorders are connected and ways to cope with them to keep your digestion healthy. You can contact us by visiting our clinic or visiting our website at https://doralhw.org/.
The Link Between Anxiety and Gastrointestinal Disorders
Research has found that the brain and gastrointestinal system share a strong direct connection. The part of the brain connected to the GI tract is called the enteric nervous system, which manages many digestive functions. However, this connection works both ways. For example, when you see or think about food, it prompts the stomach to produce juices to help digestion. However, if you experience stressful and anxiety-provoking situations, it causes distress in your mental health, which leads to stomach complaints including gastrointestinal problems because the gut contains a network of nerves that connect the gut to the brain.
Similarly, preexisting gastrointestinal issues can also lead to anxiety and other mental health issues. This happens because when we experience anxiety and stress, our bodies release hormones and neurotransmitters that negatively impact gut mobility (this makes our stomach, and intestines squeeze and move waste through the body). Stress also affects the balance of bacteria in the gut, which can upset the stomach. People with chronic stress and anxiety tend to overeat and have unhealthy foods which contain high amounts of natural or artificial sugars, that don’t get digested properly and cause stomach discomfort. And if they smoke, consume more alcohol and caffeine – all these things can cause GI symptoms.
Similarly, when stomach issues signal to the brain, it impacts the person’s mood. Research has found that people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other gastrointestinal disorders may be more sensitive to pain. Normal bodily functions could be painful, but when this happens, it makes the person experience chronic pain which puts a person at risk of developing a mental health disorder.
Whether the mental health disorder or gastrointestinal issue comes first might be difficult to tell, but understanding the stress-related stomach issue symptoms is important. Because this is the only way to tell how mental health affects the digestive system and causes changes in the gut and its functions. If it is caused by mental health issues, then managing the issues can improve your digestive issues.
Gastrointestinal symptoms linked to anxiety
You can experience many gastrointestinal symptoms linked with anxiety and stress, including:
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Flatulence
- Indigestion
- Appetite loss
- Unnatural hunger
These symptoms can occur after or during a stressful event. People with anxiety disorders may experience these symptoms more frequently or constantly when they feel anxious. Usually, anxiety-induced stomach problems trap a person in a vicious circle, where a person’s anxiety exacerbates their gastrointestinal issues and vice versa.
An individual can suspect a link between anxiety and stomach issues if their symptoms often worsen during stressful events. However, understand that stomach problems can occur without non-psychological causes. So, anyone experiencing ongoing gastrointestinal issues should talk with a gastroenterologist to find out the root cause of their problem. Symptoms like bloody stools and unexplained weight loss may indicate a serious gastrointestinal disorder.
Tips for Coping with Stress and Anxiety related stomach issues
If you’re experiencing digestive issues due to stress and anxiety, then managing them can help you keep your digestive system healthy. Here are some tips that can help you cope with stress and anxiety stomach issues:
- Relaxation techniques:
Practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises, guided imagery meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation can promote mental calmness and in turn, also reduce physical symptoms of stress and anxiety. This means these exercises may help you manage stress and anxiety-related stomach issues.
- Make changes in your diet:
You need to focus on a gut-friendly diet that may relieve the GI symptoms. For that, you need to eat fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and probiotics in your diet and limit or avoid processed foods.
Eat small, frequent meals instead of 3 heavy meals to avoid discomfort due to overeating. Some animal studies have found that probiotics may produce anxiety-reducing effects, however, more research is needed to understand its full impact on mental health.
One research found that a nutritious diet rich in protein and low in sugar and saturated fat can lower the risk of developing an anxiety disorder. You should talk with a nutritionist to help you have a good diet plan to promote good gut health while managing mental health.
- Exercise regularly:
Physical activity is a good way to lower stress, even if you do it for only half an hour a day. Exercise releases endorphins in the body, which are feel-good chemicals that improve mood and ease anxiety and stress. Staying active also provides a distraction from difficult thoughts and feelings, boosts your self-confidence, and improves socialization. Evidence has found that gentle exercise can reduce the risk of certain gastrointestinal problems.
Anxiety and gastrointestinal disorders are closely connected because the gut contains networks of nerves that connect the gut directly to the brain. So, any mental health issue can impact your digestive health and vice versa. However, managing mental health also improves related digestive system issues. So, follow the above-mentioned tips to cope with stress and anxiety-related digestive issues and keep your digestive system healthy.
Need help with stress and anxiety-related digestive issues, visit our gastroenterology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!!!!! You can schedule an appointment with Doral Health and Wellness Gastroenterology Center’s best gastroenterologist doctors in Brooklyn. If you are looking for treatments, you can also talk to our specialists and inquire with them. To schedule an appointment, please visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call +1-347-384-5690.