How Stress Is Causing Your Digestive Problems
Most of us have direct experience with how chronic or intense psychological stress can affect the digestive system. Ancient practitioners of Chinese Medicine also theorized that the gut (particularly the Liver) was the seat of emotions. Modern science explains this phenomenon, discovering that up to 90% of our neurotransmitters and hormone are produced in the gut.
What Happens to Digestion When We're Stressed
Something not many of us know, at least logically, is that the digestive system is governed by the Central Nervous System, namely a sub-branch of the nervous system referred to as the "parasympathetic nervous system". In essence, the parasympathetic system is our "rest and digest" state. Only when we are relaxed and free of stress does the parasympathetic system and therefore digestion, activate.
When we enter a state of stress, the counterpart to the parasympathetic system; the sympathetic system, activates. This stress state or the "flight or fight" response shuts down digestion by reducing blood flow to the digestive organs, inhibits digestive fluid secretion, and instead sends the blood and biological energy to the muscular-skeletal system to prepare for battle.
When the sympathetic system is chronically stimulated by prolonged stress, it can lead to gastrointestinal disorders, and inflammation and weaken the immune system.
One example of how stress can cause common digestive issues is by causing the esophagus to spasm and altering stomach acid secretion. This leads to heartburn, and acid reflux and can make you feel nauseous. Another example is the effects stress has on the colon. Intense stress increases the secretion of stress hormones cortisol, prolactin, and serotonin, which can cause the colon to become hyperactive or tense, which leads to diarrhea or constipation.
When any of these conditions become persistent, the inflammation and overall poor functioning of the digestive system can eventually lead to stomach ulcers, IBS, and inflammatory bowel disease.
How to Manage Stress for Better Digestion
Reducing total stress is not a quick-fix job, it requires a holistic, multi-factorial approach. However, psychological stress is one of the primary, dominant stressors that negatively affect the digestive system. While getting a handle on the causes of psychological stress can take time, there are some simple things you can do to mitigate their effects.
One simple way to de-stress is to engage in fun, moderate exercise. Physical exercise relieves tension, gets us out of our heads, improves our mood by releasing endorphins, and also helps with the elimination of stress hormones. Some of the healthiest forms of exercise include walking, hiking, biking, swimming, dancing, yoga, thai qi, and weight lifting.
Other great ways to reduce stress include:
Relaxation - People with digestive issues are often overly stressed and do not relax enough. Getting authentic, deep relaxation is more challenging in today's world but can be achieved through yoga, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, cognitive therapy, biofeedback, good music, spending time in nature, camping, love-making, and working on an enjoyable project or hobby.
Communication therapy - A major source of psychological stress dwells in the world of communication. Most stress and problems in life have their roots in communication trouble.