Stress has progressively become part and parcel of everyone’s life in this fast-paced world of today. Stress is known to cause cardiac diseases, stroke, increased blood pressure. Stress can have a significant negative effect on our general wellbeing, regardless of whether it is brought on by pressures at work, personal difficulties, or just the rigouts of daily living. Often the forgotten fact is the GUT which is also badly affected by stress full life.
My patients who presents with vague abdomen symptoms and gas trouble were inevitable found to have stress full life style as the common factor.
Stress’s Effect on the Gut:
Stress causes the body to go into a “fight-or-flight” reaction, which releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Stress can also alter the normal balance between the GUT-Brain axis. This will result in altered bowel habits, gaseous bowel distention and increased acid production. Chronic or extreme stress can change the composition of the gut microbiota, increase gut permeability (leaky gut), and upset the equilibrium of gut bacteria.
Stress Induced GUT diseases
1.Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) : Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common GUT disease that is characterised by abdominal pain, bloating, and alterations in bowel patterns. Patients with IBS frequently report experiencing higher levels of stress because it is thought that stress is a primary trigger for IBS symptoms. IBS will have features like:
- Increased stool frequency
- Constipation
- Passage of stool soon after intake of food
- Vague abdomen pain
- Stress or change in life style triggering GUT symptoms
The most important fact of IBS is that, they will NOT be having any explainable GUT related diseases on proper detailed evaluation by a gastroenterologist.
So before you diagnose IBS, proper medical check up is mandatory, and once’s your Gastro has confirmed IBS for you after checks and tests, control of stress and adjustment in life style have proven to improve the symptoms
2.IBD :
IBD or Inflammatory Bowel Disease is not same as IBS. All patients with IBD will have demonstratable disease in detailed evaluation. They need proper long term treatment and proper follow up by a specialist team ( Gastroenterologist).
Although stress does not directly cause Inflammatory Bowel Disorder (IBD), it can exacerbate symptoms and induce flare-ups. According to studies, stress can affect the immune response in the stomach, leading to inflammation and a worsening of IBD.
3.Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) : Stress can influence the onset and severity of symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The release of stomach acid can change, and increased stress can also cause motility problems and esophageal hypersensitivity.
I have personally found my patients with GERD improving dramatically after coming down with their stresses. Some of my patients have even quitted their Job to control their stress and subsequently have become complete symptom free.
4. Gastric Ulcer
Stress will result in increased acid secretion in the stomach leading to heart burns and ulcers. Acid in stomach can also trigger gaseous abdomen distention and altered bowel habits. Recent Indian studies among professionals have found to have increased Gastric Ulcer incidence among anxious professionals.
Better Gut Health Through Stress Management
i. Techniques for Reducing Stress:
- Yoga,
- Deep breathing exercises,
- Regular exercise in your daily routine.
- Reading Holy books like Bible which can comfort your hearts and soul
- Taking out or venting off your worries
- Talk to a counsellor or psychiatrist regarding your troubles before you stress kills you.
ii. A balance diet:
- Eating a well-balanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins is important.
- In addition to providing vital nutrients for gut health, a good diet can help the gut health.
- Any patients with Gas Troubles problems are best advised to avoid tea, coffee, spicy food, fried food , biscuits and oily food.
- Curd and You gut is proven scientifically to promote GUT health, by providing probiotics for your GUT
iii .Regular Exercise:
- Exercise on a regular basis because it has been demonstrated to lower stress levels and improve GUT motility.
- Exercise also makes the muscles of the esopghaus stronger and reduce the GERD / Reflux symptoms
- Patients with IBS is found effectively benefited from regularly doing 45 minutes of aerobic out door exercise.
- Make fitness a part of the daily life by finding a schedule that meets your tastes.
IV. Avoid Self Treatment
- Unnecessary usage of medicines alter the GUT flora causing many GUT diseases
- There are more than 500 of medicines which will affect your GUT health
- Self treatment, Antibiotic over use, usage of pain killers are all found to cause GUT damage
- Un necessary usage of antibiotics in childhood is proven to cause GUT diseases, including IBD and IBS in later age