Ever felt your stomach rumble when you are very worried about something? That is not necessarily an aberration. According to gastroenterologist Dr Vineer Kumar Gupta, stress can manifest physically in the stomach as well as affecting the brain.
In an interaction with Hindustan Times, Dr Gupta said stomach distress is common among people experiencing chronic stress, anxiety, emotional strain or poor sleep. Symptoms associated with a distressed stomach can include bloating, acidity, stomach cramps, constipation and diarrhoea.
The connection between stress and digestion is linked to the two-way communication between the brain and the gastrointestinal system. The gut and brain constantly exchange signals, and changes in this communication can affect gut movement, sensitivity and the way digestive sensations are perceived.
Why stress can upset your digestive system
According to Dr Gupta, “The brain and the GI (gastroeintestinal) system are well-connected, constantly influencing one another,” he told Hindustan Times.
He explained that a stress response places a person in a fight-or-flight state and increases alertness. This heightened state can interfere with the normal motility of the digestive tract.
“Food can travel more quickly through the intestines, resulting in a faster-acting digestion and faster BMs (bowel movements) or loose stools in some people, or delayed digestion resulting in constipation in others,” Dr Gupta told Hindustan Times.
Medical evidence also shows that stress can influence the speed at which food moves through the digestive tract and increase sensitivity to normal gut sensations. This can contribute to symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, bloating, diarrhoea or constipation.
Stress can also increase a person's sensitivity to normal sensations of fullness. As a result, movement inside the stomach may be perceived as fullness, discomfort, pressure or even pain, Dr Gupta explained.
Gut problems can affect mental health too
The relationship between mental and gut health works in both directions, Dr Gupta noted.
“If someone has persistent digestive issues, this may cause the person to experience anxiety, as the digestive issues significantly impact quality of life. This is particularly true with irritable bowel syndrome, whereby stress may worsen your condition, yet might not necessarily be the root cause,” he told Hindustan Times.
IBS is one of the conditions associated with the gut-brain connection. Stress can worsen symptoms in many people with IBS, although stress itself is not necessarily the underlying cause of the condition.
Dr Gupta further noted that the effects of prolonged stress can extend to everyday habits. During high-stress periods, some people may eat meals at irregular times, consume excessive amounts of coffee, eat spicy or processed foods, eat quickly or skip lunch altogether.
Irregular sleep and reduced physical activity can further aggravate stomach complaints. Chronic stress can also affect sleep, physical activity and eating behaviours, which may compound digestive symptoms.
When stomach symptoms need medical attention
Dr Gupta cautioned that not every stomach problem should be attributed to stress. Repeated or chronic symptoms warrant a medical check-up, particularly when accompanied by unexplained weight loss, blood in the stool, repeated vomiting, difficulty swallowing, acute stomach pain, anaemia or a significant change in regular bowel habits.
Such warning signs should not simply be dismissed as “stress-induced”. Medical guidance similarly recommends seeking professional evaluation for symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, rectal bleeding, anaemia, persistent changes in bowel habits and unexplained vomiting.
“Stress management plays a vital role in keeping your stomach disorders in check,” Dr Gupta told Hindustan Times.
He recommended maintaining regular meal timings and eating habits, getting adequate sleep and undertaking physical exercise as simple measures that can support digestion and overall stomach health.
“Basic stress busters like going on regular walks, breathing exercises and yoga, spending a little time in nature, and some alone time will also be quite beneficial,” Dr Gupta told Hindustan Times.
Stress-management approaches, along with regular physical activity and appropriate dietary changes, can also help people manage symptoms associated with disorders of gut-brain interaction.