There is a powerful link between our emotions and our gut. Whether you have “butterflies in your stomach”, feel “sick to the stomach” or your stomach is in “knots”, we want to help you learn more about what causes a nervous stomach and how to address it.
Getting an anxious tummy
The digestive system, or gut, contains the largest concentration of nerves outside of the brain and the nerves in our gut share many of the same connections as those in our brain. Digestive problems are one of the most common symptoms of anxiety and stress. You may experience acute symptoms if you are facing an event that makes you feel fearful or anxious (such as an interview or exam) or you may develop chronic symptoms linked to sustained stress and worry.
Causes
What happens when we are stressed or anxious is that hormones and chemicals are released into the body and enter the digestive system. These interfere with the finely balanced gut flora, disrupting the good bacteria that live in your digestive tract and play an important role in digestion. Stress hormones also interfere with the normal digestive processes and decrease the body’s production of antibodies. This can make you susceptible to a whole range of gastrointestinal problems.
Conditions
As digestive experts, we see many different stress-related gut conditions, including:
- Loss of appetite or feeling excessively hungry
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Stomach cramps
- Indigestion and heartburn
- Nausea or vomiting
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Peptic ulcers
- Bloating
For some people, having a nervous stomach for a long time can impact their quality of life. Your anxiety levels could increase as you may start to worry about what will happen if you develop symptoms at an inconvenient time or place.
Certain types of gut problems, such as diarrhoea or flatulence, can cause embarrassment as well as physical discomfort. This may then lead to further stress and anxiety, making your tummy worse.
How to calm anxiety-related gut problems
So, what can you do to calm an anxious tummy? Here are some of the things we recommend to people who visit our clinics:
Learn to manage your stress
Learning to deal with stress more effectively will have a wide range of benefits, not least of which is calming digestive symptoms. It will also benefit to your heart health, general wellbeing, and energy levels.
There are many different approaches to stress management – choose what works for you and practice it regularly. Sometimes it is as simple as saying no to things so that you don’t become overloaded.
If you are experiencing digestive symptoms, try to avoid becoming anxious about it as this may only make things worse. A digestive health specialist can give you some specific advice about managing your own individual symptoms so you feel less anxious.
Deep breathing
When we become anxious our breathing speeds up and becomes shallower. Deliberately slowing our breathing can help us to feel calmer and reduce the body’s stress response.
Try meditation or other relaxation techniques to give yourself a break and encourage feelings of calmness and peace.
Lifestyle changes
Talk to a digestive expert who can help you to understand more about your symptoms. You may be able to make dietary changes, for example, by cutting out foods that irritate your digestive tract, and there are certain medications that might help. You may also need psychological support to help you to deal more effectively with stress.
Exercising releases endorphins into your body, which are chemicals that help you to feel good and combat some of the negative impacts of stress hormones. Activities like yoga or pilates may help relieve your symptoms. We may also recommend acupuncture or gut-directed hypnotherapy for certain conditions.
Digestive Health UK offers a holistic approach to the diagnosis, management and treatment of a wide range of digestive disorders, including stress-related problems. If you have a nervous stomach or other gastrointestinal problem, contact us for further help and support.
