Gut feelings
The digestive system is very sensitive to stress.
There are so many phrases that describe the
problem: “butterflies in the stomach”, “sick as a
parrot”, “uptight” and several others connected
with the inner workings of the body. There is a
great deal of evidence to support the fact that
the way you feel is connected with the way
your digestive system behaves.
One of the “gut reactions” to stress affects the
stomach and related parts of the digestive
system. The lining of the stomach is starved of
blood supply and it may become very sensitive
to the actions of stomach acid. More acid may
be produced than usual. As a result the lining of
the stomach, the gullet (oesophagus) and the
duodenum may be at risk.
Stress can also make the muscles of the
digestive system behave badly. Diarrhoea,
vomiting, regurgitation, gut spasm, constipation
and bloatedness may all be a consequence of
stress. The condition known as irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS) is strongly associated with stress.
Not only does stress make the symptoms of IBS
worse (diarrhoea, constipation and painful spasms),
but the symptoms also add to the stress.
People who are severely injured can develop
stress-related ulcers or stress gastritis. In the
hospital, these people are often unconscious,
but the stress has such a severe effect on the
stomach that there is a risk of bleeding. For this
reason, one of the most important treatments
for head injury is to administer drugs that switch
off the production of acid in the stomach.