Interestingly, the link between digestive issues and stress actually leads back to fight-or-flight -- our body’s physiological response to a perceived threat or stressful situation. When we enter fight-or-flight mode, the body releases adrenaline and cortisol hormones, and diverts all energy to major muscle groups -- ensuring we’re prepared to face this threat head-on. One of the downsides to this however, is that with no energy left to function, our digestive system slows right down. When this happens, we may feel symptoms like nausea, cramping, churning, or a sudden urge to go to the bathroom.
Commenting on the connection between stress and digestive issues, Dr Linda Swan, Medibank Chief Medical Officer, says: “While stress has not been found to cause digestive issues like coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), some sufferers have reported experiencing worsened symptoms when in stressful situations.
“While our bodies do return to normal once the perceived threat or stress has gone, what we’re noticing is that in today’s fast-paced world -- full of financial worries, family stresses and competing work deadlines -- we’re spending far too much time in fight-or-flight mode, and not enough time ‘resting and digesting’, which could suggest why we’re seeing an upward trend in digestive issues like IBS.”