Fear of failing, of facing a surly superior or of breaking down because of an overloaded schedule, family and professional life to take on alone… There are many reasons for stressing out when returning from vacation. Some organisms manage to adapt, others, overwhelmed, express their difficulties through their stomachs.
Acute stress (back to school, exam…) or chronic stress (difficult relationships at work, difficult daily transport, marital tensions…) and the whole digestive system goes into overdrive. The intestinal transit accelerates, which promotes abdominal pain, the sensation of ball in the stomach which cuts the appetite, bloating, diarrhea…
The belly is directly “connected” to our emotions
The intestine contains more than 200 million neurons that allow it to communicate with the brain, and vice versa. The two organs are therefore intimately linked, our digestive system thus reflecting our psychological state. The intestine constantly receives signals from the rest of the body and from emotions, which makes it extremely sensitive to our level of well-being or ill-being, physical and mental. Stomach aches without organic cause would therefore be purely psychosomatic? Not only. It’s true, stress can, on its own, cause intestinal disorders or make them worse, but there is an organic reality. People who suffer from it actually have anarchic contractions of the digestive tract, as well as an exacerbated sensitivity. Even normal contractions are perceived as painful. This is how a vicious circle sets in: stress promotes stomach aches which, themselves, cause pain causing additional stress.
Disruptions at all levels
“Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system which usually slows down digestive activity, explains Professor Bruno Bonaz, gastroenterologist . Conversely, it inhibits the parasympathetic nervous system (especially the vagus nerve) which normally increases salivary, gastric and intestinal secretions, facilitating digestion. The hypothalamus, on the other hand, releases a hormone which leads to a modification of the intestinal flora and increases intestinal permeability. » Result: the emptying of the stomach and the transit of the small intestine slow down, while the motor and secretory activity of the colon is accelerated, favoring diarrhoea. Finally, fragments of bacteria (antigens) diffuse inside the digestive tract, because the permeability of its wall increases. They activate the immune defenses of the intestine, resulting in inflammation and pain.
Learn to relax
To top it all, “stress lowers the threshold of tolerance to pain and makes you more sensitive to everything that happens in the digestive tract”, adds Professor Benoît Coffin, gastroenterologist. Some drugs can be effective occasionally, but this is not enough. To stop suffering, you must first learn to better manage your stress and reduce the exacerbated perception of pain. In short, relax!
For further
6 tips for getting back to work without stress
Back to school: it’s time for the health check-up
What if your stomach aches were due to stress?