Yahoo Lifestyle The Sneaky Symptom of Chronic Stress Many People Miss, According to Doctors
The day you’ve been anxiously anticipating has finally come. Maybe you’ve got a job interview, are seeing a family member you haven’t seen in years or are about to go on a first date. Alternatively, your stress might be more ongoing: a tense living situation, struggling to find a job or simply trying to survive in today’s world. It's a lot, it's heavy and we see you.
You may have heard the phrase, "The body keeps score." When it comes to stress, that's true: You may feel your heart racing, your head aching, your pulse throbbing and your feet fidgeting, as well as sleeplessness, irritability, depression and worse. There's another common symptom of chronic stress that most people don't realize is related to the condition, and it's really unpleasant.
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The Sneaky Symptom of Chronic Stress Many People Miss, According to Doctors
You feel stress in your gut—literally. A crampy stomach, an urge to go to the bathroom ASAP—you’ve got diarrhea. (Which likely will make you more stressed! What a vicious cycle.)
If you notice moments of stress are often paired with bouts of diarrhea, you’re not alone. According to an Imodium survey, 25% of respondents frequently experience acute diarrhea when they're anxious or nervous.
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How Stress Can Lead to Diarrhea
The way this process works makes a lot of sense.
“Stress, through brain-gut neurological connections, directly stimulates gastrointestinal tract motility,” Dr. Anish A. Sheth, MD, gastroenterologist at Penn Medicine, chief of gastroenterology at Princeton Medical Center and co-director of PMC’s Center for Digestive Health, explains. “It revs up the intestinal muscle contraction (which can cause cramping), causing rapid movement of stool downstream and diarrhea.”
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How Long Stress-Induced Diarrhea Lasts
Running to the bathroom every half hour or so is annoying at best. How long do you have to put up with this annoying symptom?
It depends on whether the stress is acute or chronic, according to Dr. Sheth. For example, did it start the morning of your major presentation, or does it happen more often because you’re constantly experiencing gaslighting at work? To be clear, both types of stress can cause diarrhea—but for how long, well, that’s the difference.
“Acute stress can cause a loose bowel movement or two, while chronic stress can lead to more long-lasting diarrhea (weeks to months),” Dr. Sheth says.
If you’re experiencing the latter, Dr. Sheth says a gastroenterology evaluation is warranted to rule out other causes, such as infections and inflammatory bowel disease.
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How to Prevent Stress-Induced Diarrhea
If you know stress makes you prone to the runs, you can get ahead of the issue—at least to an extent.
“Healthy bowel habits at baseline can go a long way to preventing unexpected blowouts,” Dr. Sheth says. He encourages regularly incorporating fiber into your diet to help with regularity. A few foods high in soluble fiber include black beans, oats and broccoli.
Stress management techniques are always a smart move, too. He suggests meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, visualization and cognitive behavioral therapy.
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Already Have Diarrhea? Try These 3 Things to Stop Going No. 2
Despite your best efforts, you may still have diarrhea. Dr. Sheth shares a few of the best ways to handle it.
“Let it go!” he says. “You will feel relieved after you empty out. You don’t want to head out on the first date with a bellyache and a rumbling colon full of stool.”
Second, he encourages eating easy-to-digest foods that day and drinking plenty of water.
Medication can help, too. “Your doctor can recommend some over-the-counter antidiarrheal medicines to help slow things down temporarily,” he adds.
When to Seek Medical Attention for Diarrhea
It’s worth repeating that diarrhea that lasts longer than a few days warrants medical attention, Dr. Sheth says. A healthcare provider can rule out infections and more serious conditions, such as Crohn’s disease and celiac disease.
He also urges seeing a doctor if you notice blood in your stool, or if you have a fever or severe abdominal pain.
While stress-induced diarrhea is a problem none of us wants, try to avoid getting stressed about it. That may only restart the cycle, and plus, you’ve got stress techniques, medication and fiber to help.
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