Anxiety is a gripping affliction that around 40 million Americans struggle with, according to the ADAA. For many anxiety sufferers, irritable bowel syndrome can be a very uncomfortable symptom. New knowledge suggests that there might be an incredible link between our gut microbiome and our mental health, so why couldn’t there be other gut-brain links we haven’t fully explored yet? Here’s how stress and anxiety are likely making your IBS symptoms worse (and how to handle it).
What is IBS?
Irritable bowel syndrome, also known as IBS, is a chronic condition affecting the large intestine or colon. Symptoms of IBS can be quite universal: abdominal discomfort, loose stools, bowel movement (BM) irregularity, painful diarrhea, severe bloating and stomach distension. Some patients also experience constipation and more infrequent BMs than they had prior to developing IBS. While IBS is not a life-threatening condition, it is a chronic condition that can affect how many people lead their lives.
IBS and Anxiety
Interestingly, stress seems to be a confounding factor when discussing the symptoms of this affliction. However, is IBS a symptom of anxiety in and of itself? Since anxiety affects everyone so differently, it’s difficult to say whether IBS is a symptom of anxiety, or vice versa. We do know that “psychological factors have been prominently implicated in the causation as well as maintenance of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).” At the very least, IBS and anxiety are comorbidities, even if we do not fully understand why.
Can Stress Cause Bowel Problems?
It’s easy to confuse the symptoms of stress with general anxiety and anxiety disorders, but they are incredibly different concepts. Stress is a normal result of the body’s fight or flight mechanism; as humans, our world has evolved so quickly that we are left with a biological mismatch when it comes to the fight or flight response— originally helpful in avoiding dangerous predators. Unfortunately, the quickly approaching deadline for your work project will also elicit this same mechanism and cause the well-known symptoms of stress.
Anxiety is a more chronic, overreacted response from the nervous system in response to the smallest of triggers. Anxiety sufferers often realize that there is no rational reason for their states of mind, but still struggle to cope. Regardless of the source of your stress and anxiety, it’s clear that these states of mind heavily impact digestive function.
Ways to Treat IBS
There are several ways to manage the symptoms of IBS; unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any cure for this chronic disease. Some patients are able to enter remission by carefully avoiding triggers and changing their lifestyle. Others find that certain drugs help them avoid IBS attacks. At the end of the day, current research seems to agree that reduction of stress should be one of the main steps towards recovery.
If you struggle with irritable bowel syndrome working with a specialist is one of the best ways to stay on top of your symptoms. Learn more about how your daily stressors (as well as other life factors) may be impacting your condition, and how to cope with it from one of our very own specialists. Schedule a consultation at the Colorectal Clinic of Tampa Bay today!