If the thought of public speaking, a stressful meeting, or an impending financial obligation ties your stomach in knots, there's a reason behind your physical response to your emotional concerns. Your gut is extremely sensitive to stress and your emotions, but stress management techniques can help quiet an upset stomach.
The physical reason why emotions and stress can lead to stomach aches and other digestive problems is because the gut is highly sensitive and full of nerves, just like the brain. "There is definitely a connection between the brain and the gut," says Francisco J Marrero, MD, a gastroenterologist with the Digestive Disease Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. "The gut is called the little brain, it's the largest area of nerves outside the brain."
Upset stomach
Stress and nerves often have very noticeable physical symptoms that focus around the digestive tract.
"Any time you're in a stressful situation, a lot of people will get butterflies in their stomach or may get diarrhea. It gets better when they get out of that stressful situation," says Dr Marrero. And it's not just the big events that lead to digestive problems or an upset stomach, you may have persistent stomach aches, but not quite be able to figure out what's causing them. That's because even small, daily stressors can affect the gut, says Marrero.
He notes that there are many theories behind this connection between the gut and the brain, and that many different pathways communicate between the two that can lead to an upset stomach and other digestive problems as a result of stress. "Sometimes we can try to reset the connection between the brain and the gut using medications for depression," says Marrero. But you don't always need medication to manage stress and regulate your digestive health.
Getting a handle on stress
If you want to settle an upset stomach that's caused by nerves, it's important to keep stress in check. Even daily stresses like job worries and problems at home can lead to subtle digestive problems. Identifying the cause of the stress, understanding the gut's natural reaction to it, and keeping stress under control are the most important parts of managing stress-related stomach aches and other digestive problems.
To reduce stress and manage digestive problems on your own, try these stress management tips:
• Consider counseling to deal with what's bothering you.
• Try cognitive therapy.
• Keep a journal of what's stressing you, how you feel, and what you did to feel better.
• Don't take on more than you can handle-say no when you need to.
• Prioritise your responsibilities.
• Put problems in perspective, and stay positive about the good things in your life.
Home remedies for stomach upset
• Bananas have the ability to soothe the stomach, ease diarrhea and offset the acids that cause upset stomach. So, in case you are suffering from a stomach problem, try having a banana.
• Ginger has been found to be very effective in treating an upset stomach. You can have it in the form of ginger ale and ginger tea or even chew on a piece of candied ginger.
• Peppermint tea has been long associated with calming of the stomach muscles. So, next time you are suffering from an upset stomach, try having peppermint tea.
• If you are having an upset stomach, make sure to avoid foods that aggravate the problem.
Amongst the food items that should be avoided are coffee, onions, milk, chocolate, and fried foods.
• Mint tea helps in soothing an upset stomach. For making mint tea, boil crushed mint leaves in water. Strain the tea and drink it.
• At times, stress is the reason behind an upset stomach. So, make sure to relax your body as well as your mind. Try taking a warm, relaxing bath, listening to some good music or going off to sleep.