Being Stressed Can Cause Constipation, Here’s How
The human digestive system is extremely
susceptible to stress, and one of the most common ways stress affects
your bowels is by causing one of the most painful, uncomfortable and
dangerous digestive issues - constipation. Here is why that happens and
how you can treat constipation brought about by stress.
The link between stress and constipation
The link between stress and constipation
Constipation is when a person is
experiencing infrequent bowel movements or difficulty passing stools.
The condition is characterized by the following symptoms:
Passing less than 3 stools a week
Hard, dry and lumpy stools
Straining during bowel movements
Incomplete bowel movements
Painful bowel movements
Chronic constipation is diagnosed when a
person experiences two or more of the symptoms for a period of two
consecutive months. A variety of health conditions can cause chronic
constipation and the diagnosis requires professional medical help.
However, irrespective of how often you experience constipation or how
severe your condition is, there are certain factors that can increase
your risk of constipation, the most well known of which are dehydration,
a lack of physical activity and not having enough fiber in your diet.
There are also factors you can’t control, such as age or gender, with
women and older adults being at a higher risk of suffering from
constipation. The last, but unfortunately not the least thing that
triggers constipation is stress. Stressful situations make the different
glands in our body release certain hormones, which can then wreak havoc
on different systems, your gut included. The first of those hormones is
epinephrine, which is produced by the adrenal glands.
Epinephrine makes the body redirect the
blood flow from the gut in favor of increasing the blood supply to the
heart, lungs, and brain. This is part of the so-called fight or flight
response to stress. This results in worse blood supply to the gut and
possibly the slowing down of intestinal movement, which can result in
constipation.
The second hormone that can cause
constipation is the corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), which is
secreted in the part of our brain called the hypothalamus. Through
blood, this hormone travels directly to the intestines, making them slow
down and increases the risk of constipation.
Apart from that, stress can affect your gut
lining, making your abdomen feel heavy or full. Finally, stressful
situations are suggested to reduce the number of healthy gut bacteria,
possibly because we tend to eat unhealthy when we’re stressed out, which
may further slow down digestion and result in constipation as well.
How to get rid of stress-related constipation
As you can see, stress can cause
constipation in several ways, which means that using laxatives and other
remedies for constipation will only give you temporary relief. To get
rid of the problem for good, you have to both maximize your digestive
health and address the underlying cause - stress. There are several
things you can do to improve your symptoms, here are the main ones:
1. Physical Activity
The one thing that can simultaneously reduce your stress levels and
prevent constipation is exercise. Physical activity has been found time
and time to help fight depression and anxiety, as well as improve
digestive flow. You can choose any type of physical activity you enjoy,
be it running, walking, swimming, or going to the gym. The easiest thing
you can do right away, however, is just follow a quick and easy yoga
tutorial that targets digestion and stress relief.
2. Diet and Hydration
Dehydration alone can cause constipation,
this is exactly why people often get bloated and constipated while
traveling, so try to fulfill the daily minimum of 6 glasses of liquids a
day to prevent constipation. Apart from that, make sure your diet
contains plenty of fiber-rich foods, such as fruit, nuts, and legumes,
as the lack of fiber is a major risk factor of constipation as well.
Finally, make sure your diet is full of probiotic-rich fermented foods,
such as yogurt and pickled vegetables.
3. Avoid Foods That Cause Constipation
Certain foods are known to consistently
cause constipation and stress. These foods include alcohol, foods high
in sugar and fatty foods. Try avoiding or minimizing the amount of these
foods in your diet.
Smoking is also often associated with a higher risk of constipation, so
that's another reason to ditch the harmful habit. Lastly, pay close
attention to how coffee affects your body: for some people, it helps
them go to the bathroom, but it can cause constipation and increase
stress and anxiety in others.
4. Don’t Force It
Many people who are suffering from
constipation are actually finding themselves in a vicious circle: they
get constipated, they can't go to the bathroom, which makes them
stressed and worsens the problem even more. To avoid this issue, try to
relax, don't push yourself and give yourself time to go to the bathroom,
even if it means taking several trips to the bathroom daily.
5. Engage in Relaxing Activities
If stress is causing your constipation, you
have to put in the time to de-stress and do something you find pleasant
and relaxing. This can be any activity, such as listening to music,
cleaning your home, mindful breathing, or meditation.
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