Constipation Due To Stress: Causes And Possible Solutions
It has happened to all of us at some point that we have been constipated. It is not a pleasant experience that you want to go through or repeat again. Therefore, it is interesting to know ways to prevent it or deal with it. One way to do this is to know the cause of your constipation. “If I don’t usually have problems with this, why is it happening to me?”
A little known and studied cause, which often goes unnoticed, is stress. And why does this happen? Keep reading this article and I will tell you what constipation is, what stress is, Why stress causes constipation and how you can deal with both problems together.
Constipation occurs when a person has trouble defecating. This condition can manifest itself in several ways: you have a bowel movement less than three times a week; the stool is hard and dry; there is pain when defecating or it is too difficult; and/or there is a feeling of not having finished defecating.
This is a common problem, which can last for a long time or only for a specific period. It is not a disease as such, but it can be a sign of suffering from a health problem.in addition to being able to cause more serious problems if it lasts too long.
In turn, constipation is a condition that can be caused by multiple causes. Some examples are suffering from a related illness or as a side effect of a drug, abruptly changing your routine, not drinking enough foods rich in fiber or water, or stress. We are going to focus on the latter.
What is stress?
Stress is defined as a state of psychophysiological activation that causes physical and mental tension, nervousness and hypervigilance. It appears when we have emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger or frustration. It causes us a state of nervousness and hypervigilance, which generates muscle tension, motor agitation, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, etc.
This feeling works as a response mechanism when faced with the perception of danger or a situation that exceeds our capabilities. In the past, these dangers were related to survival, but currently more cultural situations such as speaking in public, taking an exam, meeting your in-laws can stress us out…
When we perceive one of these situations, our body secretes cortisol and adrenaline, the so-called stress hormones.which are sent to the organs through the blood and prepare the body for a fight or flight reaction. Specifically, they provoke a state of alert for what may come.
These hormones divert the bloodstream to the organs necessary for the action response, such as the heart, brain, lungs and muscles. In this way, blood and important resources are no longer sent to the rest of the organs that are not involved in this response, leaving them in a very basic state of operation (as if they were on standby or in the background).
Despite being unpleasant, stress has an adaptive function. The state of nervousness is a signal to know that something bad is happening or is going to happen, and it prepares us to avoid or resolve the situation. The problem is when we feel stress for a long time or at excessively high levels, since it is exhausting and consumes many biological resources, becoming a serious problem for our health.
Why does stress make me constipated?
The intestine is commonly known as the second brain, since the digestive tract is completely covered by the enteric nervous system, allowing direct contact with 200 million neurons and a close connection with the brain through the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
In this way, When we have unpleasant emotions that involve stress, our intestinal flora and motility are altered, which can cause constipation or even diarrhea, the opposite effect.. This is because the passage of stress hormones through the intestine affects the functioning of this organ and its bacterial flora, and can cause inflammation; and the cessation of the production of serotonin, a hormone that promotes intestinal motility.
On the other hand, one of the organs that stay in the background during the fight-flight reaction generated by stress are the intestines. This means that they stop receiving as much blood flow, slowing down their functions and movements, and thus causing constipation. In addition, stress makes it difficult to rest properly, since precisely its hormones cause us to overstimulate.
Apart from the biological consequences of stress, the behavioral consequences must be taken into account. When we are stressed, we tend to neglect our physical health and our diet. We eat at odd hours and consume less healthy food (because our body asks us for sugar and fat to have more energy for the fight-flight reaction). All these factors influence intestinal imbalance.
Furthermore, constipation itself causes stress, so you can enter a vicious cycle. However, not enough is known about stress constipation. There are numerous studies that correlate stress and constipation, but a causal relationship between the two has not yet been corroborated. It would be interesting to continue researching along these lines, since both stress and constipation can be common problems.
How to deal with or prevent constipation due to stress?
We can deal with constipation due to stress in the same way that we deal with both things separately. In fact, the four activities will help you both reduce stress and end your constipation.
1. Have a diet rich in fiber
Vegetables, fruits, legumes and nuts are foods that contain a lot of fiber. Fiber promotes intestinal motility and strengthens the intestinal flora, thus preventing constipation.
In addition to foods rich in fiber, you must take care of your diet in general and maintain a balanced diet, avoiding frequently consuming products with high amounts of saturated fats, with added sugars, processed or frozen foods (however, from time to time, a catastrophe is not going to happen). Also try to maintain a regular eating schedule, so that your body can function regularly..
Lastly, it is important to drink enough water. The recommended amount is usually 2 liters of water a day. After all, the product of constipation is feces with very little water (that’s why they are so hard), so low water consumption can also alter the functioning of the intestine.
2. Find ways to relax and unwind
The first thing to be able to relax is to be able to identify when you feel stress. You will notice it by a state of nervousness and hyperalertness (muscle tension, motor agitation, gastric discomfort…). Once you recognize the emotion, consider whether it fits the current situation or is caused by an imaginary situation (and thus, differences between anxiety and stress). Perhaps the very fact of realizing that you have no current reason to be restless helps you reduce the emotion and you can relax.
Otherwise, I recommend that you do relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing or muscle relaxation. These techniques may be difficult for you to do without help, so my biggest recommendation is that you do activities that you enjoy (drawing, watching series, reading, taking a walk…). It can be whatever you want, the important thing is that they help you completely escape and clear your mind. If they are also relaxing activities, even better.
Also remember to take care of your sleeping hours. It is important that you rest enough hours so that you are not stressed and exhausted at the same time the next day. By the way, It has been discovered that the typical recommended 7-8 hours of sleep are for men, but that, for women, about half an hour more is needed because we work more in multitaskingwhich is more exhausting.
3. Release stress with physical activity
It has been proven that sport promotes the care of the digestive system. In addition, it allows us to release the tension and nervousness accumulated by stress, since it can function as the physical activity for which stress hormones prepare our body. It is not necessary that you do high-impact sports, this physical activity can be limited to taking walks or doing yoga. The goal is to keep your body healthy, not become a bodybuilder.
4. Ask a professional for help
It is possible that your condition of constipation or stress seems too serious to you or you cannot solve them independently. Therefore, I recommend that if you have any complications or discomfort, you go to a health professional. Even if you know that your constipation is due to stress, try to make an appointment with both your family doctor and a psychologist/therapist.
