Can stress cause constipation? Do you experience constipation? There can be many causes of constipation, and stress can be a contributor. The connection between stress and your gut can help explain the association between these two seemingly unrelated symptoms.
Constipation has been defined as having bowel movements less often than three times a week or having difficult-to-pass stools less than three times a month.
If you can’t get things moving in the right direction and often find yourself struggling with bowel movements, it might be time to check in with a doctor. If your symptoms can’t be traced to a more prominent cause, such as diet, exercise routine or prescription medications side effects, then stress may be behind them.
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Low libido stress and bowel movements
In women, symptoms include irregular periods, vaginal dryness and thinning hair. Low libido can also be caused by stress and lead to problems with bowel movements and weight gain, dry mouth and fatigue. The stress comes from various sources: relationships, family, work or school pressures, community activities or even a lack of sleep all lead to hormonal imbalances that cause a reduction in sex drive.
Can stress cause constipation – The gut-brain connection
The brain can send signals that can affect the digestive system in several ways. Stress can cause the muscles in the intestines to tense up, narrowing and lengthening the colon until everything comes to a standstill and eventually begins to back up. According to researchers at Harvard Medical School, it’s believed that this creates or exacerbates irritable bowel syndrome and chronic constipation.
Those little creatures in your gut can also be affected by stress. The Mayo Clinic lists mitigating stress as an essential part of treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) especially irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, no evidence points to the gut flora itself is responsible for causing this debilitating condition. It can, however, exacerbate it, which leads to diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain and can be responsible for worsened symptoms. For irritable bowel disorder sufferers with constipation-related problems, stress can complicate things by slowing digestion even further.
The vicious cycle of stress on the gut
If you’ve got a lot going on in your life right now, whether it’s school, work or something else that can be stressful, the strain can cause you to experience constipation.
In times of stress, the bowel becomes sluggish, but stressful events also cause the gut to produce stress hormones that further slow down the digestive process. This change can set up a vicious cycle in which constipation makes you feel stressed, and then the stress can make it even harder to have regular bowel movements.
Can stress cause constipation – Conventional medicine can help
Fortunately, you can do some things to alleviate this condition. First and foremost, increasing your fiber intake can be very helpful in alleviating constipation symptoms because it adds bulk to the stool so that it’s softer and easier to pass.
- Dietary changes can help. You can try adding more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain cereals, and whole-grain bread and pasta to your diet. Be sure to stay hydrated because dehydration can also cause constipation.
- Exercise. Exercise can be very beneficial for your gastrointestinal tract, so working out and physical activity can help get things moving in the right direction if stress is causing your bowel problems.
- Seek professional help for medical causes. If you can’t seem to get your system moving, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor or a gastroenterologist. Several medical conditions cause chronic constipation, and if you link your symptoms to stress, it can undoubtedly help rule out more serious digestive complaints. A physician can also help you address the mental health aspect of your condition so that you can start feeling more like yourself again.
Constipation can be frustrating, but it can also be a sign of other medical conditions, so it’s important to pay attention not only to how frequently you’re going but also to the consistency and color of what’s in the toilet bowl after you go. If things just don’t seem to improve, it can help to get a second opinion and find out whether there’s another medical issue at play here.
- Conduct a psychological stress audit. If you can find what is triggering your psychological stress, or if it is just the result of too much on your plate lately, then you must do something about it. Such an action will help your gastrointestinal tract feel more like itself again. If you suspect that the stress is to blame, then you can start by learning more about what to do to reduce it in your life. You can also take a class on time management to help you keep your stress level in check while learning more about how best to manage your time.
- Consider the use of probiotic supplements and natural remedies. This can also be somewhat embarrassing for some, but some things can help improve your gut health so you can get back to feeling good again quickly. You can try taking a probiotic supplement each day or adding foods with live cultures to your diet. There are also natural remedies that can help, like drinking peppermint tea and apple cider vinegar. You can also try a hot bath with Epsom salts and avoid coffee and alcohol if it makes you feel worse.
Can stress cause constipation – How do you relieve constipation from stress?
- You can relieve constipation from stress by making changes to your lifestyle. This can be done by watching what you eat, exercising regularly, and ensuring that constipation is never a problem.
- Try natural remedies for constipation. There are more and more people turning to natural ways of dealing with constipation instead of using prescription medications.
- Some people relieve constipation from stress by making changes to their diet
- You can also relieve can constipation from stress by changing your daily routine. For example, try to exercise regularly instead of sitting around on the couch all day. This can help you stay healthy physically but can also improve your bowel movement.
- To relieve constipation from stress, it’s also crucial that you don’t ignore any sudden changes in your bowel habits. If you notice that something is off, you should talk to your doctor as soon as possible. They can help ease the problem and reduce those feelings of stress that often come with constipation
Can stress and anxiety affect your bowels?
Many people who experience stress-related constipation may not realize that the feelings of discomfort they are experiencing in their gut are caused by mental stress. Moreover, because the digestive system is controlled by two different parts of the nervous system, these individuals might even believe that their bowel troubles are being brought on by something physical. However, stress constipation is very real, and it has more to do with the brain than the bowel.
You may be one of many people who experience stress-related constipation. This condition is defined as chronic, longstanding constipation that needs to be moved but cannot because of lack of bowel movement.
Stress-related constipation occurs when the body undergoes chronic stress due to stressful life events (e.g., the death of a loved one, moving to a new place), being a young college student (in their first year of college), being diligent students (too many exams, important papers due soon). Often, stress constipation harms your mental health as well as physical health. The problem develops because people in stressful situations may become so overwhelmed with what’s going on in their lives that they cannot relax enough to release their bowels, even if they feel the physical need to do so.
Why is stress constipation unhealthy? – How to get rid of stress constipation
Stress-related constipation can cause digestive problems such as stomach pain and irritable bowel syndrome. It may also cause a vicious cycle in which people who experience stress constipation do not feel like they have the time or energy to prepare for a bowel movement. In turn, this can cause more mental or physical stress, which may make it even harder to release their bowels. People with stress-related constipation may also become distracted from other important tasks, such as going to class, working, or maintaining a social life.
Over time, a person with stress constipation may become so stressed out that they become physically unable to release their bowels properly. This is called functional constipation.
Types of functional constipation
There are three types of functional constipation.
- If you are suffering from normal transit constipation, which is a type of constipation where your bowel movements are neither too fast nor too slow, you may have lumpy stool to pass through the toilet. Normal transit constipation can be alleviated by increasing the intake of fiber-rich meals or by taking a specific type of laxative.
- Signs of slow transit constipation include not feeling the urge to go to the bathroom and passing hard and dry stools. This type is more common in young women. Laxatives and fiber may not work for this type, but behavioral training (biofeedback) may help.
- Defecation disorders: Getting stool out of your body necessitates coordinated muscular contractions in your pelvic floor. For you to poop pleasantly, these muscles, including your anal sphincter, must relax at the appropriate time.
You may feel the need to go but find it challenging to do so if you have this type of constipation. You may feel uncomfortable straining and pushing to move your bowels. Stimulant laxatives and fibre supplements do not help with this type of constipation. This type is distinguished by haemorrhoids, anus fissures, and hard, impacted faeces.
Psychological arousal from acute mental stress has been shown to affect motor neurons of the descending colon, which may cause temporary dysfunction in the colon.
Some people even believe that stress-related constipation is brought on by bad luck or “bad karma. However, this may not be true. Constipation has been known to occur when a person’s mind is withholding bowel movements for extended periods. The longer a person withholds their bowel movement, the harder it becomes to release their bowels properly.
What causes constipation?
When you’re stressed, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol from the adrenal glands. These hormones can impact the frequency of bowel movements because they decrease blood flow to your gut. Cortisol also affects your digestion’s motility, i.e., how fast food moves through your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. If there is less blood flow to the intestines and slower transit time, a person can have constipation.
The bowel needs good and healthy bacteria to function correctly, so when you lack proper blood flow, harmful bacteria can multiply and wreak havoc on your digestive system. When your gut is overrun with bad bacteria, you can have bloating, flatulence — these are all symptoms of bacterial overgrowth.
Is there a link between constipation and anxiety?
The reverse is also true. Constipation can cause anxiety. When faced with irregular bowel movements and abdominal pains, it’s easy to become stressed out.
The digestive tract and nervous system share a constant communication highway called the gut-brain axis. This means that what happens in your gut can affect your mental health and vice versa. It’s no surprise then that people with bowel disorders often experience anxiety.
Chronic constipation can lead to a vicious cycle. What happens is that people become so conditioned to having a hard time going to the bathroom that they begin developing an anxious response when they have a bowel motion.
Often, when you get backed up, it can be uncomfortable or painful. Every day becomes a heightened sense of anxiety which impacts your mood.
What are the symptoms of stress-related constipation? Can depression cause constipation?
Because stress has so many symptoms, identifying the cause of constipation is tricky. The symptoms could be abdominal pain, painful bowel movements, an uncomfortable feeling in your rectum or bloating. These are all symptoms of constipation, and they cause stress.
But there’s a silver lining to all this. If your constipation is related to anxiety and stress, then the good news is that you can treat both constipation and anxiety with a few lifestyle changes. There are things you can do each day to help with your bowel movements.
- Drink adequate amounts of water throughout the day so that your stool is easier to pass.
- Try adding natural remedies such as prunes, magnesium and even dark chocolate to your diet.
- Try to practice mindful eating so that you pay attention to when your body tells you it’s hungry and full.
- Begin a regimen of exercise because studies show it decreases anxiety and improves bowel movements. Exercise can also help with stress.
- And if you’re a student striving for that high score on your upcoming admission test, study diligently and stay up-to-date with your studies as much as possible.
In conclusion, just as there are many ways to treat stress-related constipation, there are many ways to reduce your anxiety. Whether through natural remedies, exercise and mindful eating or dedicated studying, the important thing is to develop a well-rounded plan of intervention.
Why do I get constipated when stressed? How long does constipation last?
This is not surprising since stress can cause many problems in the stomach. Stress-related constipation is a perfect example of how the mind and body are connected. Many people have this problem, but some are more likely to get constipated when stressed than others. It may be because one has a lower threshold for pain compared to others.
Stress and bowel movements (BM) go hand in hand. The nervous system is the main reason the mind and body are connected. Therefore, it can give you a stomach ache or make you feel nervous. This often occurs when one is stressed out about an exam or interview coming up. There may be some truth to what your mother always told you, that stress could lead to irregularity.
When one feels stressed, the sympathetic nervous system releases norepinephrine to prepare the body for potential danger. This makes your heart beat faster, and your blood pressure go up while at the same time making your intestines contract less.
When the body is at rest, it signals to the parasympathetic nervous system that everything is okay and allows for peristaltic waves to contract. These are muscle movements in your bowels which helps waste move through your intestinal tract more easily. When norepinephrine influences this process, you will get constipated because it interrupts peristalsis.
Constipation can be due to many reasons, but stress may not seem like one of them because it does not always happen when you are stressed out. However, this is because stress-related constipation is only valid in some cases. For example, stress may not influence you when you are not doing anything, or it can happen at any time of day, depending on your thoughts. It all depends on how much power you give to the thought.
Stress-related constipation is caused by the mind thinking that something dangerous is about to happen. This can lead to intense fear, which creates even more anxiety and stress. This is what causes you to have difficulty with bowel movements because it becomes a vicious cycle.
This can happen in many cases where there are high-stress events or daily stressors, but sometimes they are not related to the mind. Constipation can be due to physical factors where one does not eat properly or is sedentary all day. It can also be due to a low fiber diet, dehydration, or lack of exercise, disrupting peristalsis.
The best treatment for stress-related constipation is to address the cause of your high-stress levels. Stress-reduction techniques may help you cope with whatever is stressing you out. You may even consider thought vectoring techniques to reduce stress. Sometimes it is vital to have a healthy diet and exercise regularly to stay at a healthy weight since obesity may cause constipation.
Once your bowel health improves, you will see an improvement in your mental health conditions as well. You will feel better when you know that you can go out and about without having to worry about your bowel movements. This will be a relief for you after experiencing the adverse effects of stress-related constipation throughout all this time.
Hopefully, with some diligence and determination, you can have good bowel health in no time and improve your quality of life!
