When you are experiencing stress at work you may well get an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach which a lot of people describe as a knot which can either progress to a tightening feeling or a feeling of butterflies. These feelings are overall not easy to bear when you are trying to work and can lead you away from concentrating on the task you are do and hence in some cases become a risk to health and safety in the workplace.
If this persists you can get what is called a chronic stress reaction which in time can lead to things which are more problematic such as ulcers, heartburn and diarrhoea. Sometimes if these stress and anxiety symptoms go on for long periods of time they can even develop into very debilitating or even life threatening conditions which will stop you working, or even lead to permanent impaired health.
It is essential that when you recognise any symptoms in yourself which are brought on by stress and affect your digestive system you speak immediately to your health practitioner who will suggest either tracking the conditions to see when they arise and what they are associated to and then make suggestion for further medical investigations and diagnosis. On the whole recognition of such symptoms such as the butterfly in the stomach when about to do some kind of activity which may cause nervousness for example public speaking or a job interview is quite natural and part of your body’s process of preparation and alertness. They are usually and you will have experienced them before. Mostly you know to take a deep breath and prepare yourself mentally looking forward to the outcome of a good accomplishment.
But when these feelings rise often and frequently and your feel them in your body at times which you do not associate with a normal response to your ongoing activities you must try to look at what is going on for you at the time. This can be difficult because the stress may arise some feelings of fear in you especially if this feeling is happening frequently and you are feeling the discomfort as described in you stomach and digestive system. But try to relax and gently look at what just happened previously to cause you to feel these feeling of stress and anxiety. If you can get an understanding of what the stressful situation was you can begin to identify with support the best way of managing those worrisome times with stress management techniques which work for you and put into your life. What is essential is that you know that you are not on your own and that you can seek help to get through these periods.
Digestive problems and stress
When we have butterflies in our stomach we will often view them as somewhat like a wake-up call to how we are feeling about the situation in front of us and chalk it up to nerves, stage fright, work presentation, or exam conditions etc. This is our body doing what it does best, taking care of us for preparation for survival, an alert to be wary and take care. But what if the butterflies increase to gut wrenching pain that is debilitating and long lived? In these circumstances if the painful situation is not brought on by an organic medical condition which has been diagnosed as such by a health care practitioner then it is at times diagnosed to be the associated symptoms of stress related issues.
The digestive system
For the purpose of this article we include the length of the digestive system which ranges from the mouth to the lower end of the digestive system. All the ailments can be associated with various bodily issues but we are talking about the effects of stress induced ailments and for those that suffer from stress.
What are the possible stress related problems?
Mouth ulcers
They are a small sore which is an inflammation of the mucous membrane, vary in size and can be found in any area around the mouth. They can be triggered by various causes including stress, poor diet and infections. Some suggest vitamin B can aid the stress issues internally.
Toothache and bad breath
Not commonly associated with stress but lack of personal hygiene or attention to mouth problems can make you upset and worried and also impact on yourself image. A quick check for bad breath is to lick your inner wrist then take a quick smell of it after 30 seconds.
Indigestion
Indigestion is often the most common ailment accompanied with stress and prolonged stress. The most effected stress management technique is to treat more than the symptoms, but to also have some kind of counselling and even meditation
Nausea and vomiting
Like all conditions you must seek medical advice if you are experiencing any prolonged nausea and vomiting or if your stomach is distended in any way. These symptoms go hand in hand with indigestion for some stress sufferers but most people do not actually vomit when under acute and prolonged stress. Herbalism is a great way to treat the symptoms of nausea and vomiting that is stress related.
Stomach Ache
As discussed slight butterflies when filled with dread is what we are talking about which is not persistent and leads to pain that goes away, usually associated with a recognisable stressful situation.
Colic
Some people suffer from colic should ensure that they take care of personal stress and think about coming activities which have an element of activity with deep breathing such as yoga. It has also been noted that time management issues can bring on colic for some sufferers who have pressurised deadlines and responsibilities.
Constipation and irritable bowel syndrome
This is a specific medical diagnosis which is given after several tests to rule out other diseases and digestive or whole body problems. Although bought on by types of food that we eat IBS is one the symptoms that has been easily triggered by the inclusion of stress in our lives. Most IBS sufferers will be asked to keep a mood diary in order to track the situations which maybe triggering this response.
If you are suffering from any symptoms related to stress and showing as an aliment of the digestive system there are many stress management techniques that can help you.