What Does Stress Have To Do With My Digestion and Overall Health?

Q. How does stress effect my digestion and health?

A. I heard something very troubling from a patient this week and I hope this was an isolated case. They were visiting their medical doctor for stomach/digestion issues and the doctor said that stress doesn’t really affect their digestion problems and she needs “this pill.” I have also had a patient state that her doctor stated that stress has nothing to do with her wide spread pain through her body. WHAT?!

With all due respect, stress and lifestyle have EVERYTHING to do with their problems.  When someone is under stress, certain things happen to the body that are absolute fact that no one can deny or dispute. Stress leads to coritisol release. Excess cortisol erodes the lining of your digestive tract via inflammation. Constant stress also inhibits your stomach from digesting foods properly. When you combine this with poor food choices, lack of exercise, it leads to a recipe of disaster for your digestion system. Taking a pill might help alleviate some of the symptoms but nothing has been done to fix the reason the symptoms are there.  There is not enough space to discuss all the other things stress can affect, like your thyroid, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, etc.

There is something you CAN do. Lifestyle changes must be made. If you do the right things, it will save your health, as well as time, energy and even money! Eating well, exercise, managing mental stress and getting adjusted to relieve stress off your nervous system are essential components to living healthy. Need guidance? Ask a Chiropractic Wellness doctor to help you.

Dr. Wes Nyberg, Waukee Wellness & Chiropractic www.waukeewellness.com (515) 978-6661