Abdominal Pain: How to Know if Yours Is Physical or Mental

If you routinely have stomach pain that you think is due to something you ate but you’re not sure what, talk with your doctor. They may recommend keeping a food journal to pick up on any patterns you haven’t noticed. This could give them a good idea of what kind of tests to run to land on a diagnosis, too.

3. Your stomach is swollen and you can’t poop or are having a hard time keeping food down.

These can be signs of intestinal obstruction, which happens when some sort of blockage is keeping food or fluids from passing through your digestive system, says Dr. Marion. In addition to crampy, irregular abdominal pain, it can cause symptoms like a loss of appetite, constipation, and vomiting, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you notice these issues, Dr. Marion recommends seeing your doctor ASAP for a diagnosis and treatment.

4. You can point to exactly where in your abdomen hurts.

While it’s not always true that specific abdominal issues come with specific kinds of pain, certain conditions do tend to have characteristic types of discomfort that potentially make them easier to identify.

For example, appendicitis often causes pain that starts around the belly button then moves below and to the right of it, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Gallstones usually lead to stabbing pain in the upper right portion of your abdomen.

The point is, if your pain is localized in one part of your abdomen, that could hint at something going on with a certain organ in there.

5. You just took nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) without eating enough.

Using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—pain relievers such as naproxen and ibuprofen—too frequently, and especially without eating, could cause inflammation in the lining of your stomach and intestines that leads to abdominal pain, says Dr. Marion. The pain is usually heartburn-like or confined to your upper abdominal area, he adds.

Make sure to follow the dosage instructions for any medication you’re taking, including eating adequately or drinking enough fluids. This is a big way to prevent GI symptoms that might occur with NSAIDs, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

6. Your pain is severe and comes with a fever, rectal bleeding, nausea, and/or vomiting.

These are signs of a potentially serious GI infection, Dr. Marion says, like appendicitis or an extreme case of viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu). Don’t brush off severe abdominal pain, especially when it comes with other physical signs that something’s wrong. If you’re dealing with extreme abdominal pain and accompanying GI symptoms, you should seek emergency medical treatment.

Here are two signs your abdominal pain could be mental.

1. It flares up when you’re anxious.

Whether your stomach cramps strike every time you have to take a flight or before big work presentations, it could be a sign that you’re so stressed it’s affecting your gut.

“There’s a clear connection between the brain and our emotions and how our body feels,” says Sperling. Realizing that your abdominal pain always crops up around moments of fear, stress, or anxiety can help you figure out that your emotions are behind the discomfort.

If you already know you have anxiety but are having a hard time managing this symptom, talk to your doctor or therapist to see if any tweaks in your treatment may help. If you’re not sure your abdominal pain is connected with changes in your emotions, consider keeping a journal for a few weeks to chart how you feel and how your pain comes and goes in response.

How to Stop Anxiety Stomach Pain & Cramps

Anxiety is a complex disorder and one that can have a profound effect on one’s body, not just one’s mind. The stress that anxiety puts on your body can lead to a host of different issues. One of the more common among them is a stomach pain.

Stomach pain, stomach cramping, and intestinal discomfort that is hard to describe can all be the result of persistent anxiety.

Diagnosing Anxiety-Related Stomach Pain

Stomach pain caused by anxiety is difficult for doctors to diagnose because the pain and indigestion are still real physical responses – the same type of responses from your body that would occur if you had a physical or organic health issue.

If the stomach pain is severe or accompanied by fever or other symptoms, it’s certainly a good idea to visit a doctor. But anxiety can genuinely cause stomach pain in a way that can lead to indigestion.

Examples of Anxiety-Related Stomach Issues

There are numerous issues caused by anxiety that could cause various types of discomfort in the abdomen. Some examples are:

• Abdominal Tension: Stress tends to cause a great deal of tension in the abdomen. That tension can tire out abdominal muscles and cause an internal feeling of discomfort.
• Digestion: Stress affects hormone levels, and hormones are used to aid digestion. When you’re stressed, it can lead to hormonal imbalance, resulting in indigestion that may lead to bloating, intestinal pain, and more.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Anxiety has been found to be one of the most likely causes of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. IBS occurs when your body’s digestive system is functioning poorly without a definite underlying cause; it can cause altered bowel movements and abdominal discomfort.

Anxiety also releases a stress hormone (cortisol), which causes the body to produce extra levels of stomach acid. That acidity causes the lining of the esophagus to become irritated, and this can lead to stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting, and in severe cases, stress-induced ulcers. These are just a few of the ways that anxiety can cause pain or negative stomach sensations.

Can Stress Cause Stomach Pain?

Anxiety and stress are closely related. But they are technically different conditions. It is possible to experience a significant amount of stress without experiencing anxiety. Yet the causes of stomach pain from stress are similar. Muscle tension, digestive issues – all of these are also caused by stress and may contribute to stomach pain.

How Do I Know if It’s Anxiety and Not an Ulcer?

It’s not uncommon to find yourself concerned that your struggle with stomach pain is not from anxiety or stress at all. For example, you may find yourself concerned that instead of anxiety, what you are really struggling with is an ulcer.

Only a doctor can diagnose whether or not your pain is from an ulcer, but there are some clues. The clearest signal is if you have any blood in your stool or acid burps (if you also have acid reflux). That’s often a clear sign of an ulcer. Also, if the pain or discomfort tends to occur after eating and isn’t related to a similar condition, GERD (heartburn/acid reflux), it’s possible you may have an ulcer.

However, this is complicated by the fact that ulcers can be caused by long-term stress and anxiety, as they stimulate the production of extra stomach acid. This excess acid in the stomach breaks down the gastric or intestinal lining and cause open wounds that may harm your health.

Stomach Pain and Long-Term Health

Because of the extra acid in your stomach and the changes to the way your body processes nutrients, the stomach pain from anxiety can be a problem if left untreated. Ulcers are just one example. Some people experience heartburn from anxiety, and others eat less often, giving their body fewer nutrients.

The stomach pain from anxiety and stress is rarely dangerous, but it is still important to treat it, because the effects on your long-term health when it is left untreated may be harder to manage.

When Is Stomach Pain Most Likely to Occur?

If you have anxiety, stomach pain can occur at any time – even when no anxiety is present. However, many people experience stomach pain during panic attacks.

The exact link between an anxiety attack and stomach pain is not clear, other than the fact that during a panic attack, your body is under a considerable amount of stress, and your hormones are often on overdrive. Also, those with anxiety attacks are prone to hyperventilation, which may lead to symptoms that create stomach pain. 

Are There Foods That Reduce Stomach Pain?

Anxiety-related stomach pain is not usually the result of your diet (although a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle may increase the risk of anxiety), so there aren’t necessarily any dietary changes that can help reduce stomach pain.

That said, those with panic attacks are more prone to experiencing more severe stomach discomfort, even when no anxiety is present. In other words, when you have panic attacks, it’s possible to have stomach pain even without a panic attack.

Also, those with anxiety attacks and severe anxiety are prone to what’s known as “over-sensitization.” That means that they are more likely to notice and feel smaller, normal changes in the body, and these can trigger an anxiety attack. So if your diet does contain foods that cause you gas, stomach discomfort, or mild indigestion, it may be best to avoid them because the slight amount of discomfort could feel worse than it should and may trigger a panic attack.

That’s why healthy eating is important in those that get stomach pain with anxiety. Make sure you’re getting:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Water/Hydration
• Whole-Grain Carbohydrates

Also, if you suffer from stress-induced hyperacidity, then it is recommended that you consume dairy products and non-spicy foods. In moderate amounts, over-the-counter antacids may be needed as well.

In addition, if possible, try to avoid eating until you’re too full. Those with severe anxiety sometimes interpret the “full” feeling as pain, and this could trigger a panic attack and further pain.

Wide Range of Symptoms

One of the more surprising issues with some types of anxiety disorder is the way that they change sensations in our body. For example, for many, feeling full is a nice feeling. However, it can lead to a variety of natural body sensations, including:

• Feeling lightheaded
• Slight stomach discomfort
• Fatigue

In those without anxiety, these are natural. In people suffering from some degree of anxiety, those sensations feel much more pronounced and can trigger a full-blown panic attack.

How to Relieve Stomach Pain Symptoms

There isn’t necessarily a cure for the stomach pain symptoms themselves. When your body is under stress, your stomach tends to hurt based on the acids in your stomach and the foods you’ve already eaten. If you have stomach pain as a result of an anxiety attack, you may need to wait it out.

Water can help a little, however. So consider sipping cool (but not too cold) water. Antacids may also be beneficial in some cases, but if you have stomach pain often, you may not want to depend on antacid treatments.

SUMMARY:

Stomach pain from anxiety can be caused by several stress-related issues, including abdominal tension, digestion issues, and irritable bowel. Although the stomach pain may be caused by anxiety, the acids in the stomach are still very real. There are ways to treat both your stomach discomfort and anxiety.

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Keep Stress From Causing an Upset Stomach

If you get butterflies in your stomach when you have to give a speech, drive through white-knuckle traffic, or argue with your spouse, you’re not alone: Stress can exact a very real physical toll on your digestive system. Your gut is extremely sensitive to stress and your overall emotions. And conversely, the right stress management techniques can help soothe an upset stomach.

The Link Between Your Gut and Your Emotions

The physical reason why emotions and stress can lead to stomachaches and other digestive problems is because the gut is highly sensitive and full of nerves, just like the brain.

“There is definitely a connection between the brain and the gut,” says Francisco J. Marrero, MD, a gastroenterologist with the Digestive Disease Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. “The gut is called the little brain — it’s the largest area of nerves outside the brain.”

Upset Stomach: Even Little Stresses Affect the Little Brain

Stress and nerves often have very noticeable physical symptoms that focus around the digestive tract.

“Any time you’re in a stressful situation, a lot of people will get butterflies in their stomach or may get diarrhea,” says Dr. Marrero. “It gets better when they get out of that stressful situation.”

And it’s not just the big events that lead to digestive problems or an upset stomach — you may have persistent stomachaches, but not quite be able to figure out what’s causing them. That’s because even small, daily stressors can affect the gut, says Marrero. He notes that there are many theories behind this connection between the gut and the brain, and that many different pathways communicate between the two that can lead to an upset stomach and other digestive problems as a result of stress.

“Sometimes we can try to reset the connection between the brain and the gut using medications for depression,” says Marrero. But you don’t always need medication to manage stress and regulate your digestive health.

Upset Stomach: Getting a Handle on Stress

If you want to settle an upset stomach that’s caused by nerves, it’s important to keep stress in check. Even daily stresses like job worries and problems at home can lead to subtle digestive problems.

Identifying the cause of the stress, understanding the gut’s natural reaction to it, and keeping stress under control are the most important parts of managing stress-related stomachaches and other digestive problems.

To reduce stress and manage digestive problems on your own, try these stress management tips:

• Consider counseling to deal with what’s bothering you.
• Try cognitive therapy.
• Keep a journal of what’s stressing you, how you feel, and what you did to feel better.
• Don’t take on more than you can handle — say no when you need to.
• Prioritize your responsibilities.
• Put problems in perspective, and stay positive about the good things in your life.

Your body’s automatic response to stress and other emotions may be a digestive reaction, which just goes to show how closely related your physical and emotional health really are. But that doesn’t mean that your stomach has to suffer every time you get upset or nervous. Learn how to tame your stress and keep it under control to keep digestive problems caused by your emotions under control as well.

Return to the Digestive Health Awareness Center.

5 lifestyle tips for a healthy tummy

Digestive problems and stomach upsets can be prevented, relieved and even banished by simple lifestyle changes.

Beat stress to ease tummy troubles

You may have noticed a feeling of unease in your stomach during times of stress. That’s because anxiety and worry can upset the delicate balance of digestion.

In some people, stress slows down digestion, causing bloating, pain and constipation, while in others it speeds it up, causing diarrhoea and frequent trips to the loo. Some people lose their appetite completely.

Stress can also worsen digestive conditions like stomach ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome.

A solution is to avoid eating when you’re feeling very anxious, stressed or unhappy.

It also helps your digestion if you avoid arguing at the dinner table, as getting angry can put you off your food or make eating harder. Try to keep mealtimes happy and relaxed.

Get tips on managing stress

Stop smoking to prevent reflux

Smoking can weaken the muscle that controls the lower end of the food pipe and allow acid from the stomach to travel in the wrong direction back up, a process known as reflux.

Reflux causes the symptoms of heartburn, and can bring on or aggravate stomach ulcers and inflammatory conditions of the bowel.

Smoking is also an important risk factor for stomach cancer.

Find out how to stop smoking

Eat properly to help your digestion

It’s very easy to spend our working lives eating on the move or at our desks, gulping down food between meetings and then crashing out in front of the TV with a takeaway in the evenings.

But eating this way can play havoc with our digestive system.

Follow some basic rules to prevent problems:

• Do not rush your food. Take the time to eat slowly. Try putting your fork down between bites and chew each mouthful well.
• Do not overeat. Reduce the size of your portions at mealtimes, or try eating 4 to 5 small meals instead of 3 large ones.
• Eat regularly and try not to skip meals.
• Avoid eating a big meal just before you go to bed. Eat your last meal at least 2 to 3 hours before lying down.
• Make sure you have plenty of water to drink.

Lose excess weight to beat heartburn

If you’re overweight, your tummy fat puts pressure on your stomach and can cause heartburn.

Shedding some pounds may relieve digestive symptoms like heartburn and other acid-related stomach complaints.

Check you’re a healthy weight with the BMI calculator

Get tips on losing weight

Binge drinking causes acid-related digestive disorders

Moderate drinking will not hurt your digestive system, but binge drinking increases acid production in your stomach, and can cause heartburn and aggravate other digestive disorders.

Binge drinking is defined as drinking 8 or more units of alcohol in 1 session for men, and drinking more than 6 units in 1 session for women.

Find out how to cut down on alcohol

Find out how to get rid of bloating

Page last reviewed: 28 August 2019
Next review due: 28 August 2022

Anxious Stomach Aches and Headaches

All kids get an occasional headache or stomach ache — think not enough sleep or too much Halloween candy. But when children get them often, they may be signs of anxiety.

Stomach aches in the morning before school. Headaches when there’s a math test on the schedule. Butterflies before a birthday party. Throwing up before a soccer game. These physical symptoms may be the first evidence a parent has that a child is anxious. In fact, the child may not even know she is anxious.

“Especially with kids who may not be able to verbalize what they’re feeling anxious about, the way their anxiety manifests can be through physical symptoms,” explains Amanda Greenspan, LCSW, a clinical social worker at the Child Mind Institute.

Physical symptoms of anxiety

In fact anxiety is associated with a host of physical symptoms, including headaches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, along with a racing heart, shakiness or sweating — symptoms older people experience when they’re having a panic attack.

All these physical symptoms are related to the fight-or-flight response triggered when the brain detects danger. All of them have a purpose, notes Janine Domingues, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. When she talks to kids about anxious headaches or stomach aches, she explains the role of each. For instance, she says, “your stomach hurts because your digestive system is shutting down to send blood to other areas of your body. You don’t want to be digesting food at that moment because you’re trying to either flee danger or fight danger.”

Dr. Domingues assures children that these symptoms are not harmful — they’re just their emergency system responding to a false alarm. But it’s important to understand that kids aren’t necessarily inventing their symptoms, and the danger may feel very real to them. Don’t assume a child who spends a lot of time in the nurse’s office at school is doing it intentionally to get out of class. Her acute anxiety may be causing her pain.

“Headaches and stomach aches related to anxiety are still real feelings, and we want to take them seriously,” says Ms. Greenspan.

Check with your pediatrician

When a child develops a pattern of physical symptoms before school, or other potentially stressful moments, experts recommend that you visit your doctor to rule out medical concerns. But if the child gets a clean bill of health, the next step is to help the child make the connection between their worries and their physical symptoms.

“We help them understand in a very child-friendly way that sometimes our body can actually give us clues into what we’re feeling,” explains Ms. Greenspan.

Parents can start by validating their child’s experience and reframing it in a more helpful way. Instead of telling kids there’s nothing wrong with them, the goal is to tell them that what they’re feeling is worry.

“We give it a name,” adds Dr. Domingues. “We help them connect it to an emotion and label it.”

And after some practice kids are able to identify it, she adds.  ” ‘Yes, my stomach hurts and, oh yeah, I remember that’s because I’m feeling worried.’ And after learning some skills to help them calm down, I think they feel a sense of control. And that helps.”

What can parents do to help?

The first thing our experts suggest is something parents should not do, or at least try not to do: Let kids avoid things they are afraid of. It can be very tempting when children are complaining of a headache or stomach ache to let them stay home from school, or skip the party or the game they’re worried about. But avoidance actually reinforces the anxiety.

“If we’re allowing them to avoid it,” says Ms. Greenspan, “then they’re not able to learn that they can tolerate it.” The message needs to be: “I know it hurts, I know it’s uncomfortable, but I know you can do it.”

Another things parents should not do is ask children leading questions like “Are you worried about the math test?” Questions should be open ended, to avoid suggesting that you expect them to be anxious: “How are you feeling about the math test?”

 If the problems your child is having are disrupting his ability to go to school consistently — or concentrate at school, participate in activities, socialize with peers — he might have developed an anxiety disorder that should be treated by a mental health professional. The treatment favored by most clinicians for anxiety disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps kids — as young as 5 years old — identify their anxiety and learn skills to reduce it.

The techniques clinicians teach children to calm down body and mind can also be deployed by parents, for children with less impairing symptoms.

Techniques for calming down

Here are some of the techniques clinicians teach anxious children, adapted from CBT and mindfulness training:

• Deep breathing: Drawing in air by expanding the belly, sometimes called belly breathing, helps kids relax by slowing breathing, and reducing the heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormones. It can also help relax tense stomach muscles.
• Mindfulness exercises: Techniques such as focusing on what’s around them, what they see and hear, can help pull children away from the anxiety and ground them in the moment.
• Coping statements: Children are taught to “talk back to their worries,” Ms. Greenspan explains. “They can say, ‘I’m feeling scared and I can handle it.’ Or something along the lines of, ‘I’m bigger than my anxiety.’”
• Coping ahead: Children are taught that when you have to do something that makes you nervous, it helps to anticipate that you might have some discomfort, and plan what you can do to counteract it, knowing that if you can push through it, it will get easier.
• Acceptance: This involves acknowledging the discomfort without fighting it. “Instead of trying to push the feeling away and get rid of it,” Dr. Domingues explains, “we ask you to hold onto it and tolerate it and get through it.”

The parents’ role is key

It’s only natural that parents don’t want to see their kids in distress or make them go to school when they’re worried that they’ll throw up. That puts parents in a difficult spot. “What we hear from parents is, ‘We just let him stay home one day — and one day led to three months,’ ” says Dr. Domingues. It’s a slippery slope — the child may ask to stay home more and more.

“So we work with parents a lot around how to find that balance between enabling anxiety and meeting a child where they are,” she adds. “And we also give them statements that they can use to be empathic and encouraging at the same time. For instance: ‘I know that this is really hard and you feel like you’re sick. But we also know that this is anxiety, and you can get through it.’ ”

Sometimes setting up a reward system can help by giving a lot of positive reinforcement for kids pushing through their anxiety.

Parents also face the challenge of tolerating their own anxiety about pushing a child who says she is ill or worried about vomiting. “If your kid is in distress and talking about not wanting to go to school or feeling sick or thinking they might throw up,” says Dr. Domingues, “then you’re, as a parent, also anxious that that might happen.”

Working with the school

The school plays an important role when kids develop physical symptoms of anxiety. Clinicians work with the school nurse — and sometimes the psychologist or school counselor — to set up a protocol for keeping the child’s absences from class as short as possible. For instance, the recommended amount of time to wait before encouraging the child to go back to class might be as short as five minutes.

“As much as we can, we urge them not to contact the parent or send the child home if they’re saying that they’re nauseous,” adds Dr. Domingues, “if we know that they are feeling this way because they’re anxious.” The shorter the break can be, the better it is, because the longer they’re out of the thing that’s making them feel anxious, she says, the harder it will be to get them back in.

This sort of symptoms can appear in a wide-range of children, but they’re most common in the grade-school years, notes Ms. Greenspan. “As kids get older and transition into adolescence and adulthood, they are more likely to manifest their anxiety symptoms in other ways.”

Nervous stomach: Symptoms, causes, and remedies

A nervous stomach is one example of how a person’s emotions can affect their body. Doctors may refer to a nervous stomach if a person is having symptoms, such as nausea or bloating, that are unrelated to any gastrointestinal condition.

Treatments for a nervous stomach often include techniques to reduce anxiety, stress, and tension.

In this article, learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatments of a nervous stomach, as well as how to prevent it happening again.

A nervous stomach can mirror the symptoms of some gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. These include conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or gastroenteritis, which is a bacterial or viral-related stomach infection.

Symptoms associated with nervous stomach include:

• bloating
• delayed gastric emptying
• diarrhea
• gas
• nausea

Children also commonly experience symptoms of a nervous stomach. They may describe their symptoms differently than adults. They may refuse to go to school or frequently report stomach pain without presenting any other signs of an infection.

The GI system has its own nervous system called the enteric nervous system. Nerve endings in the stomach are designed to respond to stress hormones transmitted from the brain. This is part of the “fight-or-flight” response, which causes stress hormones to signal the stomach to slow down so that more blood can pump to the heart, lungs, and muscles.

People can experience high levels of stress on a regular basis, which can mimic those of a “fight-or-flight” response. Some stress-related triggers of a nervous stomach include:

• an upcoming event, such as a test or presentation
• financial problems
• relationship or family problems
• divorce
• changes at work
• moving
• the death of a loved one
• chronic illness

A nervous stomach can give someone “butterflies” in their stomach, or even make a person feel as if they need to vomit.

Sometimes, people call irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) a nervous stomach. Other names for IBS include spastic colon or irritable colon.

However, a person can have a nervous stomach without having IBS. This is because IBS symptoms occur consistently for at least 3 months and often improve with dietary and lifestyle changes.

Share on PinterestTherapy may help to treat stress and anxiety that cause a nervous stomach.

A doctor can begin to treat a nervous stomach by identifying the stress triggers in a person’s life. Some of the potential triggers that a person might need to address to reduce their symptoms include school, job, work, family, or relationships.

Examples of treatments for nervous stomach include:

• Therapy: Seeing a psychiatrist or therapist may help a person make changes to reduce the stress in their lives. No one can eliminate stress entirely, but a therapist can also help a person identify ways to better cope with stress when they do experience it.
• Medications: In some instances, a person may need to take medicine to reduce their anxiety and stress levels. Treating anxiety and depression may also help to reduce the incidence of nervous stomach.
• Meditation: Meditation can reduce anxiety and stress by enhancing a person’s focus and mindfulness. Meditating involves sitting or lying down in a quiet room and focusing on one’s breathing. Some people may choose to repeat a mantra to help them focus their energy and relieve stress. Taking even 10 to 15 minutes a day for meditation can help a person reduce their nervous stomach symptoms.
• Foods: Avoid foods that can worsen a nervous stomach. Examples of these include dairy products and caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, chocolate, soda, and tea.
• Stress-relieving activities. Engaging in activities that help reduce stress, such as exercising, journaling, reading, listening to music, or talking to friends, can help. Sometimes a person may also find they can relieve stress by reducing the number of commitments in their daily schedule.
• Use natural remedies. These include ginger, which can be sipped as a tea, chewed on as a root, or taken as a supplement. Drinking peppermint tea or smelling peppermint oil may also reduce nervous stomach symptoms.

A doctor can also recommend specific treatments according to a person’s individual health history.

A nervous stomach can cause symptoms that are similar to chronic GI disorders. If a person experiences these symptoms on a regular basis, a doctor may diagnose the person with IBS.

Treating any underlying stressors may help reduce the incidence of nervous stomach, alleviate symptoms, and improve a person’s quality of life.

11 causes and when to see a doctor

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Stomach churning is an uncomfortable sensation in the abdomen that may occur alongside nausea and other digestive symptoms. Although stomach churning is often only temporary, it can sometimes be a sign of an underlying condition.

In this article, we describe 11 possible causes of stomach churning. We also explain when to see a doctor and provide some tips for treating and preventing stomach churning.

Indigestion, or dyspepsia, refers to pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen.

Other symptoms of indigestion can include:

• a burning sensation in the upper abdomen
• becoming full too soon or feeling uncomfortable while eating
• bloating
• a churning or gurgling stomach
• belching or gas
• nausea
• vomiting

There is not always an obvious reason for indigestion, but some common causes include:

• eating or drinking too much or too quickly
• eating spicy, greasy, or acidic foods
• drinking too many caffeinated or carbonated beverages
• stress
• smoking

Recurrent indigestion can sometimes be a symptom of an underlying medical condition, such as:

People with severe or recurring indigestion should see a doctor. They should seek immediate medical attention if indigestion accompanies any of the following symptoms:

• unexplained weight loss
• difficulty swallowing
• severe or frequent vomiting, especially if vomit contains blood
• black, tarry, or bloody stool
• shortness of breath
• severe and persistent abdominal pain
• chest, jaw, neck, or arm pain
• jaundice, which is a yellowing of the skin and arms

The gut and brain share many of the same nerve connections. For this reason, stress and anxiety can have a significant effect on the digestive system.

When a person feels stressed or anxious, their body releases stress hormones.

Some of these hormones enter the digestive tract, where they can lead to the following symptoms and conditions:

Many people have premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which means that they experience a range of symptoms in the week before their period.

In a 2014 study involving healthy women, scientists investigated the relationships between digestive symptoms, mood, and menstruation.

Of the 156 participants, 73 percent reported experiencing at least one of the following digestive symptoms before or during their period:

• bloating
• abdominal pain
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• constipation
• pelvic pain

Digestive issues were more common among participants who also experienced psychological symptoms, such as depressed mood, anxiety, and fatigue. The authors suggested that certain hormones that the body releases during menstruation may affect gut function.

Digestive issues are common during pregnancy, and they may occur as a result of the hormonal changes taking place inside the woman’s body. In the later stages of pregnancy, the enlarging womb and fetus can also place an increasing amount of pressure on the abdominal cavity.

Digestive problems that can occur during pregnancy include:

• heartburn and acid reflux
• diarrhea
• constipation
• bloating
• belching or gas
• nausea and vomiting

Food poisoning is a common illness that affects people who have consumed contaminated foods or beverages. The most common causes of food poisoning are harmful bacteria and viruses. Other causes include certain parasites, molds, and chemicals.

Although anyone can get food poisoning, the following people have a higher risk:

• young children
• pregnant women
• older adults

• people with weakened immune systems, such as those undergoing organ transplants or living with HIV

The symptoms of food poisoning can range from mild to severe, and they can take hours or even days to appear after a person consumes the contaminated food.

Common symptoms of food poisoning include:

• indigestion
• abdominal pain and cramps
• nausea and vomiting
• diarrhea
• fever
• chills

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anyone who experiences any of the following symptoms should see a doctor:

• a temperature exceeding 101.5°F
• frequent vomiting
• dehydration
• dizziness when standing up
• diarrhea lasting more than 3 days
• blood in the stool

Viral gastroenteritis, which people often refer to as “stomach flu,” is a viral infection of the intestines.

The most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in adults is norovirus, which accounts for between 19 and 21 million cases of the illness each year in the United States. In children, the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis is rotavirus.

General symptoms of viral gastroenteritis include:

• abdominal pain and cramping
• nausea
• vomiting
• watery diarrhea
• fever

Viral gastroenteritis is usually not serious. However, frequent vomiting and diarrhea can lead to severe dehydration, especially in infants and young children. Signs and symptoms of dehydration include:

• thirst
• dry mouth
• infrequent urination
• sunken eyes or cheeks
• lethargy
• reduced skin turgor, which is when the skin stays raised after pinching it

Symptoms requiring prompt medical attention include:

• lethargy or irritability
• high fever
• frequent vomiting
• diarrhea lasting more than 2 days
• passing six or more loose stools in a day
• black, tarry, or bloody stools
• severe pain in the abdomen or rectum

Treatment for people with viral gastroenteritis primarily involves replacing lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration.

Stomach churning can sometimes be a symptom of a food intolerance, such as lactose intolerance.

People with lactose intolerance experience digestive symptoms after they consume foods containing lactose, a sugar that is naturally present in milk and dairy products. These symptoms occur because their body does not produce enough lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose.

Lactose intolerance is different than a milk allergy, which is due to an immune response.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance can include:

• bloating and gas
• abdominal pain and cramping
• stomach churning
• nausea or vomiting
• diarrhea or loose, foul-smelling stools

Many people with lactose intolerance can manage their symptoms by making dietary changes to avoid this sugar.

People with celiac disease experience digestive symptoms after eating products containing gluten. Gluten is a protein that occurs mainly in wheat, barley, and rye.

In people with celiac disease, the immune system overreacts to the presence of gluten and begins attacking the lining of the small intestine.

The symptoms of celiac disease can vary between people. However, some common digestive symptoms of this condition include:

• abdominal pain or cramping
• nausea
• vomiting
• bloating and gas
• persistent diarrhea or constipation
• pale, fatty, or foul-smelling stools

Other symptoms can include:

• unexplained weight loss or gain
• bone or joint pain
• muscle cramps
• tingling or numbness in the legs
• mouth sores
• an itchy skin rash
• confusion and fatigue
• delayed growth or puberty in children

As the symptoms can be similar to those of other digestive disorders, celiac disease can be difficult for doctors to diagnose. People with celiac disease can manage their symptoms by adopting a gluten-free diet.

IBS is a disorder that affects the function of the bowel. Between 10 and 15 percent of people in the U.S. have IBS.

Experts do not know what causes IBS, but they believe that it may be due to the increased sensitivity of the bowels.

Common symptoms of IBS include:

• abdominal pain or discomfort
• bloating
• diarrhea or constipation

Some people with IBS may also experience a broader range of symptoms, including:

Doctors generally recommend dietary and lifestyle changes for people with IBS. However, they might also prescribe medications to help relieve symptoms.

An intestinal obstruction is a blockage within the small or large intestine that can prevent digested food and waste products from passing through.

Causes of an intestinal obstruction can include:

• a hernia
• a tumor
• scar tissue resulting from intestinal surgery

The most common symptoms of an obstruction include:

• bloating and gurgling
• abdominal pain that comes in waves
• inability to pass gas
• nausea
• vomiting

Intestinal obstructions can lead to potentially life-threatening complications. People with symptoms of an obstruction should seek immediate medical attention.

Some medications can cause digestive symptoms, such as stomach churning, as a side effect. These include:

• laxatives
• certain antibiotics
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen

People should speak to a doctor if they experience stomach churning that worsens, does not improve, or recurs.

It is also advisable to seek medical attention if stomach churning accompanies other concerning symptoms, including:

• intense pain
• severe dehydration
• severe or persistent diarrhea or vomiting
• blood in vomit or stools
• unexplained weight loss
• high fever

The treatment for a churning stomach depends on its underlying cause. However, some steps that people can take to help prevent or alleviate stomach churning include:

• managing stress and anxiety levels
• practicing good food hygiene
• avoiding foods that trigger symptoms
• reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption
• consuming products containing real ginger, which may help protect against digestive symptoms
• taking antacids to soothe heartburn
• trying probiotics, which may help promote better gut health

There are many possible causes of stomach churning, including indigestion, stress and anxiety, and taking certain medications.

Stomach churning often only causes temporary discomfort before resolving without treatment. However, this symptom can sometimes be a sign of an underlying health issue.

People with persistent or recurrent stomach churning should see a doctor, especially if it occurs alongside severe or concerning symptoms.

SHOP FOR TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

The home remedies listed in this article are available to purchase online:

90,000 Does your stomach hurt? Treat your nerves!

They can show minor discomfort or torment to exhaustion, making it impossible to even move. “They” – stomach and intestinal cramps – are often accompanied by other disorders: heaviness, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and nausea. It seems that spasms always come unexpectedly. However, is it so? After all, any “behavior” of our body is due to some reason. For gastrointestinal cramps, it is not always obvious.

Digestive problems: is it always a matter of nutrition?

Spasms in the gastrointestinal tract are an involuntary sharp contraction of smooth muscles, accompanied by a noticeable pain syndrome.Spasms are manifested primarily by pain in different parts of the stomach or intestines. Spasm of smooth muscles can be triggered by a variety of diseases: gastritis, colitis, diseases of the gallbladder and kidneys, etc. Therefore, with regular spasms, it is necessary to consult a specialist who will diagnose and prescribe treatment.

In the absence of serious problems, the cause of cramps in the stomach, as a rule, we rightly consider inaccuracies in the diet. However, the nature of cramps is varied and is not limited to poor nutrition.There is a catch phrase, which is known to many from childhood, that “all diseases are from the nerves.” So: in relation to stomach cramps, it is one hundred percent fair. Stress as a response of the human body to overexertion, negative emotions, or simply to monotonous fuss is one of the main causes of not only spasms, but also “accompanying” symptoms: heartburn and belching, constipation or diarrhea, flatulence or nausea.

Moreover, it is often stress that provokes inappropriate eating behavior, which leads to more serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which were mentioned above.

Stomach ache – heal your nerves!

Worry and anxiety, sadness and despondency, anger and anger – all these emotions hit the gastrointestinal tract as a target. And it is not surprising if the stomach or intestines react to nervous tension with spasms.

Why is this happening? The fact is that digestion is controlled by the nervous system. In a stressful situation, its work is disrupted, and manifests itself in the form of a failure between contraction and relaxation of muscles, including in the digestive tract, and therefore in the work of the glands responsible for digestion.The amount of gastric juice, bile, pancreatic enzymes (trypsin, lipase, etc.) also changes.

In addition, the brain gives a signal for the release of stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream, which also negatively affects the functioning of the digestive system, changing the amount of released enzymes, and therefore eating behavior. It is characteristic that these hormones act on different people in different ways: someone is completely deprived of appetite, while in someone, on the contrary, they cause overeating. As a result, some lose weight from experiences, while others “seize stress”, as a rule, high-calorie and far from healthy food.And here he is – a full “bouquet” of gastrointestinal disorders, including spasms.

How to solve digestive problems

Cramps, like any other problem, are always easier to prevent than to cure. And if the cause of this disorder is stress, then, no matter how trite it may sound, you need to minimize the factors that cause it. Feasible physical activity, allowing you to relieve nervous tension, massage, breathing and meditation, walking in the fresh air, engaging in your favorite hobby – there are many opportunities that help to maintain your state of mind.

Proper nutrition, of course, is the basis for the well-coordinated work of the gastrointestinal tract. A varied diet rich in nutrients the body needs, eating five times a day in small portions, adhering to a drinking regime (at least 1.5-2 liters of water per day), thoroughly chewing food are very simple principles that help to avoid unnecessary digestive problems. But fast food, snacks on the run, an abundance of fast carbohydrates in the diet (sweets, lemonade and alcohol, white bread) and animal fats are a direct path not only to cramps, but also to heaviness in the stomach, bloating and nausea.

If, nevertheless, stress made itself felt, the drug Gastroguttal® based on 4 medicinal herbs: valerian, belladonna, wormwood and mint will help to cope with it. Thanks to the optimally selected proportion of components, Gastroguttal® has a mild soothing effect. It helps to cope with the direct cause of digestive problems – stress, and eliminate discomfort in the stomach and intestines. Convenient form of release in the form of drops allows you not to make a mistake in the dosage. Gastroguttal® can be used both one-time and on the recommendation of a doctor in a course of 20 drops 2-3 times a day.

In case of a clear predisposition to diseases of the stomach and intestines, it is important to consult a doctor promptly. This will reduce the risk of developing serious diseases of the digestive system (liver, stomach, pancreas, etc.) and prevent the development of such dangerous diseases as stomach ulcers, gastroduodenitis, pancreatitis, etc.

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How to cure “diseases from nerves” : psychosomatics and digestive disorders

Zinovieva Evgeniya Nikolaevna

Chief physician, therapist, gastroenterologist, hepatologist of the highest category, Ph.M.Sc., associate professor

October 17, 2017

11.9 thousand views

Today we will talk about the “sore” topic: diseases on the “nervous soil”. Answer 3 simple questions, test yourself.

Have you noticed that:

• Severity, pain, abdominal cramps, nausea, bloating, stool disorders occur when you are stressed, upset or stressed?
• Symptoms of digestive disorders are not related to the nature of the diet – do you feel uncomfortable even when you follow a strict diet?
• In addition to digestive disorders, do you experience insecurity, anxiety for no reason, guilt, fatigue, sleep and appetite disorders, have your weight changed?

Have you answered yes to at least one? You are in the “company” of those who suffer from psychosomatics.There are 6-7 such patients out of every 10 at a gastroenterologist’s appointment.

Where does psychosomatics come from, or what really distinguishes us from animals?

When you are faced with a serious problem in work, relationships, your body, figuratively speaking, or prepares to fight when adrenaline “rolls over” and your heart is pounding. Or you want to run and hide. What is called the “fight or flight” reaction.

What kind of digestion can we talk about in such a stressful situation? The gastrointestinal tract is simply “turned off”.This is where the differences lie. After a fight, the animal hides in a secluded place and rests. The person continues to “fight” or “replay” the situation of defeat in his head. The body continues to work under stress. And diseases do not keep themselves waiting long.

What are the diseases of digestion “from the nerves”, and when is it time to see a doctor-psychotherapist?

Stress and nervous tension always affect the gastrointestinal tract. He is one of the first to be hit by stress – he is figuratively called the “sounding organ of emotions”.After all, the first emotions of man and animal were associated with the pleasure of eating. In turn, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are often accompanied by disorders in the psychoemotional sphere. Everything affects everything.

Therefore, if you suffer from:

• pain in the upper abdomen, stomach area, heaviness or cramps
• vomiting immediately after eating, not depending on the quality of food
• sensations of a “lump in the throat”, swallowing disorders, cramps esophagus
• bowel disorders – bloating, rumbling, constipation, diarrhea or their alternation, urge to defecate in an uncomfortable situation

I:

• go from one gastroenterologist to another, conducted a number of examinations, no changes were found, and no treatment result
• you feel better for a while, but all symptoms return during stress
• you see a connection between your physical symptoms and your emotional state, but you cannot understand how to cope with it
• you are depressed, you have a bad mood more months – contact a competent gastroenterologist and psychotherapist.

Remember: psychosomatics is a diagnosis of exclusion. There are “masks” of diseases, and first you need to make sure that there is no organic cause for the symptoms.

Why are nerve diseases dangerous?

• Stress due to poor health – you have to constantly control yourself, limit yourself, change your lifestyle, experience your difference from others.
• Loss of time and money – the patient goes to the doctors as if to work, but there is no result.
• Drug Side Effects – Lots of unnecessary drugs can make your health problems worse.
• Loss of motivation – the patient is disappointed, begins to think that he cannot be helped, may stop being treated at all.
• Relationships in the family deteriorate – loved ones are involved in all the “vicissitudes” of the disease.

How to help yourself – 7 quick tips for those who suffer from psychosomatic disorders

1. Change your attitude if you cannot change the situation.
2. Defend your boundaries and your opinions, don’t be a victim.
3. Try relaxation techniques and try to be quiet for at least 15 minutes a day.
4. Walk outdoors for at least half an hour a day.
5. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise, 3 times a week.
6. Try to eat healthy foods.
7. Do not use alcohol or drugs as a stress management tool.

And the last thing – contact a competent specialist to find a treatment.

What can we do?

• To exclude the organic nature of the disease with the help of a detailed examination, to make an accurate diagnosis.
• Find the psychological “roots” of the disease – with the help of a psychotherapist and psychosomatologist with over 20 years of experience.
• Work in a team. If necessary, narrow specialists – a gastroenterologist, a cardiologist, an endocrinologist – are involved in the examination and treatment.
• Choose treatment – both medication and psychotherapeutic.
• Recommend which techniques to use at home – your doctor will teach you how to deal with stress.
• Do not quit when you feel better – check every 3-6 months and monitor your condition.

In conclusion: an example of our work

About the intestines, difficult relationships in the family and complex treatment

Patient V., 31 years old. I went to the “EXPERT Clinic” with complaints of intense aching pains all over the abdomen, mushy stools up to 2 times a day, increased gas formation.

Over the past 3 years, the patient has been visited by more than a dozen gastroenterologists, twice in the past year she was hospitalized in an ambulance to surgery and an infectious diseases hospital with abdominal pain and diarrhea.Previously, she was examined in detail, infection and inflammation in the intestines were ruled out. The condition was regarded as irritable bowel syndrome, and standard treatment was prescribed. According to the patient, her condition did not improve, and she lost confidence in the doctors.

During the first conversation with the patient, the curator of the “EXPERT Clinic” drew attention to her excessive emotionality, colorful and detailed description of complaints with an emphasis on details. After careful questioning, the doctor established a link between the onset of the disease and problems in family relationships, which have persisted to this day.During the follow-up examination, no significant disorders in the state of the body were revealed. The patient was referred to a specialist in psychosomatic disorders. In parallel with the treatment of intestinal disorders, antidepressant treatment was prescribed and family counseling courses were provided.

During follow-up examinations of the patient, the state of her gastrointestinal tract and psychoemotional background stabilized. The conflict in the family is settled, the spouses are planning a pregnancy.

If the problem is not resolved, and the condition does not improve, despite repeated examinations and treatment, perhaps it is something else? Often, bodily illness is just a reflection of emotional problems.Don’t waste your time. Contact your specialist.

German experts: can you go blind from stress? | Culture and Lifestyle in Germany and Europe | DW

Emotional stress, especially prolonged stress, can lead to disorders of the nervous system, provoke a number of serious diseases.

Heart, stomach, back start to ache – many people know about these consequences of stress. But new research from Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg has shown that stress does not pass our eyes either.They already have to withstand the “attack” of computer displays, smartphones and TV screens, flying pollen and dust, and then also nervous tension … In this state, the level of the “stress hormone” cortisol rises, which, in particular, has a destructive effect on the visual apparatus.

This increases the risk of diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration (usually associated with age-related changes), optic neuropathy, scientists warn. It is important to understand that constant stress can be the root cause of partial or complete loss of vision.And this discovery should be taken very seriously, experts emphasize.

They advise to be attentive to your body and eyes, to find time for rest, to take long walks in the fresh air.

See also:

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Fragrant woodruff

  The stems with the flowers of this plant need to be pulled up in order to develop the characteristic flavor, familiar in Germany from the traditional drink “May Punch”, or ice cream of the Waldmeister variety.The emerald-colored infusion should be used with caution: no more than three grams of woodruff per liter of juice, wine or water. Otherwise headaches are provided. The plant has toxic properties.

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Nettle

  It doesn’t just burn. Nettle is considered a real storehouse of nutrients. Among them are vitamins A, C, E and mineral salts. It is better to collect it with gloves, but during processing, the stinging villi break.Therefore, you can safely use nettles – in a salad, soup or a refreshing smoothie.

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Meadow core

  It is fragile in appearance and unexpectedly tart in taste – the core of meadow. The plant has bactericidal properties. Used as a seasoning for soups and salads. In addition, the delicate pink flowers of the core are an excellent edible decoration for a wide variety of dishes.

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Petiolate garlic

  Petiolate or petiolate garlic blooms in May-June.Delicate green stems of a useful plant have a garlic smell. In food, the garlic, bitterish in taste, is best used fresh. When cooked, the bitter taste intensifies and becomes unpleasant.

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Wild herb salad

  Decorative, tasty, healthy: this vitamin salad can be made from yellow ash, garlic, meadow and budra core, known as dog mint.

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Dandelion

  This plant does not need much introduction. Vitamins of group A, B and C, as well as a high content of bitter substances make it an indispensable tonic, contributing to the rapid elimination of toxins from the body. Try making a salad with a handful of dandelion leaves for two weeks.

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Dandelion jelly

  … or prepare a fragrant jelly: pour 300-500 grams of flowers and a couple of lemon slices with a liter of water, simmer for 45 minutes, strain.Mix the liquid with sugar and bring to a boil. Done!

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Runny

  She is reputed to be the storm of gardeners and the number one weed! Meanwhile, the common snake is rich in vitamins A and C, carotene, calcium and zinc. Expert advice: eat this delicious herb more often.

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Knedli in a new way

  Favorite dumplings of the Germans this time – with herbs.Well suited for this dish are dry, meadow core and nettle. Ready-made dumplings should be drizzled with melted butter, sprinkled with grated cheese and served with freshly picked herb salad.

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Ramsons

  This lady of forest herbs is also called bear onion or wild garlic. Where wild garlic blooms, the air is filled with a spicy aroma. It helps regulate blood pressure and is considered anti-inflammatory and expectorant when eaten raw.When collecting, be careful for the following reason …

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Poisonous twin

  Wild garlic has a twin – lily of the valley. And all would be fine, but it is not recommended to confuse them in any way: lily of the valley is a poisonous plant. The eyes do not help, be guided by the smell: a characteristic garlic aroma emanates from the wild garlic.

• Tasty and healthy: edible weeds

  Taking care of nature

  During the flowering season, wild garlic forms a real flower carpet in the forest.Wild garlic flowers are also eaten, like leaves. Just collecting it, do not forget about the future spring and collect, therefore, not all cleaned up …

  Author: Inga Vanner

90,000 Ischemic heart disease

Ischemic heart disease
heart disease (CAD) is a condition in which the blood supply to the heart is impaired due to narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries. Insufficient blood supply and oxygen supply can lead to the development of myocardial infarction, reduces the quality of life due to painful attacks.

The most common cause of reduced blood supply to the heart is coronary atherosclerosis. The arteries of the heart can narrow due to deposits called atherosclerotic plaques. Reduced blood flow is a delivery problem – your heart is not getting enough oxygenated blood.

You may wonder why you do not feel angina all the time, because your heart arteries are narrowed by fatty deposits. This is due to the fact that during low oxygen consumption – for example, at rest – the heart muscle can cope with its work with a reduced blood supply to the heart without causing angina symptoms.But when you put more stress on your heart, your oxygen demand increases, which can be accompanied by symptoms of angina.

Symptoms:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Pain radiating to the arm, neck, jaw, shoulder or
  back
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Dizziness

Patients with angina pectoris may describe pain in
chest as pressing, squeezing in the center of the chest.Sometimes people
describe angina as “the chest is in a grip” or “the feeling of something
heavy, pressing on the chest. “In some cases, the sensation may be similar to indigestion.

Exertional angina (stable angina) – the most
a frequent form of angina pectoris. Typically occurs with physical exertion and
passes at rest. When you climb stairs, exercise, or walk, your heart requires more blood, but it’s difficult for your heart muscle to get enough blood when your arteries are narrowed.Emotional stress, cold temperatures, overeating or smoking can also cause narrowing of the arteries and angina pectoris.

Signs of exertional angina:

• Symptoms occur when your heart works
  more intense, such as when you exercise or climb stairs
• Pain can usually be predicted and
  similar to previous manifestations of chest pain
• Lasts a short time, possibly about 5
  minutes or less
• Disappears soon after the load stops or
  using your antianginal drugs (such as nitroglycerin).

Unstable angina is a worsening that does not go away at rest or with your usual medication. If the blood supply does not improve, the heart muscle, deprived of oxygen, dies – a myocardial infarction occurs. Unstable angina is dangerous and requires urgent medical attention. When fatty deposits (plaques) rupture and a clot (thrombus) forms, it blocks or decreases blood flow through the narrowed artery, suddenly and significantly reducing the blood supply to the heart.Unstable angina can also be caused by blood clots that partially or completely block blood flow through the vessels of the heart.

• Symptoms onset at rest
• Change in usual manifestation of angina
• Sudden onset
• Usually more intense and lasts longer than
  stable angina, may last up to 30 minutes
• May persist after physical
  load or after the use of antianginal drugs
• May indicate myocardial infarction

Angina in women

Symptoms of angina pectoris in women may differ from
its classical manifestation.For example, women often experience symptoms such as
like nausea, shortness of breath, abdominal pain or severe fatigue, which can
accompanied or not accompanied by chest pain. Also a woman can
feel discomfort in your neck, jaw, or back. In addition, chest pain may be aching rather than constricting. Differences in manifestations may cause
delays in diagnosis and appropriate medical care.

Variant angina

Variant angina, also called angina
Prinzmetal, occurs as a result of a spasm of the coronary artery, which is temporarily
narrows.This narrowing reduces the blood supply to the heart, causing chest pain.
cage. Variant angina pectoris can occur even at rest and is usually
intense. Can be treated with medication.

Risk factors

Chewing tobacco, smoking, and long-term secondhand smoke damage the inner wall of your arteries, including the arteries of your heart, contributing to the deposition of cholesterol and blockage of the arteries.

Diabetes is the inability of your body to make enough insulin or to respond correctly to the action of insulin.Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, allows the body to utilize glucose from food. Diabetes increases the risk of coronary heart disease, which leads to angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, accelerating atherosclerosis.

Blood pressure

Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood ejected by the heart and the vascular resistance. Over time, high pressure in the arteries damages them.

High cholesterol or triglyceride levels

Cholesterol is a major constituent of atherosclerotic plaque, which can narrow the vessels in your body, including those that supply your heart.High levels of “bad” cholesterol, known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, increase your risk of angina and myocardial infarction. High triglycerides, a type of blood lipid associated with your diet, are also undesirable.

Medical history

If you have coronary heart disease or have had a myocardial infarction, you are at high risk of developing angina pectoris.

Obesity increases the risk of angina and heart disease because it is associated with high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.In addition, your heart must work harder to deliver blood to excess tissue.

Sedentary lifestyle

A sedentary lifestyle contributes to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and obesity. However, it is imperative to consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.

The risk of developing coronary artery disease increases in men over 45 and women over 55.

Stress can increase the risk of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.Excess stress as well as anger can lead to high blood pressure. The surges of hormones produced during stress can narrow the arteries and trigger angina pectoris.

Treatment

There are many treatment options for angina pectoris. Treatment goals are to reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms and reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and death. If you notice symptoms of unstable angina or
angina pain that is different from what you have experienced before, it is necessary immediately
see a doctor.

For mild angina pectoris, it may be sufficient
lifestyle changes and reduction of risk factors. If this is not enough, your cardiologist will prescribe medication for you. In the case of drug ineffectiveness, surgical interventions such as angioplasty, stenting and
coronary artery bypass grafting to reduce the symptoms of angina pectoris.

90,000 Five signs that you are stressed at work

In this article, we’ll show you how to distinguish real work stress from imaginary stress using five surefire signs.Abbott *, an international company that has been researching and manufacturing drugs since 1900, helped us in preparing the material.

It may seem strange, but in science there is no single and generally accepted definition of stress. It is often said that stress is the body’s response to irritating stimuli, and in a broad sense, it is generally a reaction to novelty.

At the same time, the body needs some level of stress in order to maintain a comfortable psychological state. This can be seen from the so-called stress curve – it shows where the well-known “comfort zone” begins and ends.If the stress level is too high, the body has to overcome it, be it a human or a grape snail.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4383502/

It is customary to distinguish two forms of stress management. The first is to improve predictability by changing the environment. If the level of stress in a situation goes off scale, then it is quite natural to want to get away from this situation. For example, lock yourself in a room and not leave until Monday comes.Having this urge every weekend is a clear indication that you are spending the rest of the week away from the psychological norm.

We inherited such reactions from our evolutionary ancestors. They were not stressed by working with a broken printer, but rather by meeting someone like a leopard on a nearby branch. Therefore, the reaction to escape from stress is not a sign of weakness, but rather an indication that the situation is already plunging you into too much stress – and you do not have the moral strength to fight it.Perhaps it is worth moving away not from a stressful situation, but from the cause that regularly causes it.

You can increase the level of predictability not only by passive withdrawal, but also by influencing the situation itself – this is called the struggle for control. In this way, you not only increase the predictability of events, but also benefit from the situation, forcing the circumstances to act according to your will. The successful struggle for control leads to an increase in social status not only in humans, but also in animals.

The problem is that at work there are a lot of situations when it is impossible to increase the degree of control for objective reasons. What does our cunning brain offer in this case? Increase control in a situation that has nothing to do with stress!

Some researchers believe that this is where the popularity of gyms or computer games as a means of dealing with stress, and even anti-stress toys, grows. Banal manipulations with an “obedient” object (spinners, slimes, and so on) can actually serve as an effective tool for relieving stress.

This behavior has been well studied in animals in zoos – they, too, in a stressful situation can perform meaningless repetitive actions. Constant brushing or walking from corner to corner can be a sign of pet stress. Such actions are called stereotypes.

Sometimes stereotypy begins to show an unhealthy character not only in animals, but also in humans. If your work is accompanied by constant pushing of a button on a fountain pen, tossing a pencil, or, even worse, non-stop pacing around the office, you should consider whether you feel comfortable enough on it.

Results of the hh.ru poll in July 2017. The number of respondents is 11,545 people.

A state where novelty and incentives are completely absent is also stressful. It is called “hypostress”, as opposed to “distress” that occurs when too much exposure is used. In the picture, this state is at the other end of the curve – from there to the optimum, just as far away as in “classic” stress.

You cannot die of hypostress, but you can earn psychological and even physiological problems.Depression, lethargy, frustration, bad mood – all this can accompany hypostress. Some people think that a dream job is one where you can sit all day and do nothing. Obviously, this is a direct road to hypostress.

It is widely believed that stress is a purely psychological phenomenon and does not affect human morbidity in any way. It is not true. If short-term stress can be useful and motivate to take action, then long-term and constant stress affects health in the most negative way.

Any experience has a physiological basis. In the case of stress, several specific hormones are usually released, the production of which is increased during the corresponding experiences. The most famous stress hormone is cortisol.

The bad news is that cortisol lowers a person’s immune defenses, so the chances of catching a cold or other viral disease increase during times of stress. If you get sick more often than usual, it may not be due to the draft in the workplace, but to increased stress levels.

On the other hand, if you sneeze a couple of times and feel weak, you should not immediately think: “Okay, now I’m definitely ill. Not in vain did my mother say, don’t sit under the window. ” At this point, you yourself provoke stress by increasing the production of cortisol, which prevents your immune system from responding to an encounter with a pathogen. Do not worry about trifles until the symptoms become too obvious or until the body can cope on its own.

Stress has a detrimental effect not only on the nervous system, but also on the digestive system.The influence of stress on the occurrence of digestive problems was proved by Ivan Petrovich Pavlov in his famous experiments on dogs. In humans, stress can cause heartburn, gastritis, esophagitis, irritable bowel, and other diseases of the digestive tract.

Poor digestion threatens not only with “delicate problems”, but also bad mood, communication difficulties, sleep problems, lack of sleep and, as a result, even more stress. Once in such a loop, it is important to seek medical attention in time and act on symptoms, reducing the additional stress level in order to return to normal.

It is helpful to have medicines on hand to help combat the negative effects of stress. Headache pills or heartburn remedies are well known and often found in folk medicine kits. Irritable gut, another common occurrence in stress, is less well known.

If every morning begins with unpleasant sensations in the lower abdomen, pains, cramps constantly occur, you want to go to the toilet, and during the day the attacks are replaced only by temporary relief – this indicates an irritable bowel.There are also medications for this disease. At Abbott, this is Duspatalin® 135 mg tablets. It fights a complex of irritable bowel symptoms (abdominal pain and cramps, bloating, stool disturbance) and helps restore bowel function.

It is important to remember that you can only get rid of the original cause of stress by yourself. Try to increase control over it in a stressful situation – this is the most profitable way to deal with it. If there is no other way out, perhaps the best way is to change the environment.Whatever one may say, but health is more important than career.

* Abbott – Abbott. RUD135182536, 19.09.18

Panic disorder

Panic is a natural reaction of the human psyche and the whole body to stress, at these moments various protective adaptive functions are mobilized (release of stimulating substances into the blood, for example, adrenaline, stress hormones), which, according to idea, should help to cope with the difficulties that have arisen. But in situations where mental activity at least in some way does not correspond to the norm, especially with regard to mood disorders, the presence in the structure of the personality of increased anxiety as a character trait, instead of simply giving strength to solve a difficult situation, an excess of exciting, stimulating substances in the blood creates the very reaction of anxiety or panic, which not only does not help, but itself becomes.

According to the international classification of diseases, panic disorders are referred to as neurotic, i.e. are part of a group of painful conditions closely related to external factors, in which painful manifestations arise only in connection with some specific circumstances, while the self-consciousness of the individual does not change, and the distinctive feature is the awareness of the disease or painful manifestations.

The mechanism of occurrence of panic disorder is quite complex and includes a number of factors.First of all, this is an increase in the content of adrenaline, serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the blood due to the release of these substances by the adrenal glands and some structures of the brain, for example, the so-called. “Blue spot”. It is the high level of neurotransmitters that is the immediate cause that causes anxiety, fear, palpitations, feeling short of breath and other unpleasant bodily sensations.

The second important factor in the onset of panic disorder is a hereditary predisposition.There is evidence of direct transmission of the disease from generation to generation. The frequency of direct inheritance is approximately 15-17%. And in identical twins, the likelihood of panic disorder, in the presence of this disease in one of them, is 80-90%.

In addition to the above reasons for the occurrence of a panic attack, which can be combined as biological theories, there are psychoanalytic and behavioral concepts of the occurrence of such conditions.Psychoanalysts interpret phobias in panic disorders as the fear of a panic attack in a specific and hopeless, from the patient’s point of view, situation. An essential role in psychoanalytic theory is played by the panic reactions of children to parting with their parents.

Behavioral theories assume that anxiety states (including panic disorder) are associated with the interaction of the individual and society. At the same time, the main importance is attached to the “fixed error” of a person who has experienced an attack of panic – the assumption that the resulting heartbeat, a feeling of suffocation, are harbingers of death from somatic pathology.

Panic disorder usually develops in response to several factors described above.

Panic disorders are more common between the ages of 25 and 64, with the incidence among women 3-4 times higher than among men. The prevalence of panic disorders among the general population is from 2 to 5%, that is, they occur about 2-5 times more often than endogenous diseases (schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis)

A panic attack usually occurs:

– against the background of a difficult stressful situation (at the height of the conflict, experiencing a catastrophe, loss of a loved one)

– some biological factors (hormonal changes, the onset of sexual activity, abortion, taking hormonal drugs)

– factors of external influence on the body (taking alcohol or drugs, prolonged exposure to the sun, heavy physical activity).

A panic attack can occur in the absence of emotional or physical stress in everyday life. Symptoms of a panic attack occur unexpectedly, the attack usually develops quickly, reaching a maximum in 10 minutes, and its total duration is approximately 20-30 minutes.

A person begins to feel difficulty breathing, with shortness of breath, trying to “breathe”, he begins to take increased breaths, which lead to excessive saturation of blood cells with oxygen, which, in turn, causes a reflex holding of breath.Thus, a vicious circle is created. the initial feeling of lack of air causes fear, and the reflex holding of breath becomes doubly frightening. In parallel with this, there is discomfort and pain in the chest, palpitations, pulsation, “heart sinking”. Feelings of nausea are possible, vomiting, abdominal pain may occur. Typically, dizziness, sweating, chills or fever, discomfort in the body, profuse urination, or loose stools appear. Objectively, the complexion may change with redness or pallor, the pulse rate increases, blood pressure rises.Often, during a medical examination, the severity of all these phenomena does not correspond to subjective sensations and experiences that seem catastrophic, “on the verge of life and death.”

Naturally, such attacks (also called vegetative) cause fear, a sense of disaster, fear of death, heart attack, stroke. A person cannot analyze his condition, because he is overwhelmed with horror, something incredible is happening to him, which he cannot explain to himself. After the crisis experienced, there is a feeling of depression, despair, self-pity.Often, many experience a feeling of a lump in the throat, numbness or weakness in the arms and legs, or, on the contrary, discomfort in the body, a feeling of “twisting” of the limbs. Sometimes these states are accompanied by a feeling of unreality of the environment, some kind of remoteness, as in a dream.

Finding no obvious reason for unexpected panic attacks and vegetative crises, many people with panic disorder jump to the conclusion that they have a serious medical condition, such as coronary artery disease, stroke, brain tumor, or the onset of insanity.It is often difficult to convince them otherwise.

Panic attacks suffered several times give rise to fear of recurrence of these conditions, the so-called. “Waiting anxiety”. Remembering the circumstances of the occurrence of previous attacks, people tend to avoid similar situations, limit themselves in movement, sometimes reaching complete isolation and avoidance of public places, movement by public transport, as a result, such people are simply under house arrest. All movements take place only when accompanied by relatives.If the attack first occurs at home, they are afraid to be alone at home.

Child’s stress and how to avoid it

What is stress

Stress is a non-specific response of the body to any demands placed on it. It is the reaction of the nervous system to a variety of physical, mental and emotional stimuli.

Stress itself is important in terms of human evolution and survival.But do not confuse this type of stress with chronic stress, which can be the root cause of a number of physical and mental illnesses.

We are accustomed to the fact that stress is a phenomenon of the adult world. But today, children bear a huge burden of responsibilities – school homework, important tests, preparation for which takes place in a mode of intimidation from teachers and, at times, parents, the need to comply with the imposed standards for academic performance, and much more. In a state of constant pressure, children are also stressed.

Symptoms are sometimes mild, so it is important to be considerate of your child to avoid chronic stress.

In this article, we will look at how stress is dangerous and what are the causes of its occurrence. We will also try to figure out how to help children who are already under stress.

Stages of stress

Stress does not manifest itself immediately, but consists of three stages, which manifest themselves progressively.

1. Primary anxiety (at this stage, children often withdraw into themselves, experiencing unusual melancholy and anxiety, physical changes do not yet affect the child, but distrust towards the people around them appears).

2. Period of resistance (at this time, the child’s psyche resists the stress experienced, tries to supplant memories of a bad event, which is accompanied by a feeling of constant fatigue).

3. Exhaustion (moral exhaustion from stress turns into physical, aggression or apathy is caused by the fact that the nervous system ceases to control emotions).

Each stage is characterized by an increasingly depressed emotional state, and prolonged stress can eventually turn into depression.

Causes of child stress

The most common sources of stress for children are school and social problems:

– Moving and parting with loved ones

– Divorce of parents

– Parental neglect (real or imaginary)

– Constant reproaches from parents, close relatives or teachers

– Bullying (bullying by peers)

– Abrupt change of regime or daily routine

– Start and end of the academic year

– Exams and preparation for them

– Passionate about aggressive computer games

– Lack of important vitamins and minerals (determined by the attending physician based on a series of tests)

Stress can occur even in children under one year old.For its reason, it is enough to change the diet, the mother goes to work, goes to a nursery school, kindergarten, the appearance of a nanny, a strong fear or a long illness, as well as a quarrel between parents.

Signs of stress in children

It is very important to recognize stress early and not ignore its signs. Stress in children can be identified by a number of symptoms:

– Frequent mood swings

– Aggression

– Violation of sleep

– Enuresis

– Falling into childhood (a child of seven years old can begin to behave like a baby – suck a finger, eat from a spoon only with the help of parents, etc.)etc.)

– Frequent headaches, abdominal pains and other physical discomfort

– Decreased concentration and falling academic performance

– Closedness

– Nightmares and Phobias

– The desire to control everything

– Escape from reality (avoiding encounters with unpleasant people and situations, simulating illnesses against this background)

In babies, bad habits can be added to these dangerous signs – thumb sucking, nail biting, gratuitous nose picking, etc.For older children, this is often an inadequate aggressive reaction.

Consequences of stress in a child

How does stress affect a child? Under the influence of stress, the risk of cardiovascular diseases increases by 4 times. Various chronic diseases are aggravated, self-control worsens.

Chronic childhood stress can trigger a number of different mental illnesses in adulthood. After all, most disorders in adults are associated with childhood phobias and psychological trauma.

Treatment of stress in children

How can a child cope with stress? A child will not be able to cope with stress on his own. Help from parents and professionals is a must. Treatment is varied, depending on the condition of the child and the capabilities of the parents.

Help from the parents themselves . You can start by tracking down and eliminating the source of your stress. Become a support for your child, give him the confidence to support him in any situation.Allow him to vent his emotions. Discuss his experiences together. Raise his self-esteem. With young children, work through stressful situations through play.

Therapist . If the parents have eliminated all stressful sources, but the child is already at the “point of no return”, you should contact your attending physician, who will give directions for various examinations of the body and, most likely, will refer you to a neurologist or psychologist.

Psychotherapy .If you’ve made it to this stage, don’t worry. A psychologist and even a child psychiatrist will not put an end to your child’s future, but will only help him get out of this situation with minimal losses to health. The help of a psychiatrist is not necessarily medication that will simply relieve the symptoms that are currently troubling. In any case, a new regimen will be recommended, which will prevent further stress.

Physiotherapy . As supportive procedures, the doctor may prescribe massages, swimming, taking therapeutic baths, and dietary meals.

Prevention of stress in children

It is very important to develop resistance to stress. The best prevention of stress in children is regular rest, a healthy regimen, and physical education.

Sleep hygiene must be observed – let the child go to bed and wake up at the same time; you should not go to bed in an overexcited or upset state; you need to sleep a sufficient number of hours and continuously; before bed, you can take a cool or warm shower to relax the body; not reading or playing in bed, especially before bed; limit computer games and exercise in the evening.

One of the most important components is physical activity. It helps children to increase their resistance to stress and relieves unnecessary emotional stress. Try to include various workouts in your child’s life at least 3 times a week for 30-40 minutes. There can be a lot of options, the most popular and affordable – walking in the fresh air (especially in the forest and park), swimming in the pool, cycling, dancing, etc. Also, yoga classes for children are becoming popular, which will help strengthen the musculoskeletal system, improve stretching and posture.The most important thing is to make your classes regular.

Another component of stress prevention is a balanced diet, which contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

If the mother is happy and calm, the child will most likely also be in a state of harmony. The child’s behavior model is primarily copied from his family. Take a close look at yourself before sounding the alarm and taking your child to a specialist.

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