2014-09-03 17:15:00
Bloating, pain and transit disorders, are the lot, alas too daily, of millions of French people, in particular those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The intestine is also home to 100,000 billion bacteria with which the intestinal cells constantly communicate. Discover what factors can stress the belly.
Stress: why do I always have a swollen or painful stomach?
Stress has physical effects on our body. Muscle tension, sleep disorders, migraines, dizziness, fatigue, change in appetite, but also digestive and intestinal disorders such as bloating, difficult digestion, abdominal pain, diarrhea or, on the contrary, constipation.
“Stress leads to acetylcholine production, a neurotransmitter”, says Professor Francisca Joly Gomez, gastroenterologist. “This signal, emitted in the brain, passes through the vagus nerve and stimulates the intestinal neurons. These then give the order to the intestine to contract, which speed up transit“.
That’s why stage fright before an important event makes us run to the bathroom! In stressful conditions, the pains are activated, stools become more frequent and waterythis without there being any connection with food, and whether or not one suffers from an intestinal disease.
This also explains why some people respond well to relaxation and hypnosis. And others solutions exist to reduce the physical effects of stress, such as bloatingthe stomach ache…
Transit Disorders and Vacation-Related Changes: The Link
Changes in location, rhythm, food… vacation can generate transit disorders. You can contract a turista abroad, but you can also be sick without going far.
“In summer, we eat more salads of raw vegetables and of raw fruit than usual”, explains Julie Delorme, dietitian. “This can lead to bloatingand in some, diarrhoea”.
In addition, eating at different times is not a problem, “the main thing is to eat when you are hungry, slowly, and to chew well”, notes Professor Joly Gomez.
Jet lag
“A discrepancy that leads to snacking, eating without hunger and throughout the day, can disrupt the functioning of the intestine”, explains Francisca Joly Gomez. If you compensate for your fatigue by drinking more coffee than usual, you should know that the caffeine also has a laxative effect. To limit transit problems on vacation or when you change time zones, some reflexes are to be taken.
Antibiotics weaken the intestinal flora in the long term
“Taking antibiotics disturbs the intestinal flora and can lead to the emergence of pathogenic bacteria including Clostridium difficile, causing colitis and diarrhea”, warns Professor Joly Gomez.
And that’s not all. We know that to protect against intestinal or metabolic diseases such as obesity, it is better to have a diversified intestinal flora. According to Pr Patrick Berche, director of the Institut Pasteur de Lille, the risk of inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract is related to the number of courses of antibiotics. And antibiotic therapy in the first months of life leads to overweight.
To protect their intestinal flora from the effects of antibiotics, some people take probiotics which can be found in capsule form or in certain food products (yogurt, kefir, etc.).
Experts advise to avoid the prescription of antibiotics before the age of two or three yearsbecause the intestinal flora is formed during the first years of life.
Bad lifestyle habits cause constipation and pain
Constipation is clearly associated with a lack of physical activity in a “dose dependent” manner. In other words, the less you move, the more likely you are to be constipated, the natural intestinal spasms that allow you to evacuate the stool no longer being done, and this regardless of age.
Belly constantly swollen when I eat or after the meal
Saliva contains enzymes that aid digestion, and stomach problems are more common among those who eat quickly. Finally, sometimes you can’t go to the toilet when you want to. “However, there are times to have a bowel movement, a gastrocolic reflex stimulates the colon. Not respecting this physiology can induce a constipation”says Professor Joly Gomez.
This is why, to promote good digestion, certain gestures can help: you have to take the time to masticateof eat slowly, calmly, to avoid having meals in front of screens…
Excess sugar-free chewing gum causes bloating, diarrhea, pain…
In these products, the sugar is often replaced by sorbitol, a compound of the polyol family. These can, in the colon, cause fermentation causing bloating, of the painsmore rarely, diarrhea. It is then necessary to consume a lot: from 20 to 30 per day, according to scientific studies!
The impact of smoking and quitting smoking on the intestines
Nicotine has a laxative effect because it stimulates the muscles of the intestine, favoring their contraction and the elimination of the food bolus. “Many smokers use tobacco as a method of regulating transit. In smokers, the intestine also becomes dependent on nicotine to function”, indicates Tobacco Info Service (Source 1).
“The best way to fix it is to to drink a lot of water (preferably rich in magnesium), increase physical activity and of consume fiber from fruits and vegetables. Choose whole grains (bread, pasta, brown rice), add wheat bran to your dishes. You can also take some dried fruits in the morning (prunes, figs, dried apricots).
When you stop smoking, constipation problems can arise. Also, those who quit smoking may experience episodes of constipation.
The relationship between tobacco and the belly is more complex in people suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel diseases: if tobacco promotes and aggravates Crohn’s disease, it protects and improves the course of ulcerative colitis, probably by influencing on immune responses.
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