Digestion and gut: how to help your stomach with irritable bowel syndrome caused by constant stress at work?

Irritable bowel syndrome has become a true occupational disease for many mental workers. Constant overtime, responsibility for releases, and complex team communications cause severe stress. The brain and the gut are interconnected by a powerful enteric nervous system, which is often called the second brain.

When a person experiences stress, stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are produced in the body. They directly affect the motility of the gastrointestinal tract, causing either spasms and constipation, or conversely, accelerated food transit and diarrhea. As a result, even the healthiest and most familiar food begins to be poorly absorbed, causing discomfort and abdominal pain.

To improve the condition with irritable bowel syndrome, an integrated approach is needed, including not only diet correction, but also working with the emotional state. It is important to minimize the consumption of products that additionally irritate the mucous membrane, such as strong coffee, hot spices, and alcohol.

Simple tension regulation rules will help reduce the level of intestinal discomfort.