Acid Reflux / Stomach Issues and Stress

by Dr. Elle Hutchins

Most of us experience stomach upset from time to time, and most of experience stress, so it should not come as a surprise that stress, especially chronic stress can have an adverse impact on our digestive system. Understanding how stress works can help us dig deeper into the causes of our stomach upset and how this impacts acid reflux, and because we understand, we can take steps to make ourselves feel better.

What is Stress

Stress, is your body’s response to overwhelming physical, emotional, spiritual, or situational input. Stress can be positive, like visitors coming to stay for the holidays, getting ready for a really great job interview, or preparing to go on vacation. Stress can also be negative like prolonged loud music, flickering lights, paying the bills, finding out there is not as much in the bank as you needed there to be, grief, a loud or unstable environment, or even exercise without proper nutrition, or adequate stretching. Anxiety is a form of stress, and depression can cause or result from stress as illness. Finally, Stress can be described as short term or Acute, and long term or Chronic. Basically modern life is full of both acute and chronic, internal and external triggers for stress!

Whether stress come from internal or external sources, perceived danger or threats, or anywhere else, stress has very specific affects on the body. Stress causes our body to release hormones and neurotransmitters, some of which are called cortisol, and these chemicals cause our pupils to dilate, our heart rate to increase, our blood pressure to rise because our body is moving to prepare us for sudden, swift and powerful action rather than maintenance tasks like digestion, removing waste, healing and repairing tissues. The brain focuses energy away from careful logic and deep thought processes to reaction oriented impulses, quick action, vs. contemplation and organized evaluation. The brain even tricks itself into letting you believe you are taking all the information in for evaluation, but the brain is creating shortcuts, so you cannot perceive the shortcuts in thinking.

Stress

• Moves Blood in the muscles favoring quick motion over tissue healing and regeneration

• Moves Blood out of the digestive system into the muscles

• Focuses on getting oxygen to the muscles, rather than getting rid of toxins

• Usually pain sensitivity is dcreased

• Body awareness is decreased in favor of environmental hyperawareness

• Brain function changes to move blood out of the centers focused on deep thought formulation into quicker emotional based thinking.

• Your brain protects you from “having to think too much” by processing your thoughts in the emotional centers of the brain, and making this feel like you are being perfectly calm and rational.

What is Acid Reflux

Everyone gets Acid Reflux from time to time. That burning feeling when you have eaten too much, or indulged in a number of heavy fatty foods and then you felt a burning sensation in your throat or in your chest, that is acid reflux. Both the Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic have great explainations and diagrams. Sometimes Acid Reflux is also called Heart Burn. If you feel a burning in the back of your throat or in your chest, at night, during the day, after eating fried food, foods high in fat, or coffee, it is a good idea to check in with your doctor. Acid Reflux over time can erode or create scar tissue which often leads to more problems, including cancer. Acid Reflux is easily treatable with western medicine. (Eastern and Aurevedic and Alternative Medicine can in some cases treat but not eliminate Acid Reflux or the damage to the Esophogeal tissue.

The Relationship between Stress and Acid Reflux

Research shows that while chronic stress absolutely affects blood pressure and negatively affects the body, including the gastrointestinal system, people who have acid reflux tend to not notice more reflux pain during acute stress. Additionally people who have both Acid Reflux and who also experience chronic stress may either be so used to feeling that both the experience and the treatment are difficult for people to notice, people with Acid Reflux and esophogeal erosion tend to dissociate from this pain making actual improvements in treatment seem like nothing happens and nothing changes.

Stress absolutely causes havoc on the digestive system. Stress absolutely impacts our bodies, multiple studies over many years corroborate this, so whether you just have “a nervous stomach” or have lesions in your digestive system, stress causes problems. However, it is good to note that stress does not increase stomach acid. This is an important distinction because it means, when you feel stressed and you feel stomach discomfort, reaching for an antacid could make you feel better because of the peppermint, or because of the placebo effect, but not because it is actually making you feel better. This is good news because it means that some simple lifestyle hacks can make a profound difference. Maybe you cannot change how much acid you create, but you can change what you input into your digestive system, and how you choose to manage yourself.

The Mind Body Connection

Self Care

• See your doctor regularly

• Pay attention to foods that cause indigestion and limit these. Specifically: ultra refined or ultra processed foods, coffee, tea, sugars and grains.

• Drink plenty of water and make sure you are getting at least 22 and 35 mg of fiber per day, of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

Alternative Therapies

Vinegar

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Peppermint, Peppermint Oil, Digest Zen, Licorice Oil

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Licorice,

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Musciligineous Herbs, Okra, Fennel Seed, Fennel Oil

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Adaptogenic Herbs

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Essential Oils and Herbs that Sedate: Lavender, Lynden, etc

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Digestion Aids such as enzymes, Bentonite Clay, Activated Charcoal, Baking Soda

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Biofeedback, Hypnosis, Meditation,

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Diet and Exercise

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Acupuncture, Acupressure, Reflexology, Massage, and other Treatments

References *

Bakhru., H. K. (2017). Diet Cure for Common Ailments. Jaico Publishing House: Pushapati Printers. India, Dehli. ISBN 81-7224-072-4

Bakhru, Hk.K. (2016). The Complete Handbook of Nature Cure. Jaico Publishing House. India, Mumbai. ISBN 81-7224-229-8.

Better Help. (December 1, 2023). What are Stress Hormones? Understanding How Stress Affects Your Life. Retrieved December 8, 2023 from https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/stress/what-are-stress-hormones-and-how-do-they-affect-you/

Bhatia, V., & Tandon, R. K. (2005). Stress and the gastrointestinal tract. Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology, 20(3), 332-339.

Bradley, L. A., Richter, J. E., Pulliam, T. J., Haile, J. M., Scarinci, I. C., Schan, C. A., ... & Salley, A. N. (1993). The relationship between stress and symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux: the influence of psychological factors. American Journal of Gastroenterology (Springer Nature), 88(1).

Cleveland Clinic. (March 14, 2023). How Much Fiber You Need And Why It Matters. Retrieved December 8, 2023 from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/fiber.

Cleveland Clinic. (September 28, 2023). Acid Reflux and GERD. Retrieved December 8, 2023 from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17019-acid-reflux-gerd.

Feinstein, A. (2010). Nutri-Cures: Foods & Supplements That Work With Your Body to Relieve Symptoms and Speed Healing. Rodale Press:USA. ISBN 13 978-1-60529-901-3

Healthline. (May 30, 2023). How Much Fiber Per Day? Retrieved December 8, 2023 from https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/how-much-fiber-per-day.

Mayo Clinic. (January 4, 2023).Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Retrieved December 8, 2023. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/symptoms-causes/syc-20361940

Mayo Clinic. (November 23, 2023). Nutrition and Healthy Eating. Retrieved December 8, 2023 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/high-fiber-foods/art-20050948.

Mayo Clinic. (November 4, 2022). Dietary Fiber, Essential for a Healthy Diet. Retrieved December 8, 2023 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983

Petitto, M. (2020). Adaptogens: A Directory of Over 70 Healing Herbs for Energy, Stress Relief, Beauty and Overall Well Being. Quarto Publishing Group: Chartwell Books. Singapore. ISBN 978-0-7858-3847-0.

Srilakshmi, B. (2014). Dietetics 7th Ed. New Age International Limited, Publishers. New Dehli. ISBN 978-81-224-3500-9.

World Health Organization. (February 21, 2023). Stress. Retrieved December 8, 2023 from https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/stress.

Wright, C. E., Ebrecht, M., Mitchell, R., Anggiansah, A., & Weinman, J. (2005). The effect of psychological stress on symptom severity and perception in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux. Journal of psychosomatic research, 59(6), 415-424.

*References retrieved from the internet deviate from APA formatting to allow the user to follow up on information more easily.