By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
(Health day)
THURSDAY, Nov. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Stress affects gut health and intensifies pain, which, for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), can make traveling to see family during the week Christmas season unbearable.
“People living with IBS often report that the holidays are especially stressful, beyond the typical holiday stress that most people report having,” said Tiffany Taft, a medical social scientist and clinical psychologist with Northwestern Medicine, in Chicago.
For the 15% of Americans living with IBS, Taft offered some advice as they gather for the season.
“Stress directly affects IBS through the gut-brain axis, which includes parts of the brain that are part of the body’s fight-flight-freeze response,” he said. “Stress can amplify pain, alter gut motility—either speed up or slow down, depending on the person—and change the composition of the gut microbiome.”
That can make the symptoms more severe. For some, that may mean more frequent trips to the bathroom. For others, it may mean less than usual. Symptoms may include increased stomach pain and cramps, bloating, and an increased urge to go to the bathroom.
Taft said the holidays can create stress because some people have family members who don’t understand or support SII. They may worry or be anxious to request changes to the holiday menu due to dietary needs.
Instead of having an unpleasant conversation, the person with IBS can eat foods that don’t agree with them, Taft said.
In addition, he noted that “travel can be stressful for patients, including worrying about having symptoms while flying or driving long distances. In short, vacations can highlight a person’s IBS, and the strategies the person may have to manage IBS symptoms can be compromised, which can become incredibly stressful.”
If you have IBS and are stressed about travel, practice relaxation strategies beforehand, she advised.
Your body will offer physical cues that you’re feeling stressed, such as shoulders hunching over your ears, a clenched jaw, or tightness in your chest. Pay attention to these signs and take five minutes to relax, Taft said.
This can include meditating with an app, taking deep breaths, or imagining a relaxing place. All of these can reduce stress on the body.
Listen to a favorite song or take a minute to stretch, Taft suggested.
“Identify useless and catastrophic thoughts. This is not the power of positive thinking, but taking away the power that negative thoughts can have on how we feel,” he explained. “If you find yourself thinking, ‘What if Grandma doesn’t understand my IBS diet and she’s going to get so mad?’ that very well may be true. Instead of repeating the ‘what if’ over and over again, lean into it. What can I do if it happens? Make a list of possible ways to solve the ‘what if’ problem.”
When in the midst of worry, people tend to forget everything they’ve already overcome or navigated, Taft noted.
“Grandma can get mad and you can handle it,” she said.
SOURCE: Northwestern University, press release, November 21, 2022
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