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Can Stress
Cause
Constipation?

Can Stress Cause Constipation?

Does your stomach seem to fill with butterflies whenever you’re nervous or worried? That’s your gut communicating with the rest of your body, responding to your thoughts and feelings. This phenomenon — the gut-brain axis — can trigger digestive issues like constipation when you’re stressed. 

Does your stomach seem to fill with butterflies whenever you’re nervous or worried? That’s your gut communicating with the rest of your body, responding to your thoughts and feelings. This phenomenon — the gut-brain axis — can trigger digestive issues like constipation when you’re stressed. 

What’s Making You Stresstipated?

While stress is typically associated with worrying or feeling overwhelmed by a difficult situation, it isn't just a mental state. Stress can also be physical, triggered by endurance and high-intensity exercise, illness, injury or lack of sleep.

No matter what causes your stress, your body reacts by going into fight, flight or freeze mode, releasing hormones in response. And when stress is prolonged, it can interfere with your digestive process, wreaking havoc on the ecosystem in your gut.

What’s
Making You
Stresstipated?

While stress is typically associated with worrying or feeling overwhelmed by a difficult situation, it isn't just a mental state. Stress can also be physical, triggered by endurance and high-intensity exercise, illness, injury or lack of sleep.

No matter what causes your stress, your body reacts by going into fight, flight or freeze mode, releasing hormones in response. And when stress is prolonged, it can interfere with your digestive process, wreaking havoc on the ecosystem in your gut.

How Stress Can Cause Constipation

Research confirms that both physical and mental stress can contribute to digestive upset, including constipation.
Here’s why.

How Stress
Can Cause
Constipation

Research confirms that both physical and mental stress can contribute to digestive upset, including constipation. Here’s why.

A close-up of a person's hand holding a double cheeseburger wrapped in paper. The burger has two patties and melted cheese.
A close-up of a person's hand holding a double cheeseburger wrapped in paper. The burger has two patties and melted cheese.

Stress Can Make Self-care More Difficult

When you’re stressed you are more likely to eat unhealthy foods for comfort and convenience. You might get less exercise or forget to drink enough water. These are all known causes of constipation.

A stressed person with braided hair and glasses is sitting on a couch, holding their temples with both hands. They are wearing a white sweater.
A stressed person with braided hair and glasses is sitting on a couch, holding their temples with both hands. They are wearing a white sweater.

Stress Releases and Triggers Hormones

When your body is in fight-or-flight mode, your adrenal glands release hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, which slow digestion and intestinal movement and can cause constipation. Stress can also cause your hypothalamus to release corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) directly into your bowels, causing them to slow down and become inflamed.

A close-up shot of a hand pulling a sheet of toilet paper from a roll mounted on a tile wall.
A close-up shot of a hand pulling a sheet of toilet paper from a roll mounted on a tile wall.

Stress Increases Intestinal Permeability

Everyone has a semipermeable gut — which means the intestines can effectively pull water and nutrients from food into the bloodstream. But when the lining of your intestines lets in more than just water and nutrients, inflammatory compounds can leak into your intestines. This is called leaky gut, and sometimes it causes diarrhea, but it can also cause the feeling of abdominal fullness associated with constipation.

A cropped image of a person's midsection shows them holding their stomach, suggesting they are experiencing constipation. They are wearing a white sports bra and black leggings.
A cropped image of a person's midsection shows them holding their stomach, suggesting they are experiencing constipation. They are wearing a white sports bra and black leggings.

Stress May Change Your Microbiome

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria and microorganisms called the gut microbiome. Everyone’s microbiome is unique, continuously changing in response to dietary and environmental factors throughout life. Studies suggest that stress may reduce the amount of healthy bacteria in your gut and slow down digestion.

How to Avoid Stress Constipation

Are you experiencing difficult thoughts, emotions or situations that are causing stress-related constipation? While self-care may seem like the last thing you have time for, these strategies can help you end the uncomfortable cycle of constipation and stress.

Purple improve your diet icon of a solid icon of a whole apple, with a stem and a single leaf. A small white highlight is visible on the apple's side.

Improve Your Diet

Staying hydrated and eating unprocessed, high-fibre foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains can nourish your body and help keep you regular.

Improve Your Diet

Staying hydrated and eating unprocessed, high-fibre foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains can nourish your body and help keep you regular.

Purple move your body icon of a sneaker with a swoosh-like motion line below it, suggesting exercise or running.

Move Your Body

Regular exercise encourages motion in the intestines and helps reduce day-to-day stress levels. Cardiovascular activity, core exercises and yoga poses that involve twisting and bending all help encourage digestion. Remember, talk to your doctor before starting an exercise routine.

Move Your Body

Regular exercise encourages motion in the intestines and helps reduce day-to-day stress levels. Cardiovascular activity, core exercises and yoga poses that involve twisting and bending all help encourage digestion. Remember, talk to your doctor before starting an exercise routine.

purple limit unhealthy indulgences icon

Limit Unhealthy Indulgences

Alcohol, cigarettes and high-sugar, high-fat foods can all increase the risk of constipation and stress.

Limit Unhealthy Indulgences

Alcohol, cigarettes and high-sugar, high-fat foods can all increase the risk of constipation and stress.

Purple make mindfulness a routine icon of a lotus flower, often used to represent mindfulness, meditation, or relaxation.

Make Mindfulness a Routine

Daily journaling, meditation, yoga or reading can help relieve stress. So can spending time in nature or another environment you find relaxing.

Make Mindfulness a Routine

Daily journaling, meditation, yoga or reading can help relieve stress. So can spending time in nature or another environment you find relaxing.

Purple don’t force it toilet paper icon of a toilet paper roll with a piece of paper unrolling from it.

Don’t Force It

Sometimes all you need is a little more time. Don’t try to force your body to have a bowel movement — it may just lead to more stress.

Don’t Force It

Sometimes all you need is a little more time. Don’t try to force your body to have a bowel movement — it may just lead to more stress.

Purple work with a therapist icon of a heart with a cross symbol in the middle.

Work with a Therapist

If you are dealing with prolonged or recurrent stress, professional therapy can help you identify its causes and learn methods to manage it.

Work with a Therapist

If you are dealing with prolonged or recurrent stress, professional therapy can help you identify its causes and learn methods to manage it.

Purple try RestoraLAX® icon of a glass with a liquid inside and a spoon standing in it.

Try RestoraLAX®

If you need relief from occasional constipation, try an osmotic laxative like RestoraLAX®, which works with the water in your body to gently get your bowels moving without unpleasant side effects like cramping, bloating, gas and the sudden urge to go.

Try RestoraLAX®

If you need relief from occasional constipation, try an osmotic laxative like RestoraLAX®, which works with the water in your body to gently get your bowels moving without unpleasant side effects like cramping, bloating, gas and the sudden urge to go.

    References

    1. Carabotti M, Scirocco A, Antonietta MA, Severi C. The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems. Ann Gastroenterol. 2015;28(2): 203-209. Accessed March 1, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc /articles/PMC4367209/.

    2. Chang Y, El-Zaatari M, Kao JY. Does stress induce bowel dysfunction? Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;8(6): 583-585. Accessed March 10, 2023. doi: 10.1586/17474124.2014.911659. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc /articles/PMC4249634/.

    3. You and Your Hormones. Updated January 2017. Accessed March 10, 2023. https://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/ corticotrophin-releasing-hormone.

    4. Camilleri M. Leaky gut: Mechanisms, measurement and clinical implications in humans. Gut. 2019;68(8): 1516-1526. Accessed March 10, 2023. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318427. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc /articles/PMC6790068/.

    5. Mayo Clinic. Chronic stress puts your health at risk. Updated July 8, 2021. Accessed March 10, 2023. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/ in-depth/stress/art-20046037.

    1. Carabotti M, Scirocco A, Antonietta MA, Severi C. The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems. Ann Gastroenterol. 2015;28(2): 203-209. Accessed March 1, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc
      /articles/PMC4367209/.

    2. Chang Y, El-Zaatari M, Kao JY. Does stress induce bowel dysfunction? Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;8(6): 583-585. Accessed March 10, 2023. doi: 10.1586/17474124.2014.911659. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc
      /articles/PMC4249634/.

    3. You and Your Hormones. Updated January 2017. Accessed March 10, 2023. https://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/
      corticotrophin-releasing-hormone.

    4. Camilleri M. Leaky gut: Mechanisms, measurement and clinical implications in humans. Gut. 2019;68(8): 1516-1526. Accessed March 10, 2023. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318427. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc
      /articles/PMC6790068/.

    5. Mayo Clinic. Chronic stress puts your health at risk. Updated July 8, 2021. Accessed March 10, 2023. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/
      in-depth/stress/art-20046037.

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