Can stress cause bowel disturbances?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am 44 years old male. I have a good diet. I have been taking good care of my health for the past 20 years as my digestive tract is bad for many years. Can you review my medical records from July and compare it with my CT scan done yesterday? One thing which is confusing me is the prominent lymph nodes in the paraaortic region. I could say neither stress alone is the cause for all my health problems, nor old age.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The paraaortic lymph nodes mentioned in the report (attachment removed to protect patient identity) is almost in normal limit. The enlargement will become significant only if you have pain in the abdomen or fever or weight loss.

There could be many causes for bowel disturbance example: IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) or reflux of the gastric content that would also cause burning of the chest. In your case, it appears to be benign. We need more information about your bowel habits such as whether you have constipation or not.

Stress is a very important cause of bowel disturbance, one should alleviate all kind of stress to get rid of these problems.

Answer 2

Hi,Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Now we reached the root of the cause. It is all because of the IBS, that is irritable bowel syndrome. It is directly related to stress and with confidence. One should have adequate confidence in passing stool in a nice way. This is only possible with a sound mind. You have to get rid of all the stress problem.

Do some mental stability exercise like yoga or play some games that can distract your anxiety.

We need to give stool softener also for some time with a high fiber diet. You also need to take some antianxiety drugs for some days. ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) is not required.