Stomach Health Effected by Stress?

Almost everyone has felt that hallowing, painful feeling in the pit of their stomach at some point or another. Sometimes it could be chalked up to improper digestion issues, or an unfamiliar mix of food and drink.  Sometimes it’s due to hunger.  Regardless of the cause, the majority of the time people find a way to control it and move on. However, in some instances others can’t do anything to stop it from lingering. It has become apparent over time that inexplicable stomachaches have a strong correlation with the presence of heightened levels of stress.  Nowadays it is common for a doctor to diagnose a stomachache as an effect of stress. Unfortunately, advanced scientific research is correlating long term stress with severe stomach implications and doctors are warning people that if they can’t handle stress properly then severe stomach problems may ensue.

One of these stomach problems is IBD or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This ailment, which is a chronic disease that inflames the intestines, affects as many as a million Americans a year. Now stress may not directly cause IBD but it can aggravate the body into such a state that it may have a chance to occur and even cause more damage. In fact, researchers in a Canadian study surveyed people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and found that there was no real difference in flare-ups between the people on medication and people who were not. However, they did find a difference in flare-ups between people who were stressed. People who had more flare-ups of the ailment also had more stress and reported bad moods over the period of the study. Therefore, the correlation between the mental problem of stress and the physical problem of IBD has given researchers reason to link the two.

This also goes to show the mind’s power over the body and that if stress is handled properly then people who suffer from certain stomach ailments may be able to curb the pains that are caused. Doctors go on to say that in order to avoid excessive stress people should try to be mindful of stressful situation and steer clear of them. Spending time outdoors or receiving a relaxing massage at a spa might just be a couple of ways of avoiding stomach implications.

Biofeedback May Help To Curb Stage Fright

At one point or another all of us have had some sort of stage fright. Maybe we had to talk in front a classroom or give a presentation at work, but we all know what it feels like to be under the lights. The sweaty palms, the nervous stomach, the spinning head all work against you when you have to be in front of a crowd. It’s even worst for people that are stage performers who have musical performance anxiety (MPA), which affects 30 to 80 percent of people in the musical arts. Most give the tips of just dealing with the stress or that it’s “just mind over matter” but now research has come up with a way to get the heebie-jeebies out of your system before hitting the stage.

Studies showed that biofeedback machines helped musicians come to terms with their stage fright by training them to have more positive responses to stress that occurred from being on stage. Musicians in the study were hooked up to a machine via ear and fingertip monitors that showed them their emotional responses to anxiety brought on by stress and happiness brought on by joy. The stress patterns were shown to be rocky while the happiness patterns on the machine were smooth. After working with the machine for a few sessions most musicians were able to understand their emotional responses and have a better hold of their feelings when on stage. After the test was taken the musicians in the study reported a 70 percent improvement in their playing ability as well as a decrease in stage fright.

So as much as picturing your audience in their underwear may work as a way to curb your stage fright, it may be easier and more scientific to go the biofeedback route in order to have a good show.