Can Anxiety Cause Bloating?

Everywhere in the world, anxiety remains one of the common mental health issues.
Along with the myriad psychological symptoms that anxiety can bring, readers might also note how it affects our physical health.
A question asked by people nowadays is that can anxiety cause bloating?
Today, in this blog we will be revealing the link between anxiety and stomach bloating, how stress contributes to the dysfunctioning of the digestive system, and most importantly how can these symptoms of stomach bloating permeate away.

Physical Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety, be it mild or chronic is more than being just nervousness and stress. To reduce or eliminate anxiety, various strategies must be combined.
This is an ailment which gets diagnosed and can appear in different forms, including a bloated stomach from anxiety.
When anxiety happens, the body enters a ‘fight or flight’ state, releasing different hormones in your system like cortisol and adrenaline.
These hormones increase the efficiency of the body to handle a situation that presents a threat, possibly causing some changes in the body like:

• Hormonal changes.
• Quickening of the heart rate.
• Stiffening of the muscles.
• Problems within the digestive tract.

Can Anxiety Cause Bloating?

One of the less highlighted effects of anxiety is the effect it has on the stomach. But can anxiety cause bloating? The answer is yes.
Here’s how:

1. Slowed Digestion

When you are anxious, you might experience difficulty digesting food since the body is trying to find a solution to what it perceives as a problem.
This can bring about some bloating from stress or anxiety as the food moves more slowly through the digestive track, hence producing gas which causes bloating.

2. Increased Gas Production

Anxiety, especially chronic anxiety over time, can also induce changes in gut microbiota which may in turn cause an increased gas production. This can cause a bloated stomach from anxiety which is uncomfortable.
In some individuals, there is a feeling of fullness or pressure within the abdomen.

3. Hyperventilation and Swallowing Air

When one is highly anxious, one hyperventilates, which means that one’s breath is rapid or shallow.
Hyperventilation might additionally entail swallowing large amounts of air that can get caught in the stomach and the intestines, which might result in some gas and anxiety symptoms.

The Vicious Cycle: Can Bloating Cause Anxiety?

While it is clear that anxiety can trigger bloating, can it be the opposite: can bloating cause anxiety?
The response is affirmative, as the pain and physical discomfort of bloatedness can aggravate sensations of fear.
It’s somewhat unclear whether extreme bloating can induce anxiety since anxiety is a state characterized by common physical manifestations including bloating.

1. Physical Discomfort and Mental Distress

When someone is experiencing anxiety and stomach bloating, the physical discomfort can add to mental distress. The persistant feeling of being bloated can lead to excessive worry which in turn can worsen anxiety.

2. Social Anxiety and Bloating

Bloating can also affect the social life of the person because of fear of feeling embarrassed or self-conscious, which further leads to bloated and anxiety symptoms.
The individual may begin to feel even more anxious about how they appear to others.
Managing Anxiety and Bloating
The factors combining anxiety and stomach bloating need to be looked at in detail for a holistic approach. The following methods could be of help:

1. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

Mindfulness, deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation techniques are great in mind soothing which eventually helps to reduce stress.
This will also be very helpful in controlling ones breathing so that you do not hyperventilate or swallow too much air which can contribute to bloating from stress.

2. Healthy Eating Habits

Healthy eating habits that includes high fiber fruits and vegetables will bring relief to digestive systems along with digestion calming benefits.
If your anxiety bloated stomach symptoms are getting worse, try to avoid the kinds of foods that can trigger intestinal gas as well as abdominal distension.

3. Regular Physical Activity

Physical activity is a potent remedy to both anxiety and gastrointestinal health. Moderate or vigorous exercise helps in digestion, reducing stress and enhancing health, and thus lowering the chances of bloating from stress.

4. Seek Professional Help

Consider seeking help from specialists when anxiety and stomach bloating becomes an unbearable burden. Mental health clinics support anxiety through guidance and therapeutic interventions among other avenues.

When to See a Doctor

Although anxiety can cause bloating, it is essential to note that there are other medical factors that may also lead to such factors.
If bloating does not go away or has been present for quite some time, then medical attention is required in order to rule out any medical conditions.

The Takeaway

Anxiety and bloating share a complicated relationship but it is evident that the two can influence each other.
It is important to understand how can anxiety cause bloating. By understanding, it becomes easier or less debilitating to manage both mental and physical symptoms such as bloating.
If your concern is how does anxiety cause gas and bloating, consider contacting Goodness Psychiatry. Our experienced professionals are willing to provide relief from anxiety and its symptoms.
Please contact us for more information regarding how we can support your physical and mental health.Please contact us for more information regarding how we can support your physical and mental health.

FAQs

Does anxiety cause gas and bloating?

As already pointed out, anxiety does cause one to bloat. Nonetheless, it is essential to consider that other contributors, including diet, and lifestyle factors, as well as certain medical conditions, can cause some of these symptoms.

1. Diet and Gut Health: Beans, lentils, sodas or broccoli and cauliflower cause gas and bloating. In combination with the anxiety, these foods further aggravate the bloated stomach anxiety symptoms.
2. Irritable Bowel Syndrome: IBS is the most common digestive system disorder, identified by symptoms that includes gas, bloating and also abdominal cramps. Stress and anxiety are considered one of those aggravants even an IBS sufferer is expected to get worst batch of anxiety with a bloated stomach during any stressful encounter.

How to stop an anxious stomach?

An anxious stomach can be soothed by:

• Doing deep breathing exercises and mindfulness or even progressive muscle relaxation.
• Eating smaller quantities of food and avoiding trigger foods like caffeine or spicy foods would also be beneficial.
• Also, regular exercise and drinking enough fluids would be beneficial for digestive function.

What causes an anxiety bloated belly?

An anxiety bloated belly occurs when stress and emotional apprehension inhibit the normal experience of the digestive tract overtime resulting in bloating. In addition, factors that cause anxiety tend to make people hyperventilate and that is associated with swallowing more air which adds to the bloated feeling.

Can anxiety cause side pain?

Yes, anxiety can cause side pain. Pain in muscle tension brought by anxiety may occur in any part of the body, even the sides.
For example, increased production of gas and bloating, which are symptoms of anxiety, can also lead to discomfort and/or pain at the side or abdomen.

Can gas cause anxiety attacks?

Gas itself may not cause an anxiety attack. However, getting gas or feeling gas pain, or even feeling bloated or chest pain may cause anxiety as gas may make someone feel distressed even if they are perfectly alright. If such symptoms are present and familiar, this may create anxious feelings.