Health talk: Are you troubled by stomach problems, even medicines are not giving relief; are you suffering from depression?

Digestive problems are very common, they can happen to a person of any age. Often indigestion, gas or stomach problems are mainly linked to dietary irregularities. Health experts say, if you often eat fried, spicy or heavy food, then you may have digestive problems due to this.

However, if you often have this problem in the stomach, then get it diagnosed in time, in some cases it can also be the result of some serious underlying health disorders.

But is your stomach problem not getting cured even after all the treatments? If yes, then you should definitely meet a psychiatrist once. Now the question must be coming to your mind that what is the role of a psychiatrist in stomach problems? So let's understand the relationship between stomach and mind.

Gut-brain health connection
If you think that stress-anxiety or depression is a problem affecting only mental health, then know about the gut-brain health connection. Health experts say, whether it is a problem of stress or depression, these mental health problems can affect your body in many ways. Digestive health problems can also be a sign of this.

Health experts say that gastrointestinal symptoms can occur due to physical and chemical connections between the brain and the digestive system. This is why psychological diagnosis also becomes necessary in long-term digestive problems.

What did the study find out?

To understand the relationship between gut-brain health, a team of scientists included more than 19,000 participants in a 2018 study. It found that people who already had gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) also had a significantly higher rate of anxiety and depression. GERD causes food particles to flow back into the esophagus, which can cause problems like heartburn and pain.

Researchers have also found a link between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and depression. Symptoms of mental disorders such as anxiety or depression have also been observed in 50-90% of individuals seeking treatment for IBS.

Why does this problem occur?

Health experts say that when you feel stressed, the body releases certain hormones. Hormones are chemical signals that your body uses to tell the entire body's system what to do at what time. During the stress response, your body keeps trying to deal with the problem by increasing heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure.

Increase in the stress hormone cortisol also increases the risk of rapid breathing and increased heart rate, which can affect your digestive system. Due to increased amount of acid in the stomach, you may have more problems with heartburn or acid reflux.

It is important to detect the problem on time
Johns Hopkins experts said in a report that digestive system disorders can also affect cognitive (thinking ability and memory) ability, similarly there is a risk of digestive diseases due to mental health disorders. It is very important to understand this connection.

If you are also suffering from digestive health problems for a long time, then meet a doctor once and find out whether you are suffering from stress or depression?