Q When I am very stressed, I suddenly get stomachache and diarrhea — can stress actually cause colitis?
A Stress directly affects bowel movement and immune response through the gut-brain axis. Repeated psychological tension can weaken the mucosal defense function of the intestine, which may worsen inflammation.
Detailed Answer
The intestine is an organ that responds sensitively to emotions. When stressed, the autonomic nervous system speeds up or slows down bowel movement, and the balance of mucosal immunity breaks down, which may cause inflammation to relapse or worsen. A clinical association between psychological stress and symptom aggravation has been observed in colitis patients.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Korean medicine views liver qi stagnation (肝氣鬱結) as interfering with intestinal function. For colitis aggravated by stress, prescriptions with liver-soothing (疏肝) and qi-regulating (理氣) effects are combined to stabilize both the intestine and the emotions.
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