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You fly past a cop while you"re going 20 miles over the speed limit, or you"re about to give a speech or go on a job interview. All of a sudden, you feel cramping stomach pain, the need to rush to the bathroom. What gives? Blame the enteric nervous system (ENS). It"s your gut"s "brain," and it has its own muscles, nerves and neurotransmitters, which tell the gut to move its contents through the body. The ENS is always communicating with your brain, sending signals back and forth. But when you"re stressed, there are an abnormal number of signals firing away. That can lead to discomfort, says Dr. Foxx-Orenstein.The vagus nerve, which runs from the brain to the intestines, is also at play here, says Mehmet C. Oz, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City and coauthor of the You health books. "There"s a very close connection between your brain and your gut, so it"s not surprising to think that if your brain is overstressed, the same thing is happening to your gut," he says. Reducing stress, through meditation, exercise, deep breathing, yoga, or whatever works for you, may help ease your symptoms.
Something You Ate?
Each year, some 76 million people spend time hugging the porcelain throne thanks to food poisoning. But how can you tell if last night"s dinner is to blame for your distress? Gastrointestinal disorders tend to start slowly and gradually worsen, but food poisoning hits from 4 to 24 hours after eating, and comes with a bunch of symptoms: nausea, vomiting, fever, stomach pain, diarrhea, says Dr. Foxx-Orenstein. "If you can"t keep fluids down and you have watery diarrhea for more than 12 to 24 hours, or the discomfort is too much, see a doctor or go to the ER," says Dr. Oz. You"ll get pain relief and hydration.
Doc, Can We Talk?
"We assume that everybody is embarrassed to talk about their bowels, even doctors, even specialists," says Jack A. DiPalma, MD, director of the division of gastroenterology at the University of South Alabama. "But we"re used to hearing about embarrassing symptoms that people usually don"t want to talk about, and there"s very little doctors haven"t heard. A good doctor will be sensitive about that." Before your appointment, make a list of tests you"ve had, doctors you"ve seen about the problem, hospitals you"ve been to, conditions you"ve been told you have, other therapies and medications you"ve tried (that includes prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and yes, alternative therapies). How have your bathroom habits changed? Think seriously about your symptoms, says Dr. DiPalma. What provokes them (stress, fatty foods)? What eases them (antacids, stress reduction)? What does it feel like (burning, aching)? Where, when and how badly does it hurt??
Got Gas?
The average person passes gas between 14 and 23 times a day. When you"re struck with painful bloating and gas, try taking an antacid or Pepto-Bismol to coat your stomach, or probiotics to ease your symptoms. Over-the-counter products that reduce gas may contain simethicone or activated charcoal, but they"re not that effective, say experts. Generally you just have to wait it out (or let it out!). "There are no easy ways of getting around gas, only easy ways of avoiding it in the future," says Mehmet Oz, MD. If you suspect that bulking up on veggies or beans is the problem, try Beano before your next meal. The supplement contains an intestinal enzyme that helps your body break down complex carbs. How to avoid the problem:
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