Has digestion become unpredictable?

Cancelled trips and morning nausea

For Daryna and Yesenia the symptoms are tied to tense situations, while Heorhii first needs tests because of his weight loss. What else a doctor checks besides stress can be seen in the section “Stress among other causes”.

If things happen differently for you, start with the questions in the section “Which digestive changes are troubling you?”.

Stress among other causes

Food, infections, medicines, digestive conditions and stress can affect digestion. A link with emotions does not rule out physical causes. Blood in stool, severe new pain, dehydration or unintentional weight loss needs medical attention.

When digestive problems coincide with long periods of low mood and indifference to everyday things, a doctor may also consider the possibility of depression. Still, these complaints on their own do not yet mean that you have depression.

Similar symptoms, different origins

Not every kind of stomach discomfort is a digestive problem. Sometimes another description fits better:

• Loss of appetite. You do not want to eat, although there are no cramps, nausea or bowel changes as such.
• Overeating. Discomfort in your stomach follows episodes when you ate more than you meant to.
• Psychosomatic pain. Pain in your stomach or elsewhere gets noticeably worse when you are upset.
• Anxiety. Your stomach knots up before events, as Daryna’s does in our example, and worry and tension persist along with it.

If several descriptions fit at once, tell your doctor about all of them.

Which digestive changes are troubling you?

Digestive problems cover a wide range of gastrointestinal symptoms: abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating, nausea, heartburn, fullness, constipation, diarrhoea or changes in usual bowel habits. Check yourself against a few questions:

• When did the symptoms first appear?
• Do they occur constantly or in episodes?
• Is there a connection with certain foods or meals?
• Have your appetite or weight changed?
• Is there pain, and where exactly do you feel it?
• Do you have nausea, vomiting, heartburn or difficulty swallowing?

With these answers, it is easier for a doctor to decide which tests are needed. If you already have anything from the first point of the section “Check your symptoms against this list”, do not wait for an appointment: call 103 or 112 in Ukraine.

Whom to see about stomach complaints

Show new or persistent symptoms to a family doctor before anyone else. Tell them which symptoms trouble you and for how long, what you eat, which medicines you take and whether your weight has changed: this determines whether you need tests and a gastroenterologist.

Anxiety, low mood or fear of food that come with these complaints can also be discussed with a psychiatrist. What to expect from the first appointment is described on the initial psychiatric consultation page, and you can read about each of the clinic’s doctors on the specialists page.

Watching for patterns without unnecessary food rules

It can help to write down for a while what and when you ate, what your symptoms and bowel movements were like, how you slept, how tense the day was and which medicines you took. Notes like these can help you and your doctor see recurring patterns. For some conditions, your doctor may recommend changes to your diet, meal pattern, physical activity or another individual treatment plan.

When stress and anxiety noticeably worsen the symptoms, treatment can include work on tension: relaxation methods, breathing exercises, a gradual return to activity and psychotherapy. The aim of psychotherapy here is not to prove that the illness is “psychological”, but to reduce anxiety around symptoms, fear of them coming back, avoidance of food or social situations, and the impact of chronic symptoms on quality of life.

Check your symptoms against this list

1. If there is blood in vomit or stool, black tarry stool, sudden severe abdominal pain, severe dehydration, loss of consciousness or a rapid deterioration in your general condition, you need urgent medical help: call 103 or 112 in Ukraine.
2. If you have unexplained weight loss, marked weakness, constant or worsening pain, repeated vomiting, difficulty swallowing, prolonged diarrhoea or marked changes in bowel habits, do not put off seeing a doctor.
3. If digestive problems persist for several weeks, keep coming back, get worse or significantly affect your eating and daily life, see a doctor.
4. If digestive problems come with severe anxiety, depression, fear of food, social isolation, or significantly limit your life even after a medical assessment, it is worth involving a mental health professional.
5. If the symptoms have already been checked and appear in stressful periods, keep the notes described in the section “Watching for patterns without unnecessary food rules” and show them to your doctor.