How, then, does modern medicine explain the concept of seven emotions injuring blood found in the Donguibogam? The process by which stress affects our health is closely tied to dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system regulates heartbeats, respiration, digestion, and thermoregulation without our conscious effort. It maintains balance through the sympathetic nerve and parasympathetic nerve, much like the accelerator and brake of a car. The sympathetic nerve directs the fight-or-flight response when handling danger, while the parasympathetic nerve allows the body to relax and recover.
When stress occurs, the sympathetic nervous system becomes overly active through the amygdala and hypothalamus. The body shifts into an emergency mode: the heart beats faster, blood pressure rises, muscles tighten, and peripheral blood vessels constrict. This peripheral vasoconstriction leads directly to stress cold syndrome, making the hands and feet cold. Because the body prioritizes sending blood to core organs essential for survival, insufficient blood reaches the ends of the limbs.
At the same time, the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and head tighten, causing a tension headache that feels like a constricting band around the head. Chronic stress maintains this muscular tension and stimulates the release of algogens, worsening the headache. In addition, when the sympathetic nerve dominates, blood flow volume to the digestive system decreases, gastrointestinal motility is suppressed, and gastric acid secretion is disturbed. This frequently causes dyspepsia, epigastric pain, and abdominal distension. Stress-related digestive conditions such as nervous gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome develop along this exact pathway.
Anxiety operates similarly. Stress alters neurotransmitter balance in the brain and heightens activity in the amygdala, which regulates anxiety and fear. Imbalances in neurotransmitters such as serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid make emotional regulation difficult, contributing to sustained anxiety, restlessness, and impaired concentration. Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which prompts excessive release of stress hormones like cortisol, further fuels these anxious feelings.
In modern medical terms, the idea of seven emotions injuring blood in the Donguibogam corresponds to autonomic nervous system imbalance caused by chronic stress. Prolonged exposure to stress does not produce isolated symptoms; rather, it sets off a cascade across blood circulation, digestive function, and the nervous system as a whole. Recognizing that these varied symptoms do not occur independently, but are closely connected by stress, helps us understand how deeply integrated our bodily responses truly are.
