Stomach Ache Whenever You Are Stressed? The Liver and Spleen Are Clashing

Many people ask why their stomach always hurts when they feel stressed, why diarrhea strikes during exams, or why they have to visit the restroom right before an important meeting. The clash between the liver and spleen discussed in Donguibogam can be clearly explained in modern medicine as a malfunction of the gut-brain axis. Our brain and gut do not share a simple top-down hierarchy. They form a bidirectional communication system constantly conversing like best friends connected through a secret passage. When the brain experiences stress, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis becomes activated, secreting stress hormones such as cortisol. These hormones travel through the bloodstream to the intestines, directly affecting intestinal motility, secretory function, and most importantly, the gut microbiota environment. Stress hormones can inhibit the growth of beneficial bacteria and stimulate the proliferation of harmful bacteria, disrupting the balance of gut health. Furthermore, numerous neurons exist in the gut, forming what is known as the enteric nervous system. This enteric nervous system, as complex as the cranial nervous system, receives commands from the brain, yet it can also independently regulate intestinal motility and digestive enzyme secretion. When stressful conditions persist, however, this enteric nervous system becomes excessively sensitive. Just like a person screaming in shock at the slightest trigger, the gut reacts hypersensitively even to normal stimuli. This gut hypersensitivity increases intestinal permeability, often referred to as leaky gut syndrome, triggering inflammatory responses and serving as a major cause of irritable bowel syndrome where excessive gas fills the intestines or abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation alternate. Roughly 90 percent of neurotransmitters such as serotonin are produced in the gut. Stress affects the generation and secretion of serotonin as well, causing intestinal motility disorders, which can ultimately impact mood changes. Therefore, having a stomach ache during severe stress is not merely a psychological phenomenon; it is a scientific manifestation where an imbalance in the complex signaling system exchanged between the brain and gut surfaces in the body. The expression from Donguibogam that liver qi invades the spleen explains with astonishing accuracy the impact that the psychological factor called stress exerts on physical organs. Your uncomfortable stomach is an SOS signal communicating that stress has become excessive and needs attention.