Our stomach is not a mere digestive organ; it is connected by a complex neural network to the extent that it is called the second brain that constantly communicates with the brain. They influence each other through a massive pathway called the gut-brain axis. Just as the Donguibogam stated that overthinking harms the spleen, the effect of stress on gastrointestinal disease has already been clearly established in modern medicine as well. Extreme stress or chronic anxiety disrupts the balance of the autonomic nervous system. When the sympathetic nerve becomes excessively activated, gastric acid secretion can abnormally increase, or conversely, digestive enzyme secretion may be inhibited. In this process, the protective function of the gastric mucosa weakens, and inflammatory reactions can be easily induced.
In particular, stress stimulates the adrenal gland to secrete stress hormones such as cortisol, and these hormones reduce blood flow to the gastric mucosa and inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandin, a substance that protects the mucosa. Consequently, the gastric mucosa becomes vulnerable to an acidic environment, and the likelihood of developing gastritis or gastric ulcer increases substantially when combined with other risk factors, such as Helicobacter pylori infection or the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Frequent heartburn, epigastrium pain, dyspepsia, and in severe cases, vomiting blood or passing black stools, could be warning alarms that severe damage has already progressed in the gastric mucosa.
Acid reflux can lead to esophagitis, and chronic gastritis is a serious condition that, over the long term, may progress through atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia to gastric cancer. It is not an issue to simply dismiss as a minor discomfort. We must remember that our body's stomach is more sensitive and delicate than expected, reacting strongly even to small ripples of the mind. Now is the time to understand that the stomach is not merely a factory that processes food, but a mirror of the mind that fully absorbs and reflects our emotions and stress. For the sake of your gastrointestinal health, please look after your mind first.
