Stress-Induced Gastritis and Nervous Gastrointestinal Disorders
Table of Contents
Heartburn the night before an exam
Many people experience burning, bloating, nausea, and loss of appetite before important presentations, exams, or during conflicts. Endoscopy may show mild redness or look completely normal — this is stress-induced gastritis, also called nervous gastrointestinal disorder.
Korean medicine diagnosis: Liver-Stomach disharmony (肝胃不和)
The Liver (肝) is the organ that processes stress, while the Stomach (胃) is in charge of digestion. When stress causes Liver qi to move horizontally and invade the Stomach (橫逆), normal stomach function is disturbed.
- Sihosogan-san (柴胡疏肝散): A representative formula that releases Liver qi and brings stomach qi back down
- Soyo-san: For Liver stagnation overlapped with Spleen deficiency — addresses stress and indigestion at the same time
- Acupuncture: Qimen (LR14) — circulates Liver qi; Zhongwan (CV12) — regulates stomach qi; Taichong (LR3) — relieves stress
The stomach is a mirror of emotions
The gastrointestinal tract contains roughly 500 million neurons and is often called the "second brain." Because stress directly affects the enteric nervous system through the brain, treating the stomach and managing stress at the same time produces the best results.
Stress care plus stomach care
- Do not look at smartphones or work documents during meals — focusing on the meal increases blood flow to the stomach
- Practice 5 minutes of abdominal breathing before meals — activating the parasympathetic system promotes digestive secretion
- Do not drink coffee on an empty stomach — caffeine directly stimulates gastric acid secretion