How anxiety affects your bladder and bowel

Can anxiety cause bowel problems? Can it impact the way that your bladder works? Anxiety has a significant effect on our physical state, as well as our emotional well-being. We are likely fully aware that anxiety can lead to sleeplessness and other ailments such as headaches. However, we are likely unaware of other symptoms that we tend not to discuss. Between 3 and 6 million people in the UK have some form of urinary incontinence. The NHS also reports that over 6 million adults suffer from bowel problems. Yes, it certainly seems that anxiety affects your bladder and bowel, too!

As it is often embarrassing to talk about our urinary and bowel problems, we tend to be unaware that these can have a connection with our emotional state. It can be even more challenging to understand how to combat some of the issues you face due to your anxiety.

Here we explore some of the impacts that anxiety can have and how you can act to prevent this from impacting your urination and bowel movements.

How is anxiety linked to bladder and bowel problems?

You may have noticed that you go to the bathroom more often when stressed. Why? Well, your autonomic nervous system triggers your body to go to the bathroom to discharge the harmful stress hormones from your body. The hormones travel to parts of your body as a fight/ flight response, giving you what you need to deal with the threat.

It is not the only response to such anxious moments. Your muscles tighten to protect you from injury, particularly in your abdomen. A consequence of this tightening is a greater urge to defecate or urinate. It can have the opposite impact, too, as we briefly lose control over the muscle, which can lead to involuntary discharges.

Common problems

Frequent urination is one common problem you may experience. Most people must urinate about seven times a day when consuming 2 litres of fluid. More than seven times a day, drinking the same amount can signify a problem. While it might not be anxiety that has caused this issue, pregnancy, prostate problems, and diabetes are other causes that also need medical intervention.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) impacts one in five people during their lifetime. IBS is a common gastrointestinal complaint that can be a consequence of stress. Medical studies have yet to understand the connection between IBS and mental well-being fully; however, experts are starting to conclude that the condition is a stress reaction.

The symptoms of IBS include recurring diarrhoea or constipation and some stomach pains and nausea. People can experience attacks for a few weeks or months, which can be a recurring condition in times of worry or upset.

Symptoms of anxiety-induced bladder and bowel issues

Many conditions can result in problems with the bladder and bowel and may be unconnected with our mental state. Consequently, it is important to make an appointment with your GP if you are experiencing recurring symptoms and should not attempt to self-diagnose. While it is common to experience some of the following symptoms while stressed, other conditions will need to be investigated. However, anxiety-related bladder and bowel issues include:

• Accidental leakage
• The urgent urge to go and fear you might not make the toilet
• Releases of small amounts of urine throughout the day
• Having to get up often in the night to go to the bathroom
• Bedwetting
• Leakage of faeces and urine that is difficult to stop
• Constipation and diarrhoea
• Stomach cramps
• Loss or increase of appetite

These problems may exacerbate the stresses you are already feeling. You may now worry about having incidents in public and feel overly sensitive about your condition. You may limit your lifestyle because of this and start to feel unhappy. The emotional reaction to incontinence can make the problems of incontinence worse. Whether this exaggeration of symptoms happens to you is guided by your reactions. You may or may not experience these heightened symptoms.

Anxiety and Addiction

It is also important to understand the strong link between anxiety and addiction.

Treatment

These conditions are often embarrassing, and we do not like to talk to them, even with a doctor. However, getting a diagnosis is essential, as the cause may not be down to your emotions but some other underlying health condition.

Treatment may focus on the symptoms of your bladder and bowel complaint, while others may look to deal with the underlying cause. It is likely to be a mixture of both. Your GP may give you something that relieves the immediate physical condition while working with you for a solution to the anxiety you are feeling.

First, you may be advised to use incontinence products such as disposable pants or pads. You may also be advised to make lifestyle choices, such as exercising, reducing caffeine, moving to a high-fibre diet, and many more such options.

However, finding a way to reduce your anxiety, if this is the cause, requires more commitment. You may undertake talking therapies or learn meditation techniques such as mindfulness. Alternatively, your doctor may offer medication for the relief of emotional distress.

Summary

While there is confidence that a connection exists between anxiety and our bladder and bowel problems, a GP must discern this for certain. Getting past the embarrassment of the condition is the first step to alleviating your suffering and breaking a potential negative cycle.