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Pandemic Nausea Is Real
Stress is causing gastrointestinal issues for some, thanks to the gut-brain connection
Since the pandemic began, it’s become clear that Covid-19 can disrupt nearly every part of the body — even among people without the virus. Sleep schedules are off, people are having bizarre dreams, bodies are aching in places they didn’t ache before. Gastrointestinal experts say stomachs are out of sorts, too.
“In my own clinic, I have seen increasing numbers of individuals reporting high stress and worsening of gastrointestinal symptoms since the start of the pandemic,” says Ziad Gellad, MD, MPH, an associate professor of medicine at Duke University’s Division of Gastroenterology. While there’s yet to be hard data to firmly substantiate a rise in tummy aches and nausea during the pandemic, experts say gut-related health problems during this time are to be expected.
Psychological stress frequently manifests in gastrointestinal symptoms, says Gellad. The human gut — a group of organs involved in the body’s digestive process — takes a hit when people get stressed. Similar to the brain, the gut has its own sophisticated network of interconnected neurons, which is why it’s often called the body’s “second brain.” The gut and the brain are linked through what’s called the vagus nerve — a two-way communication…
