Hot search! I get stomachache when I get angry, what's going on?

Expert of this article: Wang Xiaohuan, Doctor of Medicine, Fudan University

Joy, anger, sorrow and happiness often arise from things, and people's emotions will fluctuate to some extent.

But did you know that anger is actually linked to illness?

Recently, the relationship between stomach pain and emotions has become a hot topic on Weibo.

Weibo screenshot

Many people said: No wonder I have stomachache when I get angry, it turns out to be true.

So why does anger cause stomachache? What are the dangers of being angry often?

This article will tell you about anger...

Why does anger cause stomachache?

The stomach pain when people are angry is mainly attributed to an "emotional line" connecting the brain and the intestines, namely the brain-gut axis.

There is a neural structure in the gastrointestinal tract that is independent of the central nervous system. It is closely connected to the central nervous system and can influence each other. Negative emotional information can be transmitted to the gastrointestinal tract through the central nervous system.

Therefore, the stomach and intestines are the organs most easily affected by emotions and are often figuratively referred to as the "abdominal brain."

When we have negative emotions such as anger, tension, anxiety, fear, or feel stressed or overworked, this emotional signal will be transmitted from the central nervous system of the brain through the brain-gut axis to the gastrointestinal tract, affecting the peristalsis and secretory function of the gastrointestinal tract, causing excessive tension in the gastrointestinal muscles and spasms, excessive secretion of gastric acid to stimulate the gastric mucosa, excessive secretion of adrenaline to stimulate local stomach tissues, vasoconstriction and even insufficient gastrointestinal blood supply, and then symptoms of stomach discomfort such as stomach pain will occur.

Medically, this emotion-related gastrointestinal disease is classified as a gastrointestinal psychosomatic disease.

In recent years, with the changes in people's pace of life and dietary structure, the incidence of such diseases has shown an upward trend, especially among students, white-collar workers and other people engaged in mental work.

Therefore, we should take the initiative to overcome negative emotions to avoid the greater health effects they bring.

We often hear people say "I'm so mad!" when they are angry. So what are the dangers of being angry? Can it really kill people?

Can getting angry really kill people?

For healthy people, being angry may not be fatal immediately, but for people who are already ill, being excessively angry may actually kill them.

sad

When you are angry, your heart rate will accelerate, your blood pressure will increase, and the blood flow to your heart will increase. A large amount of blood will rush to your heart, and your heart will be in a state of "fatigue driving". If you are not careful, a "car accident scene" will occur.

In life, we often see reports that someone suffers a recurrence of heart disease or a stroke due to some stimulation or other reasons, and eventually dies.

In addition, scientific research has also found that people who are prone to anger have a 19% higher risk of heart disease than the average person.

Liver damage

We often hear people say that "anger damages the liver", and this is indeed true.

The liver plays a major role in detoxification in our body. When we are angry, a neurological substance called catecholamine is secreted in our body. It acts on the central nervous system, causing blood sugar to rise, fat decomposition to increase, and the corresponding toxins to increase. The liver is overloaded and its function becomes disordered.

Lung damage

Being angry not only damages the liver, but also the lungs.

When we are angry, our breathing becomes very tight, and the alveoli keep expanding without contracting properly. If we are always angry, we are in the state of "lungs are bursting with anger", which is often said, and our lung function will be affected.

Upset stomach

As mentioned earlier, when we are angry, the "emotion hotline" has transmitted negative emotional information to the gastrointestinal tract. After the gastrointestinal tract senses the "anger signal", gastrointestinal activity is inhibited, peristalsis slows down, gastric acid secretion increases, and stomach discomfort occurs. If we do not control it, in the long run, gastric cancer may also "come to the door".

From this point of view, the harm of anger cannot be ignored, and important parts such as the heart, liver, lungs, and stomach are not spared.

In addition, when you are angry, your body is always in a "war preparedness" state, which causes hormone secretion disorder and endocrine imbalance, seriously affecting your health.

Therefore, we should try not to be impatient and keep a calm mindset when encountering things.

What should you not do when you are angry?

1. Don’t continue arguing

Arguing can easily lead to increased anger. When we feel angry, we should stop arguing and keep ourselves calm by taking deep breaths or diverting our attention.

2. Don’t overeat

Anger itself can cause gastrointestinal disorders, and overeating after anger will undoubtedly add insult to injury to the already "overburdened" digestive system.

3. Don’t drink to drown your sorrows

Drinking when you are angry is like "adding fuel to the fire". On the one hand, drinking increases the stimulation to the gastrointestinal tract. On the other hand, alcohol numbs our pain and makes our behavior uncontrollable. It is more likely to cause worse effects on the body.

4. Don’t do strenuous exercise

When we are angry, our sympathetic nerves are excited, heart rate speeds up, and blood pressure rises. If the intensity of exercise is too high at this time, it is very easy to cause the heart to consume more oxygen, leading to myocardial hypoxia and increasing the burden on the heart.

In summary

It's true that I get stomachache when I get angry

The harm of anger cannot be ignored

For people with existing diseases

Excessive anger

It will really cause greater health problems

so

Don't be impatient and angry

Try to keep your mind calm

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