Can Stress Cause Appendicitis?

Many people experiencing stress often also complain of pain in the abdominal region, it comes as little surprise that people have begun wondering whether or not there is a link to be found between emotional stress and the onset of appendicitis.

While the findings of research is rather limited in this regard, we can still draw a good conclusion from the research findings so far, and can answer the question: “can stress cause appendicitis?”.

In this article, we will go over the brain-gut axis and how it works (along with how stress affects it), how stress affects the gastrointestinal system generally, and whether or not stress may lead to appendicitis.

Brain-Gut Axis And Stress

The connection between the brain and the gut is referred to as the brain-gut axis. This brain-gut axis is a bidirectional connection, meaning it transmits information both ways, namely from the gut to the brain, and vice-versa.

While the brain-gut axis is incredibly useful in regulating some bodily processes, such as digestion and even immune function. However, the brain-gut axis may also lead to issues, particularly issues brought forth by emotional and mental stress.

Due to the brain constantly communicating information to the guts, stress gets relayed to the gastrointestinal system too, as part of this delivery of information.

Additionally, stress hormones, such as cortisol, can lead to the disruption of the balance of healthy gut microbes, which can in turn lead down to inflammation. This can lead to pain.

Pain in the gut resulting from stress, however, may also occur without any inflammation. In fact, this is the most common scenario, where the stress experienced in the brain gets sent down to the gut via the brain-gut axis, where it is interpreted as pain signals by the gut, and these pain signals are sent back to the brain.

This all happens in the complete absence of inflammation, most of the time.

The brain-gut axis communication occurs via neural pathways, comprised of nerves, such as the vagus nerve, and chemicals messengers such as hormones and neurotransmitters.

There is also a link between gastrointestinal issues and mood changes, in which issues in the gastrointestinal system may lead to mood changes, particularly negative ones, in the brain.

How Stress Affects The Gastrointestinal System

Stress can lead to a number of different negative repercussions on your gut, a few of which are outlined below:

• Altered gut mobility - Your guts have a rhythm to which they contract, and stress can alter this rhythm of the contractions, which may lead to issues such as diarrhea and constipation, along with the possibility of alternating between the two.

• Higher pain sensitivity - Stress leads to increased sensitivity when it comes to pain perception in the gastrointestinal system. This can lead to worsened pain from conditions such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).

• Blood flow changes - Due to the body’s natural fight or flight response becoming triggered during high stress periods, blood flow may be directed away from the intestines and towards organs deemed more vital by your body. This can lead to issues such as constipation and diarrhea, as well as slowing down the process of digestion and nutrient absorption, which can in turn lead to a diminished amount of nutrients present in the body. This can become dangerous, especially long term.

• Increased production of gastric acid - Stress can increase the amount of gastric acid produced by your gastrointestinal system, which can lead to an increase in appetite even when food is not required, as well as causing discomfort and tissue damage to the stomach due to the high presence of acid.

• Changed intestinal permeability - Changes in permeability, meaning the ability of things to pass through, of the guts may result in the intestines leaking out contents which would otherwise have stayed inside. These leakages may lead to issues such as an increased risk of infections, or in the case of injure, even sepsis, which may be deadly.
• Increased negative effects of substances such as nicotine, and other harmful substances present in cigarettes and vapes, on the gastrointestinal system.

• Increased risk of infections - Stress hinders the ability of the immune system to protect the body, due to the number of leukocytes, which are your body’s natural killer cells, becoming diminished as a result of high levels of cortisol present in the blood. With a lower number of leukocytes present in the body, the immune system has a lesser chance of successfully stopping infections from taking hold, particularly in the guts.

Can Stress Cause Appendicitis?

The appendix, being a small pouch-like organ located in the lower right side of the abdomen, is quite sensitive when it comes to damage and illness. This fact has prompted curiosity as to whether or not stress can lead to the condition known as appendicitis, in which the appendix becomes inflamed.

Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes blocked, which usually occurs from either hardened pieces of stool obstructing the appendix’s opening, or from infection and inflammation of the lymphoid tissue that is within the appendix. Alternatively, tumors may also be responsible for appendicitis.

To finally answer the question of whether or not stress may cause appendicitis, the answer is that yes, but indirectly.

Stress can contribute to the development of appendicitis in a number of ways, for example through lowering the efficiency of the immune system, which makes the appendix more prone to infection, which may in turn lead to appendicitis.

Alternatively, the reduced blood flow to the intestines may lead to a blockage occurring in the appendix’s opening, leading, again, to appendicitis.

Conclusion

Can stress cause appendicitis? The answer is that yes, stress can cause appendicitis, but in an indirect way, due to the effects that stress and the hormones it releases have on the body.

These things range from issues with the immune system which can help foster infections of the appendix, to reduced blood flow to the intestines and appendix respectively, which can lead to appendicitis through blockage of the appendix’s opening.

This is why it is very important to be aware of and address the stress within your life as early as possible, in order to prevent possible complications, such as appendicitis, from occurring.

Wishing you a stress-free day!