Study finds stress aggravates IBD
A new study confirms the general belief suggesting that stress can trigger the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease in affected individuals.
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are a group of gastrointestinal disorders characterized by chronic inflammation and associated with symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea.
The main underlying cause of the condition still remains unknown; many, however, believe an immune system overreaction to be responsible for the symptoms.
Stress had long been among the main environmental factors linked to the flare-up of symptoms in some individuals. This theory, however, had never been clinically proven.
According to the study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, stress is associated with a more than twofold increase in the risk of symptom flare ups in sufferers.
Such a link was not seen in other factors suspected of triggering IBD symptoms such as the use of antibiotics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers, and infections including colds, pneumonia and urinary tract infections.
'This is among the first evidence to show that the perception of stress had a direct association with disease course,' said lead researcher Charles N. Bernstein, stressing that learning better stress management methods could help treat the condition more effectively.
Source: presstv.ir
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