What Is A Food Allergy
A food allergy is an immune system response. It is caused when the body mistakes an ingredient in food usually a protein as harmful and creates a defense system to fight it. An allergic reaction occurs when the antibodies are battling an “invading” food protein. The most common food allergies are shellfish, nuts, fish, eggs, peanuts, and milk.
Is The Swelling Painful
On a final note, it is important to check whether or not the swelling is accompanied by pain. After all, bloating is almost always a painful experience to some degree or another, whereas excess fat is not known to cause any physical discomfort. The presence of excess gas is also a symptom of bloating, particularly if it coincides with the expansion of your stomach.
Has My Lifestyle Changed At All
Start off with some real talk: Assess whether or not weight gain may be a possibility in the first place, says Alex Caspero, R.D., owner of Delish Knowledge. Have your eating patterns changed? Activity habits? Stress levels? Even the smallest of lifestyle changesfrom getting an hour or two less sleep per night to taking a new medicationcan influence your caloric balance.
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What Is Belly Bloating
Belly bloating occurs when your stomach becomes swollen with fluid or gas. Belly bloat is usually temporary, and it causes a person to feel uncomfortable and extremely full for longer. The most common causes for bloating include high-fiber foods like beans, dairy products, overeating, consuming too much salt, swallowing air, and chewing gum.
Unlike excess fat and skin, which require more involved treatments, belly-bloating can be addressed with probiotics, eating fermented foods, peppermint tea, and avoiding dairy products.
Can’t Stop Bloating Here’s What’s Normal And What’s Not
A “food baby” after your meal is usually nothing to worry about. Here’s what causes bloating, when to be concerned and how to find relief.
Amelia Ti
Medical Reviewer
Amelia Ti is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist based in NYC. She completed her Bachelor’s in Nutrition & Dietetics at NYU and Master’s in Applied Nutrition at Russell Sage College. Amelia’s evidence-based knowledge and passion for the field allow her to translate nutrition research and innovation to the public.
Kim Wong-Shing
Senior Associate Editor
Kim Wong-Shing is a senior associate editor at CNET, covering health and wellness. She has five years of experience in digital media, and she loves demystifying the world of wellness to make it accessible for a range of different readers.
Bloating has a decidedly negative connotation in the wellness world. Used to describe that full balloon feeling in your stomach or abdomen, the word “bloating” often comes up in the context of how to reduce or stop it.
But some amount of bloating is, in fact, normal for many people. And if the main reason you’re worried about bloating is that you want to have a flatter stomach around the clock, you might be chasing an unrealistic goal. On the other hand, if your bloating is accompanied by other digestive symptoms, it might be a sign of an underlying issue.
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It Could Be Constipation
While youre spending a lot of time at home, you may not be moving as much as you usually do. You may also be eating different foods. This can lead to constipation. You may be constipated if you experience:
- Fewer bowel movements than normal for you
- Stool that is lumpy or looks like pebbles
- Difficulty passing stool or a feeling that you still need to go after youre finished
Fortunately, you can make a number of at-home changes to help relieve your constipation. These include:
Combine Diet With Exercise
When looking to trim body fat, exercise is a key consideration. This should be aligned with diet to achieve the optimal results, although it is important to strike the ideal balance between cardiovascular and muscle work-outs. Performing abdominal exercises alone is not enough to reduce belly fat, as you must engage in high-intensity activity to burn the fat and reduce the circumference of your weight.
Going to the salon every other week gets expensive, but there are useful, free, and creative ways to get the perfect manicure without making that bank account-draining bi-weekly appointment. Check out these hacks for a great manicure.
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Remedies For Stomach Bloat
When it comes to bloating, you have two options to keep it in check: you can avoid foods and activities that trigger bloating, and you can intervene when you first notice your stomach feeling full or swollen. The good news is there are as many remedies for bloating as causes. Here are some remedies to try the next time you feel bloated.
How To Tell The Difference Between Belly Fat And Bloat
One easy way to tell the difference between bloat and belly fat is to note belly fat does not cause your stomach to expand wildly throughout the course of a day bloat does. One other way to tell the difference between bloat and belly fat is you can physically grasp belly fat with your hand, you cannot with bloat.
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Have You Gained Weight
When you gain weight, you gain weight everywhere. Your arms, thighs, waists, buttocks and different parts of your body will look slightly swollen, and you would be able to spot cellulite accumulation while doing some specific physical activities while bloating will mostly make your abdominal area swell. Bloating makes your belly fat and not other parts of your body.
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How Common Is Stomach Bloating
Between 10% and 25% of otherwise healthy people complain of occasional abdominal bloating. As many as 75% describe their symptoms as moderate to severe. About 10% say they experience it regularly. Among those diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome , it may be as much as 90%. Up to 75% of women experience bloating before and during their period. Only 50% of people who experience bloating also report a distended abdomen.
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How Is Bloating Treated
Bloating will usually go away by itself if you adjust your diet for a while. Cut down on salty foods, carbohydrates and fizzy drinks. For some people, it can help to avoid foods that contain onion or garlic, wheat, rye, lactose products or stone fruit.
Bloating caused by constipation can be treated by eating more high-fibre foods, increasing the amount of water that you drink, and exercising regularly. Some people may need laxatives to treat constipation.
If you have a medical condition such as coeliac disease, you will need to follow a strict diet to prevent bloating and other symptoms. If you have IBS, following a high-fibre diet and the low FODMAP diet may help. This involves cutting out some dairy products, wheat and other grains, and some fruits and vegetables. Talk to a health professional such as your doctor or a dietitian before starting this diet to make sure it is right for you.
If you have a food intolerance, you may need to try an elimination diet to find out which food or foods are causing your problems. Your doctor or dietitian will advise you.
Some people find that probiotics containing lactobacillus and bifidobacterium can help with bloating by reducing the production of gas in the gut.
What Is A Bloated Stomach
A bloated stomach is first and foremost a feeling of tightness, pressure or fullness in your belly. It may or may not be accompanied by a visibly distended abdomen. The feeling can range from mildly uncomfortable to intensely painful. It usually goes away after a while, but for some people, its a recurring problem. Digestive issues and hormone fluctuations can cause cyclical bloating. If your bloated stomach doesnt go away, you should seek medical care to determine the cause.
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Can A Food Intolerance Test Help With Bloating
The market for food intolerance tests is heavily saturated due to an increased demand of interest in health and wellbeing. Thats why its important for you, the reader, to make sure you make well-informed choices when it comes to purchasing a food intolerance test.
Here at yorktest, weve been going for over 35 years and are the UKs leading provider in food intolerance testing. We also provide post-test support in the form of guidebooks and nutritional consultations with BANT* registered nutritional therapists to ensure youre replacing your trigger foods with healthy and nutritious alternatives.
What Causes Belly Bloat
In terms of what causes bloating, Michalczyk says it could be a myriad of things.
First, most women will experience some bloating and weight gain around the time they are menstruating.
“It’s totally normal to be a couple of pounds heavier around your cycle, because we tend to retain water weight,” says Michalczyk. “So if you are around that time of the month, that’s a good indication that it’s not weight gain but changes associated with your period instead.”
Secondly, bloating can also be a result of what you are eating. And not just unhealthy foods , but all kinds of foodslike cruciferous vegetables.
“If you find that after eating certain veggies you are always bloated you may be more sensitive to these gas-forming veggies and probably want to limit the amount you have of them at a time,” says Michalczyk. She also mentioned that sugar alcohols can easily be a culprit for bloating.
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How Do Healthcare Providers Treat Abdominal Distension
If you seek medical care for your distended abdomen, your healthcare provider will work to isolate the cause. Theyll start by asking you questions about your symptoms and examining your abdomen to see where it’s distended. The location of the outward curve, whether it’s uniform across your abdominal cavity or more pronounced in a particular region, helps them determine which organs are involved and narrow down the list of likely causes. They may also feel the area with their hands or tap it and listen to the sound it makes to determine the presence of fluids, gasses or solids.
The internal organs of the abdomen can be classified as either solid or hollow. Solid organs include the liver, spleen, kidneys, adrenals, pancreas, ovaries and uterus. These can become enlarged due to inflammation or growths such as a tumor, abscess or cyst. Your healthcare provider might be able to feel that they are enlarged, or they might need to look at an image of the internal organs to tell. A large growth might be palpable through the skin. Your healthcare provider will confirm your condition with imaging tests, then follow up with additional testing and treatment depending on the condition.
How To Know If You Are Bloated
Have you been wondering why your belly is bloated? Or, do you think there has something to do with your pregnancy times before why your belly still looks pregnant? Bloating is a condition of the belly that feels tight and full, often due to gas. Many people are confused about why they have a bloated belly or any other reasons why they have a more noticeable belly, such as looseness or abdominal wall laxity.
The condition is common, especially among those who have had kids and older women. Now, if you are one of those who keep on asking this, am i fat or bloated, you must take the fat quiz.
What is a fat quiz?
A fat quiz is a test to be taken online, for you to know if you are bloated or fat. Yes, for those who are asking how it gives an exact result, then you can see for yourself. The tool is free to use and anyone can make use of it online. Simply open your laptop and open the website to try the test.
The test has a few questions about yourself, regarding how you exercise, do you follow a diet plan and anything that connects to your health concerns. All these are asked and you must answer all the questions to finish the quiz. After finishing the quiz, you will find out whether you are fat or bloated.
Is there physical activity on the quiz?
All you have to do is to answer all your questions.
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/5tips To Deal With A Bloated Stomach
Stay hydrated: Dehydration is one of the common reasons why you feel bloated all the time. Lack of sufficient amount of water in the body leads to constipation, which makes you feel uncomfortable.
Consume less salt and carbs: Excess of salt intake causes water retention in the body. Even some carbs can make you feel stuffed.
Exercise regularly: You should not only eat correctly but exercise every day to stay healthy and fit. Staying physically active is important to lose weight and easy bowel movement.
What Are The Symptoms Of Bloating
Symptoms of bloating include:
- The skin around your stomach may feel stretched and tight
Depending on the cause, bloating may be accompanied by other symptoms as well.
Abdominal bloating will continue until the food in an overfull stomach is digested or accumulated gas is released. This can take hours or days.
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Bloating Is Painful While Belly Fat Is Painless
Due to the excess accumulation of fluid and gas in the abdomen, bloating is often accompanied by physical discomfort. Belly fat, on the other hand, is painless.
Although there are a few things you can do to shed off excess fat and reduce loose skin, such as proper nutrition and exercise, in certain cases, you may need to undergo a body contouring procedure.
A Note From Cleveland Clinic
Ascites is a sign of liver damage. People who have cirrhosis may develop ascites. With the right treatments and diet changes, you can manage ascites and feel your best. Restricting your salt intake is one of the most effective treatments for ascites. Ask your provider about working with a dietitian to plan a salt-restricted diet and other treatment options for ascites that doesnt respond to diuretics.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 05/28/2021.
References
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Remedies For Belly Bloat
There are some simple things you can do to try to avoid belly bloat, including eating smaller meals, choosing water as your beverage over carbonated drinks like a can of Coke, and chewing and swallowing your food slower. Eating food higher in protein, but lower in carbohydrates might also help, per Healthline.
Some underlying medical conditions can cause bloating, including irritable bowel syndrome , inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, heartburn, and intestinal parasite infections, according to Healthline. The bloating may also be caused by more serious conditions like Celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or pancreatic insufficiency, meaning the pancreas doesn’t produce enough digestive enzymes. If bloating is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, painful and frequent heartburn, excruciating pain, and even weight loss, though, you should immediately see a doctor. You should also seek medical attention if bloating isn’t common for you after eating, but starts suddenly occurring, as noted by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
With these facts in mind, hopefully you can better understand the difference between fat and bloat, and make more informed decisions about your health.
Eating More Calories Than Usual
Lets face it. When youre off your schedule, sometimes the most interesting thing you can do is bake. But consuming excess calories especially those found in cookies, cakes and bread can pack on the pounds and cause your belly to bloat.
If cooking is your jam while sheltering in place, reserve high-calorie recipes for special occasions, or cut it back to one meal a week.
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Want To Pass On Bloating And Gas Try These Tactics:
- Stay hydrated. Water helps almost everything. It will keep your digestive tract flowing and will also help flush out extra sodium.
- Avoid foods that trigger bloat, such as cruciferous vegetables.
- Enjoy foods that are known bloat-reducers: oatmeal, quinoa, green tea, pineapple, watermelon, celery, cucumbers, berries and fermented foods are terrific choices.
- Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
- Exercise. Moving your body helps keep your system in tip-top condition.
To learn more about your digestive problems, talk to one of our providers. For more lifestyle and wellness content, visit the INTEGRIS Health For You blog.
/5if Only Your Stomach Is Bulgy
The first thing to determine if you have gained weight is to examine your belly visually. Can you see bulges in other parts of the body or is it only around the middle portion of the body? If it is widespread then you should start exercising to lose weight. But if it is localised then you are just gassy and you need to take appropriate measures for some relief.
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What Are Complications Of Ascites
Ascites can lead to:
- Abdominal problems: The fluid buildup may lead to pain, discomfort and difficulty breathing. These symptoms can interfere with your ability to eat, walk and do daily activities.
- Infection: The fluids can become infected, called spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. You may have fever and stomach pain. Call your healthcare provider if you have these symptoms. Youll need IV antibiotics and long-term antibiotic treatment to keep the infection from coming back.
- Hepatic hydrothorax, or fluid in the lungs: Abdominal fluid fills the lung, usually on the right side. You may experience shortness of breath, cough, chest discomfort and hypoxemia . You may need thoracentesis to remove the fluid.
- Ascites-related hernias: The increase in abdominal pressure can lead to hernias, specifically umbilical and inguinal hernias. Your healthcare provider will discuss your treatment options.
- Kidney failure: If cirrhosis worsens, it may lead to kidney failure .