Sunday, March 24, 2024

How To Stop Belly Bloat

Must read

Deflating Postmeal Bloat Is Simpler Than You Think

How to Stop a Bloating Stomach FAST – Devin Burke

Is the holiday season bringing out your extra-indulgent side? It happens and you may end your holiday dinner feeling like your bellys bulging from all that food.

Does it seem like your stomach just tripled in size? Rest assured, thats not the case, according to Brigham and Womens Hospital. Rather, its likely just gas. It’s caused by excess air or gas in the gastrointestinal tract, says Rachel Doyle, RDN, the Chicago-based owner of RAD Nutrition who focuses on gut health. When we eat, carbohydrates are broken down, and their fiber is fermented, producing gas that expands, which can lead to bloating.

Unpleasant as it is, its generally not something to worry about. Typically, bloating is not a sign of anything serious, especially if it is only occurring after large meals, says Pam Fullenweider, RD, the founder of Fully Mediterranean in Houston.

RELATED: 11 Best and Worst Foods for Boosting Metabolism

If its chronic, however, visit your healthcare provider to rule out something more serious. If you are experiencing bloating frequently, its always a good idea to explore this further with a doctor or dietitian to determine the root cause and rule out any underlying medical conditions, Fullenweider says.

Even your run-of-the-mill bloating can be a pain, though. The good news is you dont have to just sit uncomfortably and wait it out. Follow these seven quick tips to get rid of bloating and return to the holiday merriment.

How To Get Rid Of Gas

Often, your gas is caused by what you eat. Food is digested primarily in your small intestine. What is left undigested is fermented in your colon with bacteria, fungi, and yeast, as part of digestion. This process produces methane and hydrogen, which are expelled as flatus.

For many people, changing dietary habits is enough to alleviate gas and its accompanying symptoms. One way to determine which foods are giving you gas is by keeping a food diary. Common culprits include:

  • foods with high fat content
  • fried or spicy food
  • cruciferous vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli
  • prunes or prune juice
  • foods containing lactose, such as milk, cheese, and other dairy products
  • fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols molecules found in a wide range of foods, such as garlic and onion, that may be hard to digest
  • over-the-counter fiber drinks and supplements

Once you figure out what food is causing the gas, you can modify your diet to avoid the culprit.

If changing your diet doesnt completely do the trick, you have several options to try.

How Is Bloating Diagnosed

Your doctor can generally diagnose the cause of your bloating through a physical exam in the office. They will ask you questions about your symptoms. They will want to know if your bloating is occasional or if it occurs all the time.

Temporary bloating is usually not serious. If it happens all the time, your doctor may order other tests. These could include an imaging test to look inside your abdomen. This could be an X-ray or CT scan.

Recommended Reading: What Can I Take For Diarrhea While Pregnant

Can Bloating Be Prevented Or Avoided

There are many ways to prevent and avoid bloating:

  • Avoid the foods that are known to cause gas. These include cabbage, Brussels sprouts, turnips, beans, and lentils.
  • Avoid chewing gum.
  • Avoid using straws for drinking.
  • Reduce or avoid drinking carbonated drinks .
  • Reduce or avoid eating and drinking foods that include fructose or sorbitol. These artificial sweeteners are often found in sugar-free foods.
  • Eat slowly.
  • Eat more foods high in fiber to prevent constipation. If foods alone dont help, consider taking a fiber supplement.
  • Avoid dairy products if you notice they cause gas and bloating.
  • Quit smoking.

These Steps Will Show You How To Reduce Bloating

Bloating: why and how?

When you’re trying to ease the pressure off of your bloated tum , you’ll want to rely on these digestion-promoting methods to help you reduce bloating in just 24 hours. Here, we help you identify which habits and foods can help reduce bloating and rev up your metabolism along the way.

Hopefully, after you follow a few of our 25 tips on how to reduce bloating there will be minimal instances of trying to squeeze into your favorite pair of jeans.

Also Check: Lettuce In Diarrhea

Belly Bloat And Women

According to Michelle Smith, a nurse practitioner with Sutter Gould Medical Foundation in Modesto, bloating is often part of a menstruating woman’s normal cycle. It can be a pretty good little message that your period is coming soon, Smith says.

During certain phases of the menstrual cycle, as progesterone drops, cells retain more water. This can cause a bloated feeling in the belly and even in fingers and feet. What to do? Smith suggests two paths: natural approaches and acceptance.You might want to pull out those more forgiving pants and spend the day in comfort. And bloating can remind you to take good care of your body right now. Walk more. Eat really nutritious foods. Rest, she says. Although it may seem counterintuitive, drinking more water or eating natural diuretics like watermelon, celery and cucumbers also will help. This signals the body to release its excess water as you urinate more frequently and get your kidneys working.

Home Remedies For Bloating

Home Remedies

That feeling when your jeans just dont fit like they did last weekwomen know it well. Being more prone to bloating than men, women are likely to experience several of these days each month around the time Mother Nature arrives for her monthly visit. Although bloating is normal, the feeling is still unpleasant. Thankfully, there are some easy at-home remedies for reducing bloating.

Recommended Reading: Antibiotics For Lactobacillus

Undo Damage From A Night Out

If you knocked back a few too many drinks on the boardwalk last night and chased them with salty food, your stomach is probably feeling swollen from the alcohol and salt. The fix: drink 12oz of coconut water shortly after you wake up to rehydrate and help eliminate bloat. The potassium in the water helps balance sodium levels in the body and can help fight water retention, says Palinski-Wade.

I Have No Motivation To Workout

REDUCE BELLY BLOATING: 8 tips to improve digestion reduce bloating

If you think you need motivation to train youre already half beat.

What you really need is meta motivation: the motivation to train even when youre not motivated. If you rely on your feelings to decide whether to workout or not, you never will. As you know, your feelings are designed to keep you caged up in your comfort pit. Your feelings want you to be safe, not successful.

That said, there is a trick you can use to get yourself motivated to workout, and its backed up with research. Its called the few minutes principle.

The basic idea is that procrastinators often put off doing certain things because the size of the task in front of them seems too overwhelming. By deciding to just go to the gym for a few minutes youll often see the workout through to completion.

Are you motivated enough to train for two minutes? Thats all you need.

You May Like: I Ate A Salad And Now Have Diarrhea

Weight Gain Versus Bloating

Women are more likely to gain weight as they go through menopause because of hormonal changes, which tend to be associated with increases in both overall body fat and abdominal fat, according to a review published in Climateric in 2012. This increase in abdominal fat may sometimes be mistaken for bloating. Increasing the amount of physical activity you get and changing your eating habits can help limit this risk. Divide your plate equally between fruits, vegetables, lean protein foods and whole grains to help you get the right balance of nutrients. Eating foods low in energy density, or calories per gram of food, at the start of the meal can help fill you up so you eat fewer calories over the course of the meal. Broth-based soups, salads, fruits and vegetables are some examples of low-energy-density foods.

Can Bloating Be Prevented

To keep your digestive system working well, follow a healthy diet and eat at least 30g of fibre every day. Cut down on processed and fatty foods, and drink less alcohol. Drink plenty of water and take any medicines as directed by your doctor.

Dont overeat, and try to eat more slowly. Eating regularly will help to prevent digestive problems.

Regular exercise is also important for your gut because it strengthens the muscles in your tummy and stimulates the digestive system to push food through. It also helps with stress, which affects the nerves in the digestive system and can slow down digestion.

Smoking is very bad for your digestion. If you smoke, try to quit now.

You May Like: Does Banana Cause Bloating

Summary: How To Reduce Bloating

There isnât a single superfood that can miraculously cure bloating, however, much you eat. In fact, eating too much of any one food type can in some cases make bloating and other digestion problems worse. More important than eating any single food is consuming as wide a range of gut-healthy foods as possible.

18 June 2020

Remedies And Treatments For Bloating

This article will show you ways to stop bloating after every meal # ...

Once a cause of bloating is established, the symptom can be treated. Depending on your doctorâs findings, he or she may suggest one of the following remedies for bloating:

Eating Slowly

Eating too quickly causes you to swallow more air, which can lead to gas and bloating. Eating slowly can help reduce bloating. Additionally, slowing your eating can make you feel full, faster, helping you avoid overeating, which can lead to bloating.

Changing Your Diet

If you notice a trend in certain foods causing you to bloat, try reducing or eliminating those foods from your diet. Foods that commonly cause bloating are wheat, beans, lentils, garlic, onions, and asparagus. Milk and dairy foods can also cause bloating, as some people have a hard time digesting a sugar they contain called lactose.

Antacids

Antacids can reduce bloating by allowing gas to pass more easily through your digestive tract. Do note, however, that antacids are only effective for bloating caused by food.

Antidepressants

Researchers have found that certain antidepressants can affect the way your body reacts to gas, keeping it from overreacting to its presence.

Less Fiber

Eating too much fiber is one of the most common reasons for bloating. Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet, but it can cause a lot of gas in your digestive system because your body cannot digest it. The key with fiber is to eat it in moderation. Foods high in fiber include beans, lentils, broccoli, whole wheat, apples, berries, and quinoa.

Also Check: Can Diet Pills Cause Miscarriage

When Should I Be Worried About Abdominal Bloating

See your healthcare provider if your bloated stomach:

  • Gets progressively worse.
  • Persists for more than a week.
  • Is persistently painful.
  • Comes with symptoms of illness, such as fever, vomiting or bleeding.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

A bloated stomach is not a pleasant feeling. While its a common experience and usually temporary, you may become weary of the cycle. Spending a little focused attention on the problem to identify the cause can be well worthwhile. Try recording your symptoms and possible triggers in a journal. Note diet, hormonal and stress factors. When in doubt bring your notes to a specialist for professional guidance. The different factors that contribute to bloating can be complex and difficult to parse, but medical testing can help. As always, seek medical attention if your symptoms are persistent or severe.

Eat Several Small Meals

To keep your metabolism revving throughout the day, focus on small, protein- and fiber-packed snacks or small meals every 3 to 4 hours. You will not only burn more calories eating a series of smaller meals, but also avoid the afternoon crash and end of the workday slump.

Eat This! Tip: Use your smartphone or computer to remind you of these intervals. Some go-to healthy snack ideas include:

  • Apple with peanut butter

Recommended Reading: Omeprazole Chest Pain

How Certain Foods Can Relieve Bloating

Whats fueling all of this bloating? Most likely, its linked to internal gas thats building up in your innards due to constipation. Everything is at a standstill, says Czerwony. Poop is just sitting there, fermenting, and making its presence known.

Moving things along can be accomplished by adjusting what you eat and drink. The two big keys? Make sure your plate includes fiber-rich foods and that youre consuming enough water.

Eat Slowly So You Don’t Gulp Air

How to Stop BLOATING Fast / Learn the 5 Causes – Dr. Berg

When you finally get home after a long day, you’re totally famishedwe get it. But that doesn’t mean you should scarf down your dinner in a hurry. Eating too quickly causes you to swallow excess air, which can lead to uncomfortable gas and bloating. Slowing down the chewing with your mouth closed, on the other hand, can have the opposite effect. Fight off the urge to engorge your entire meal by snacking on something like a small piece of fruit or an ounce of nuts before dinner is ready.

Read Also: Why Does Lettuce Give Me Gas

Eat At Regular Intervals

Many people experience bloating directly after a big meal. It is possible to avoid this by eating several smaller meals each day, which can help to keep the digestive system moving.

Swallowing food quickly can introduce air into the digestive tract. Drinking from a straw can also lead to people swallowing more air, which in turn leads to gas and bloating. People who have bloating should avoid using straws if possible and try eating slowly to avoid swallowing air during meals.

Slow Down Your Eating

Put down the fork between each bite and get rid of distractions like your phone or the TV while youre eating. Whether youre into the mind-body connection of mindful eating or not, these simple changes will help you de-bloat. Youll end up eating more slowly so you swallow less air, and youll tend to eat less. Thats a double whammy in terms of reducing the air and extra food in your stomach that can bloat you.

Another added benefit: More chewing means better digestion. Grandma was right all along.

Read Also: Heartburn After Eating Peanut Butter

How Long Does A Bloated Stomach Last

If your bloating is due to something you ate or drank or to hormone fluctuations, it should begin to ease within a few hours to days. If you are constipated, it wont go down until you start pooping. Water, exercise and herbal teas can help encourage all of these things along. If it doesnt go away or gets worse, seek medical attention.

Rule Out Medical Conditions

Pin on Weight Loss

In some cases, bloating may result from a medical condition. To get rid of this bloating, a person may need help from a doctor to diagnose and manage their condition.

Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, may cause people to experience bloating. Irritable bowel syndrome , can also cause this symptom.

Gynecological conditions, such as endometriosis and ovarian cysts, can also cause pain, swelling, and feelings of bloating in the abdominal area.

People with these symptoms should discuss them with a doctor, who will also want to know about any relevant family medical history and other medical conditions. The doctor may order diagnostic tests to look for any problems. These may include an X-ray, ultrasound, colonoscopy, or blood tests.

You May Like: Omeprazole Chest Pain Side Effects

Ease Into A Yoga Pose

Once the dessert is cleared, find some space to give your body a nice stretch. Gentle yoga poses like Childs pose or Cat/Cow can help relieve abdominal discomfort associated with bloating, Doyle says. Hold each pose for five deep breaths , and continue repeating until you feel some relief, she says. Allow your belly to expand fully with each inhale, Doyle says. This helps to activate your bodys parasympathetic nervous system, or rest and digest mode, which is calming and will allow you to better digest your food.

/9tips To Reduce Bloating

Swollen belly, belching, flatulence and pain, we all are familiar with these common signs of bloating. From time to time we experience these common digestive issues, which makes it difficult for us to carry on with our daily activities. It causes even more discomfort when you have to go out and cannot fit into your tight-fitted pair of jeans or dress due to a bloated belly. The situation can be frustrating, but you must know that it is just temporary. Here are some scientifically proven ways to reduce bloating quickly.

Don’t Miss: Side Effects Of Gas Relief Pills

Exercise To Get Rid Of Bloating

Moving more instead of lying down after eating may also help limit bloating. A review article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology in 2014 noted that exercise and staying in an upright position may help limit bloating and help reduce gas. Exercise can also sometimes help with other symptoms of menopause, including mood swings and hot flashes, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. A review article published in the Journal of Mid-Life Health in 2010 noted that yoga may help to improve the symptoms of menopause, making this a potentially good form of exercise for women suffering from bloating because of menopause, as it may help with other symptoms as well as the bloating. Exercise also helps with weight loss and can help limit weight gain, which can sometimes occur during menopause.

Avoid Rapid Weight Gain

HOW TO STOP BLOATING!

Rapid weight gain is linked to bloating for several reasons.

First, a buildup of fat in your stomach area may constrain your bowels, increasing tension and contributing to bloating. Additionally, fat may have inflammatory effects, contributing to hypersensitivity in your gut .

Finally, unwanted weight gain may cause you to focus attention on your stomach area, which may increase your perception of bloating .

If you have overweight or obesity and are experiencing bloating, trying some healthy strategies for weight loss such as exercise and limiting portion sizes may be beneficial.

Summary

Rapid weight gain may contribute to bloating by increasing bowel tension, inflammation, and mental focus on your stomach area. Conversely, weight loss may help reduce these effects.

Don’t Miss: Ultram And Constipation

More articles

Popular Articles