What Can Cause Stomach Bloating

Change Your Eating Habits

Eat smaller meals

It’s common to experience bloating when you’ve had a big meal. To avoid this, try eating smaller meals throughout the day. It helps to get the digestive system working more effectively.

Eat slowly

If you swallow food too quickly, it can bring air into your digestive tract which can cause bloating and gas. Eating slowly will help you avoid swallowing air during meals.

Avoid straws

We all know that plastic straws are bad for the environment, but even other straws can be bad for digestion. Drinking from a straw can also make us swallow air and feel bloated.

Introduce probiotics to your diet

Probiotics bring good bacteria into your intestines. It helps you to regulate the colon bacteria that can produce gas and cause you to feel bloated. Probiotic foods like kefir, kombucha, tempeh, and yogurt all contain probiotics and are a delicious way to help you get these good bacteria into your diet.

Include diuretic foods in your diet

Foods like lemons, ginger, apple cider vinegar, celery, oats, and tomatoes help the body get rid of unwanted fluids reducing water retention.

Reduce Your Salt Intake

Excess sodium causes water retention which can cause you to feel swollen and bloated in your abdomen and other parts of your body. It’s also not healthy to ingest too much sodium! It can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Try a Low-FODMAP Diet

Start a Food Diary

#10. Look at Your Medications and Supplements

Pelvic Pain & Abdominal Pain In Women: Causes & Symptoms

There are a plethora of systems and organs that can cause women to have abdominal and pelvic pain. Sometimes pain is due to digestive issues while other times it can be caused by the reproductive system and menstrual cycle. Your body gives you many signs that can help you uncover what might be causing your pain. Were here to help you understand the pangs, aches, and cramps you may be feeling.

In addition to the above prevention methods, women can also:

• Avoid contraceptive methods that contain spermicide
• Avoid using a diaphragm as a birth control method
• Avoid the use of feminine products on genital regions, such as deodorant sprays and douches, which have the potential to irritate the urethra
• Receive vaccination against certain E. coli strains

How Can I Treat Abdominal Pain

If you have abdominal pain, keeping warm and placing a heat pack or hot water bottle on your stomach may help.

If your abdominal pain does not require you to stop eating and drinking, stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of clear, non-alcoholic fluids. If you have a medical condition that restricts your fluid intake, check with your doctor about how much fluid you can have.

Eat small meals and foods such as rice, dry toast or bananas. Avoid spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine until 48 hours after the pain has gone away.

Several medicines can help if you have non-acute abdominal pain, including:

• paracetamol to ease the pain
• charcoal tablets or similar for wind pain
• medicines to ease spasms
• medicines to stop diarrhoea

Avoid aspirin or anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen and naproxen since these can irritate your stomach. A pharmacist can advise you about the most appropriate medicine for your abdominal pain.

In more serious cases, the treatment recommended will depend on the cause and severity of the abdominal pain, and how long you have had it. Treatment may include following a particular diet in the long term getting more exercise taking medicines or having surgery.

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How To Prevent Bloating

Typically, the first line of treatment for preventing gas and bloating is changing your diet. Research has shown that a low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols diet can reduce the symptoms of gas and IBS. A low FODMAP diet avoids fermentable, gas-producing food ingredients, such as:

• Oligosaccharides, which are found in wheat, onions, garlic, legumes and beans
• Disaccharides, such as lactose in milk, yogurt and ice cream
• Monosaccharides, including fructose , apples and pears
• Polyols or sugar alcohols found in foods such as apricots, nectarines, plums and cauliflower, as well as many chewing gums and candies

In people sensitive to FODMAP-rich foods, the small intestine doesn’t always fully absorb these carbohydrates, and instead passes them to the colon, where they are fermented by bacteria and produce gas. To see if some of the FODMAP foods are causing your gas and bloating you can start by cutting out FODMAP foods and then slowly bringing them back into your diet one at a time to pinpoint any foods that are causing the problems.

In the long run, the key to preventing bloating is understanding its cause. If mild constipation is the problem, a fiber-rich diet, water and exercise may help, but these steps wont always work for chronic constipation. Chronic constipation and other conditions, such as IBS or gastroparesis, require medical treatment, so its important to talk to your doctor about your bloating symptoms.

Possible Reasons For Bloating And Distension Include:

• Too much gas in the intestine
• Abnormal levels of bacteria in the small intestine
• Imbalance of microorganisms that usually live in the bowel sometimes the result of taking antibiotics
• Food intolerance
• Increased perception and sensitivity to what is happening in the digestive tract
• Increased curvature of the lumbar region of the spine , which decreases the capacity of the abdomen to hold gas

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Take A Digestive Enzyme

Our bodies need 3 categories of enzymes in order to break down food: lipase for fat digestion, amylase for carbohydrate digestion, and protease for protein digestion. Many of us lack proper levels of each of these enzymes due to over-medication, poor digestive function, and a nutrient-poor diet lacking in foods containing these enzymes.

Supplementing with digestive enzymes in the short-term can be a good option if digestion is impaired. Taking one after a meal if a stomachache comes on can help curb the pain and support digestion, and ideally, you should get in the habit of having one before the meal, as thats the optimal time to take one.

Things To Tell Your Doctor:

• Is the symptom located in the upper or lower abdomen?Is it in a concentrated area?
• Is your bloating or distension associated with burping?
• Do you experience nausea or vomiting?
• Is the symptom associated with pain in your abdomen?Upper or lower?
• Does the bloating or distension relate to passing gas or a change in your bowel habits ?
• Are your symptoms related to food? Which ones?
• Do they occur right after eating?
• Do your symptoms increase during the day or improve during night hours?

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Sudden Stomach Cramps With Diarrhoea

If your stomach cramps have started recently and you also have diarrhoea, the cause may be a tummy bug . This means you have a viral or bacterial infection of the stomach and bowel. It should get better without treatment after a few days.

Gastroenteritis may be caused by:

• coming into close contact with someone whos infected
• eating contaminated food

If you have repeated bouts of stomach cramps and diarrhoea, you may have a long-term condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome .

Diseases Causing Increased Gas

Most people with gas-related symptoms have increased sensitivity to gas or have one of the causes of increased gas production mentioned above. However, occasionally these symptoms can be caused by diseases of the bowel. Sometimes, the illness can be short-lived. For example, acute gastroenteritis , often caused by infection with a virus, can result in a short-term condition associated with increased gas.

Occasionally, gas-related symptoms can be features of long-term diseases. All of them can cause at least one gas-related symptom .

Examples include:

Coeliac diseaseCoeliac disease is caused by intolerance to a protein called gluten which is found in certain foods containing wheat, barley and rye. It principally affects the part of the gut called the small intestine. It can occur at any age. Symptoms are relieved by avoiding gluten-containing foods. See the separate leaflet called Coeliac Disease.

DiverticulitisDiverticulitis occurs when small pouches in the wall of the large bowel become infected. See the separate leaflet called Diverticula .

Short bowel syndromeShort bowel syndrome can be a complication of bowel surgery. If more than half the small bowel is removed during surgery this can cause difficulties in food absorption.

GiardiasisThis is caused by infection with a germ called giardia. One of the symptoms is belching up foul-smelling gas.

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Middle Of The Abdomen

Upper middle:

The upper middle part of the abdomen contains the liver, the cardiac region of the stomach, part of the body of the stomach, the pyloric region of the stomach, and the pancreas.

The liver filters blood and creates bile, which is a substance that helps in the breakdown and absorption of fat in the foods you eat.

The cardiac region of the stomach is where food enters from the esophagus.

The pyloric region of the stomach is the last part of the stomach before food enters into the duodenum of the small intestine.

The pancreas is a large glandular organ that releases digestive enzymes and hormones.

Lower middle:

The lower middle part of the abdomen contains the urinary bladder, rectum, and anus.

The urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine for excretion out of the body through the urethra.

The rectum goes into the anus, the final section of the large intestine that carries stool for excretion from the body.

Causes For Stomach Bloating

Stomach Bloating can be a troublesome issue to deal with. And though there are several ways you can treat the issue, understanding the causes for the same can help you deal with it better. Accordingly, here are some of the more common causes for stomach bloating in women.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS is one of the most common causes for bloating in individuals. And sadly, most of the time it gets mistaken for either indigestion or gas. More prominent in women, IBS can cause bloating in addition to causing other conditions like abdominal pain, extreme discomfort, gas and irregular bowel movements etc.

Eating Fatty Foods

Fatty foods do much more than just adding fat cells to your body. Accordingly, fatty foods can prolong digestion and just stay in the stomach for long periods without moving out. This can then cause severe bloating.

Drinking Less Water

In addition to ridding your body off impurities and other toxins, water helps to regulate digestion and takes care of gastrointestinal disorders as well. So if you are not drinking enough water on a daily basis, you may experience indigestion problems and severe bloating as a result of the same.

Increased Intake Of Dairy Products

Chewing Gum

Healthy Foods

Eating Foods That Are Reheated

Hormonal Imbalances

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Gerd Shortness Of Breath

Studies show that stomach acid can inflame the windpipe, which affects breathing. However, esophageal acidity can also trigger the vagus nerve which tells the lungs to tighten , and this can cause GERD wheezing.

TIPThe vagus nerve is an essential part of the central nervous system that is responsible for automatic bodily functions, like breathing and digestion.

What Is The Prognosis For People Who Have Stomach Cancer

The outlook for stomach cancer depends on the stage of the cancer. People in the early stages of stomach cancer have a much greater rate of survival than those at a later stage:

• If stomach cancer is found in its earliest stage and can be removed with an endoscope, the five-year survival rate is higher than 90 percent.
• If the cancer is found after it has spread to areas surrounding the stomach, the five-year survival rate is 28 percent.
• If the cancer has spread to areas beyond those surrounding the stomach, the five-year survival rate is 4 percent.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 02/17/2019.

References

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Is It Possible For A Gastroenterologist To Identify A Hernia

Tests and Diagnosis

When your doctor is attempting to figure out whats causing your heartburn or another symptom, he or she may uncover a hiatal hernia. A/an: a/an: a/an: a/an: a/an: a/an: a/an: a/an: a/an: X-ray with barium. You consume a gritty substance that coats the inside of your esophagus and stomach.

Bloating: Causes And Prevention Tips

How often do you hear yourself or friends complain about bloating? We often just say we’re bloated when we feel full, but for many women, the problem relates to a chronic underlying condition. If you feel bloated often, you may have a condition like irritable bowel syndrome , which affects up to 24 of women.

Here are some common causes of bloating and tips on preventing this uncomfortable condition.

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When To Seek Medical Help

Most abdominal bloating should resolve itself with time when the excess gases, liquids, or food can move through the stomach and intestines. However, if your abdominal bloating and shortness of breath last longer than a day, seek medical attention.

The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if you need help finding a primary care doctor.

Also seek immediate medical attention if you experience the following symptoms along with shortness of breath and abdominal bloating:

Medical treatments for abdominal bloating and shortness of breath will address the underlying condition. For example, over-the-counter medications may help resolve abdominal bloating. Bronchodilators can help to open the airways and improve breathing.

Will Uti Go Away On Its Own

Antibiotics are an effective treatment for UTIs. However, the body can often resolve minor, uncomplicated UTIs on its own without the help of antibiotics. By some estimates, 2542 percent of uncomplicated UTI infections clear on their own. In these cases, people can try a range of home remedies to speed up recovery.

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Can Ascites Be Cured

Treatments for ascites can help improve symptoms and reduce complications. In some patients, ascites may resolve with diuretic therapy or with TIPS or liver transplant. In the case of alcohol-associated hepatitis, ascites may resolve with improvements in liver function. Follow your healthcare providers recommendations to stay as healthy as possible.

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.

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Bad Eating Habits = Bloating

Its no surprise that bad eating habits can contribute to bloating. Overeating or eating too quickly can cause that stuffed feeling because your digestive system slows down, trying to process a large or fast intake of food. When you talk while eating, drink through a straw or chew gum, you swallow air that can go into your digestive system, causing bloating.

Processed foods, such as hotdogs and chips, also can create bloating. Many processed foods are high in sodium, which makes your body retain water and can cause your stomach to feel bloated. Sugary foods and snacks break down in your body and can make you gassy.

Even what you drink can upset your stomach. Carbonated beverages like beer and soda contain bubbles with carbon dioxide, a gas that releases into your stomach.

Take A Warm Bath Soaking And Relaxing

The heat of the bath can provide relief for a sore abdomen. Relaxation can reduce stress levels, which may allow the GI tract to function more effectively and help reduce bloating.

Quick fixes are not always effective for some causes of bloating. However, people who have frequent bloating may find that certain lifestyle changes can tackle the causes and reduce bloating over time.

People can use these simple steps to try to prevent bloating in the long-term:

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When Bloating Is A Sign Of Something More Serious

Each of the previous reasons for bloating can be overcome through diet, exercise, and mindful living. Although not as common, bloating may be an indication of a more serious condition that requires medical attention. The following are three conditions and what to look for.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a disorder that causes a change in bowel habits such as constipation, diarrhea, or both. These changes can cause stomach pain. If you are diagnosed with IBS, youre not alone according to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, 10-15 percent of Americans have IBS. If you notice these symptoms or think you have IBS, see your doctor.

Crohns Disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can cause bloating. It is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and/or fever. If you experience a combination of these symptoms, visit your doctor to get tested for Crohns disease.

Cancer.Dont panic! Most of the time bloating is a result of something very treatable. However, in rare cases, it can be a sign of a more serious illness such as cancer. If your bloating is combined with symptoms such as blood in the stool and weight loss, you may want to see your doctor who can check you for pancreatic or stomach cancer .

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Ease The Digestive Tract With Peppermint

Peppermint oil and peppermint tea can help reduce stomach bloating and are widely marketed as a treatment for digestive problems. Peppermint relaxes the intestinal muscles to allow more effective gastric emptying. Once the gas and stool move through the system, you should feel relief.

You can get peppermint oil capsules or peppermint tea over the counter at drug stores or online, or you can enjoy a refreshing cup of Tummy Tea, which contains fresh peppermint leaves and other ingredients that are combined to support your digestive system and help relieve stomach bloating.

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