Is Bloating A Cause For Concern
October 26, 2018 By Yenny Rojas
Weve all had that bloated, uncomfortable full belly feeling at some point. Most of the time, its perfectly normal and no cause for concern. On rare occasions, it could be an indication of a more serious problem. Unless your bloating is accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and weight loss, its probably nothing to worry about. Most of the time, diet and other simple reasons such as eating a big meal or too much salt can explain the bloating youre experiencing. Lets discuss some common causes of bloating, and when bloating can be a cause for concern.
How To Relieve Bloating After Eating
The best way to relieve bloating is to prevent its occurrence. As dietary triggers are often the cause of bloating, knowing which triggers you are most sensitive to is vital to avoid bloating. Keeping an eye on your intake of fiber, salt, and carbonated beverages can also play a big part in preventing stomach bloating. Also, make sure you are not consuming a high-fat diet, as fatty foods are a major culprit in stomach bloating after eating. There also may be a difference between trans fats, saturated fats, and unsaturated fats for your digestion as well, so try and keep track of which ones make you feel the worst.
Although it is a dairy product, eating yogurt can help to fill your stomach with healthy bacteria in the form of probiotics, which boost digestion and gut health. When eating, try not to drink too many liquids. Beverages dilute stomach acids and cause the digestion process to become prolonged. Wait until after eating to finish your drink. Finally, take your time and eat slowly while sitting up straight. Allowing your digestive tract time to begin the digestive process will help to decrease the risk of bloating after eating.
Why Are Fodmaps Difficult To Digest
FODMAPs are fermentable short-chain carbohydrates. Translated, that means two things: They are sugar molecules that are linked together in chains, and they are fermentable by the bacteria in your gut. Molecules in chains need to be broken down into single molecules to be absorbed through your small intestine. But FODMAPs cant be broken down, so they cant be absorbed there. Your small intestine draws in extra water to help move the FODMAPs through to your large intestine. There, the bacteria living in your colon have a field day fermenting them . This produces gasses and fatty acids as byproducts inside your gut.
You May Like: How To Prepare For Ib Psychology Exam
What Causes Upper Abdominal Bloating
1. Gas-Inducing Foods
When eating, food is digested in the stomach and enters the small intestines where the enzymes break down the proteins, sugars, carbohydrates and sugars for energy. Gas-inducing foods are more difficult to digest, and can cause gas to build up during the digestive process. The amount of gas that different foods cause may vary from person to person and some examples of gas-producing foods are fried and fatty foods, vegetables such as broccoli, and Brussel sprouts, beans, some fruits, eggs, breads and carbonated or alcoholic drinks.
2. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
A common disorder called irritable bowel syndrome , affects the large intestine causing upper abdominal bloating and pain. Symptoms can also include diarrhea or constipation, and the condition affects more women than men. Irritable bowel syndrome may also be associated with depression, stress, anxiety, or a previous intestinal infection. The treatment for IBS could include anti-diarrhea medications, fiber supplements, pain medication, and dietary restrictions on gas producing foods.
3. Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is caused by inflammation of the lining of the small intestine that inhibits the bodys ability to digest gluten. Celiac disease sometimes causes people to become malnourished, despite eating what is otherwise a healthy diet. Although the cause of this disease is unknown, the condition is often hereditary.
4. Lactose Intolerance
7. Pancreatic Cancer
Will I Need Surgery For Ascites
Sometimes, diuretics and a low-sodium diet arent enough to improve the ascites. You may need other treatments, including:
- Paracentesis: Your provider inserts a needle into your abdomen to remove the fluid. This procedure can remove a large amount of excess fluid.
- Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt : This procedure is performed to treat fluid build-up in the abdomen. A wire mesh is inserted into a vein in your liver. When inflated, the stent forms a channel to bypass the liver. TIPS may be appropriate if your ascites aren’t responding to other therapies, if you need several paracenteses per month and you’re not a candidate for a liver transplant.
- Liver transplant: In cases of severe cirrhosis, when the liver is failing, a liver transplant may be necessary.
Don’t Miss: What’s Good For Leaky Gut
Signs And Symptoms Of A Bloated Stomach
The main sign of a distended abdomen is a feeling of tightness or fullness in your belly that may or may not be accompanied by visible swelling.
However, other symptoms associated with stomach bloating may include:
- Abdominal adhesions from past surgeries in your abdominal or pelvic area, such as a hysterectomy
Constipation
Constipation can refer to several different issues:
- The infrequent passage of stool
- Passing hard stools that may resemble rocks or pebbles
- Straining to start or pass stools
- The feeling of incomplete emptying after a bowel movement
Any of these symptoms associated with constipation can lead to abdominal bloating, because the longer your stool waits to be passed, the more time bacteria in your colon has to ferment it. This process leads to gassiness, and in turn, bloating.
Premenstrual syndrome
Bloating is one of the most common symptoms of PMS. If you’re feeling bloated in the days before your period is supposed to start, PMS is likely the culprit. It’s caused by natural changes in female hormones during your cycle. One of these hormones, estrogen, can increase water retention, or the amount of fluid your body holds.
There are four subsets of PMS:
Who Might Benefit From A Low
The low-FODMAP diet is often prescribed for limited periods for people diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth . Studies show that a majority of people living with these conditions benefit from the diet. It can also be used as a short-term elimination diet for anyone who has digestive problems and wants to try and isolate the foods that are causing them. An elimination diet removes common problem foods and then adds them back in systematically to observe how your system reacts. The low-FODMAP diet is just one of many elimination diets that you can use to discover food sensitivities.
Recommended Reading: What Happens If You Take Probiotics Everyday
What Are The Treatments For Stomach Cramps
- Mild abdominal cramps can be treated with home remedies or OTC medicine. Home remedies like apple cider vinegar, ginger, and chamomile tea, in particular, are known to relieve mild pains and bloating in the abdomen.
- Stomach cramps that occur as a result of allergies and intolerances can be avoided by dietary changes. After tests and diagnosis, your doctor will prescribe you a customised diet, limiting the foods that trigger the allergy.
- Dietary changes are also effective to control overeating. In cases where it is uncontrollable, it is recommended to consult a dietician or a therapist to identify the underlying cause for overeating.
- If you have IBS, your doctor may prescribe you special medication like fibre supplements, laxatives, or antidiarrheal medication. Pain-relieving medication will be prescribed for IBS patients experiencing severe pains, cramps, and bloating.
Recommended Reading: Does Acid Reflux Cause Pain In Stomach
What You Eat Or Drink
What you eat or drink can also lead to bloating.
- Gum and carbonated beverages:These can increase the amount of air you swallow.
- High-fiber foods: These can increase healthy gut bacteria, which can cause bloating if you aren’t used to eating them.
- Alcohol:Wine, beer, and hard alcohol may cause temporary bloating by irritating your stomach lining.
Recommended Reading: How To Stop Stomach Gurgling And Diarrhea
Pour Yourself Some Tea
To keep belly bloat at bay, reach for peppermint, ginger, or fennel tea, Doyle says. These teas have different properties, which may relax the digestive tract and relieve bloating and gas, Fullenweider says. According to Mount Sinai, peppermint can help with bloating because it relaxes the muscles that play a role in passing painful gas. But dont drink peppermint tea if you struggle with gastroesophageal reflux disease or a hiatal hernia, because it might backfire and result in stomach acids retreating up the esophagus. Instead, consider ginger tea, as previous research has shown that it may help accelerate gastric emptying. Fennel is another good option that has been shown to help with a range of stomach issues, according to a previous review.
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.
You May Like: Do Probiotics Help With Heartburn
Wheres Your Abdominal Bloating And Pain
Pain in different areas of the abdomen can mean different things.
Abdominal pain can be anywhere between the chest and the pelvis. People often call it a stomachache. The pain can also be:
Causes of abdominal bloating and pain can vary from mild to severe. Most of the time, abdominal bloating and pain occur due to:
This kind of bloating or pain is usually normal and will go away within two hours.
In cases of the stomach flu, you may feel intense pain or bloating that comes and goes before each episode of vomiting or diarrhea. Stomach viruses usually go away with rest and home care.
This guide lists the organs associated with different locations of abdominal bloating or pain:
How Does Cirrhosis Cause Ascites
When you have cirrhosis, your liver doesnt function as it should. The decrease in liver function combines with portal hypertension to cause ascites symptoms. Portal hypertension is high pressure in the portal vein that delivers blood to your liver. The high pressure causes fluid to leak out of your veins into your belly and collect there.
Read Also: What To Eat To Help Ibs
How Do You Fix A Distended Abdomen
If your distended abdomen has an organic cause, the treatment will be very specific to that cause. It might mean managing a disease, infection, growth, obstruction, or injury. An acute case will resolve when the underlying cause has been treated. A chronic case may be treated supplementally with diuretics , laxatives or activated charcoal capsules .
If you have functional abdominal distension and the cause is unknown, it might take some trial and error to manage it. Your healthcare provider may recommend a hydrogen breath test to help determine the cause of excess intestinal gas. They might also recommend you try dietary changes, probiotics or enzymes to improve digestive processes. If they suspect muscle weakness as a cause, they might suggest abdominal or pelvic floor exercises.
Bloated Stomach After Eating Certain Foods Or Meals
Getting bloated stomach after eating certain foods or meals is usually a much easier to handle. The solution is simple: the elimination diet. You stop eating the foods or meals you suspect cause bloating for a few days and see if eliminating these foods reduce your bloating and other digestive issues. Many people are surprised to learn that many foods that are considered very healthy and are widely recommended for good health, are the cause of their bloating issues.
If this is something you want to explore, you may want to check if these common foods and eating habits known to cause bloating apply to you:
You May Like: How Much Poop Can Your Body Hold When Constipated
Causes Of Stomach Bloat
High fiber foods that might cause this are beans, dairy products, and even some fruits and vegetables, such as:
- Brussels sprout
Overeating or eating too fast can also be triggers.
Bloat could also be a sign of greater, underlying conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome , Lactose intolerance, or even a wheat allergy. Stomach bloat can also be a result of consuming too much salt on a daily basis, causing your stomach to keep excess water.
Remedies For Belly Fat
While a simple diet change helps get rid of bloat, belly fat takes a bit more work. Try for at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Following a healthy diet filled with lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and lots of water can also help shed those pounds. It is important to remember that everyone gains and loses weight differently, so be sure talk to your doctor about what fits best for you.
Don’t Miss: Can You Have Heartburn Without The Burn
Why Is My Dog Bloated And Drinking A Lot Of Water
If your dog is drinking excessively it is possibly because he is losing excess amounts of water for any of a number of reasons. While a number of diseases result in excess water intake and urine output, the most common of these diseases include kidney failure, diabetes mellitus and Cushings disease.
How To Improve Your Gut Health
Finding the foods that work best for your unique body and your community of gut bacteria starts with understanding which bugs are living in your gut right now, and which foods will help them thrive.
Our gut microbiome test is the most advanced available on the market, using a deep level of sequencing to identify the microbes in your gut. Weâll tell you which bugs youâre hosting, together with an in-depth understanding of how your body responds to foods so you can take back control of your health and weight for good.
Want to learn more about your unique microbiome and discover your responses to food? Join the ZOE Program today and start your journey towards a healthier gut.
You May Like: How To Lose My Bloated Stomach
You May Like: Can A Massage Cause Diarrhea
What Is Bloating What Does Feeling Bloated Mean
Why am I so bloated? Abdominal bloating or feeling bloated is a very frequent and familiar symptom most people have experienced at some time in their lives. There are many reasons you may feel bloated. Most causes are simple, harmless, and easily treatable with over-the-counter or home remedies. Very rarely, abdominal bloating is caused by something more serious, leading to a rapid worsening of uncomfortable symptoms.
The definition of bloated is swelling or distension, and it usually refers to abdominal bloating, which is a distended belly. Bloating may be accompanied by burping , gas , abdominal discomfort, and a feeling of fullness. People sometimes refer to abdominal bloating as a bloated stomach or bloated belly.
Common Causes Of Bloating
The following are some common reasons why you might feel bloated. In most instances, these causes of bloating can be reduced or eliminated by practical diet and lifestyle changes.
Healthy eating. Believe it or not, healthy foods are the reason for a bloated stomach. Whole veggies such as cabbage, brussel sprouts, and carrots and legumes such as beans, can cause extra air to get trapped in your belly, giving you that uncomfortable and bloated feeling. Foods high in fiber and lactose can also cause bloating since they release hydrogen and methane, which are bloating gases. Certain fruits like apples, pears, and watermelon can also cause bloating because of the high ratio of fructose to glucose.
Consuming diet products. Sugar substitutes found in many diet foods, such as sorbitol and xylitol) can cause you to feel bloated and uncomfortable. Ingesting too much of these or any artificial substances can cause bloating.
Fizzy drinks. Bubbly drinks like soda, champagne, or seltzer can do a number on your stomach because of the carbonation. When you ingest these drinks, the bubbles expand in your gut, which leads to that bloated feeling. This is also true of popular probiotic, naturally fermented drinks like kombucha, which can cause gas, bloating and loose stools.
Recovery from a stomach bug. Many people experience bloating after having a stomach virus or bug. Thiss because of the bacterial overgrowth that occurred in the small intestine as a result of the infection.
Also Check: What Causes Constipation In Newborns
Why Does My Stomach Get So Bloated
Bloating. It’s that uncomfortable, overly full, sometimes even painful feeling in your stomach that makes you want to take a nap until the sensation passes. Bloating even can make your stomach look swollen or feel hard to the touch. Although women often feel bloated for a few days or weeks before their period, anyone can have occasional bloating.
What makes your stomach feel like a balloon has expanded inside? Bloating usually happens when gas temporarily builds up in your stomach or intestines. When youre bloated, you may notice that you burp or pass gas frequently, and find that releasing that air brings you some relief. Bloating also occurs when your digestive system slows down and you don’t have regular bowel movements.