Swallowing Too Much Air
Most people think of taking in air when they inhale, but it can also be done a number of other ways. Common daily habitssuch as drinking from a straw, chewing gum and eating too quicklyare ways to add air into your digestive tract instead of your respiratory system.
When you swallow too much air you can start to feel bloated, Hoffman said. If its becoming a problem, start cutting out gum and straws and see if that helps eases your symptoms.
You Had A Lot Of Fructose
Fructose is a type of sugar and, if you want to get really technical, it’s a two-unit sugar molecule that’s a part of sucrose, Cohen says. And, yep, it can make you bloat.
“A lot of fructose in the gut attracts water into the gut,” Cohen explains. And that can lead to feelings of fullness and bloating. Prevention is really the way to go here. Fructose appears in a lot of sugar-free gums and candies, as well as apple juice and honey, Cohen says. If it seems like fructose could be behind your bloat, it’s time to scale back. Also, it’s a good idea to see your doctoryou may have a fructose intolerance.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- Do I need a test to diagnose lactose intolerance?
- Why do certain foods cause my bloating when they never used to?
- What can I do if I have diabetesand my medicine or artificial sweeteners cause bloating?
- Could my bloating be a sign of something more serious?
- What kind of tests will I need?
- What kind of over-the-counter medicine can I try?
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Tips To Reduce Bloating
Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to reduce period bloating, which include:
- Physical activity: Getting regular physical activity has been proven to relieve PMS symptoms like bloating. Aim to exercise most days of the month.
- Diet: Avoid foods that can cause or worsen bloating. Stay away from foods that contain caffeine, salt, or sugar right before and during your period.
- Eat slowly: Eating too quickly can lead to swallowing air, which causes bloating. Try to slow down at meal times and avoid chewing gum and carbonated drinks, as these foods can also result in swallowing air.
- Sleep: A lack of sleep has been linked with increased PMS symptoms. Aim for seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep if possible.
- Stress reduction: Women who report feeling stressed are more likely to experience PMS symptoms. Try relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, and massage to improve your symptoms.
- Avoid tobacco: Smoking may worsen PMS symptoms like bloating.
Get Relief From Bloating
The most obvious way to reduce bloating is to avoid any foods that are your gassy triggers. Some foods that are high in certain carbs such as garlic, onions and other vegetables arent easy for the body to absorb and can bring on bloating. A low FODMAP diet is often recommended for anyone with irritable bowel syndrome because those foods dont cause as much gas. Foods in a low FODMAP diet include:
- Spinach
- Fruits such as bananas, cantaloupe, oranges and grapes
- Grains such as quinoa and rice
- Lactose-free dairy products
When you eat, consume smaller meals and allow your body time to digest. Drink plenty of water to help your digestive system run smoothly. If high fiber foods make you bloated or constipated, staying hydrated can help soften bowel movements, making them easier to pass.
Activity also can calm that bloated feeling. Although exercise may not sound appealing when you feel bloated, mild physical activity can stimulate the digestive system. Gentle yoga movements that relax the abdomen can help relieve belly swelling, too.
To combat occasional gassiness, try over-the-counter antacids.
If these DIY remedies dont help, talk with your doctor. Although rare, chronic pain and lethargy could be symptoms of inflammation or other conditions.
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Stomach Bloating After Eating: Causes And Treatment
Written byBel Marra HealthPublished onFebruary 23, 2018
Bloating can be a huge painliterally. Bloating is characterized by inflation of the stomach, often after eating. Stomach bloating can often occur after eating certain foods. It may be accompanied by pain, cramping, flatulence, and belching. At times, bloating can be caused by underlying medical conditions and can be experienced by women during menstruation, but more often, bloating is a result of dietary choices. Bloating is usually temporary and will subside on its own in time.
Be Your Own Detective
Sometimes bloating is caused by the consumption of foods that your body cannot digest efficiently. It can be challenging to pinpoint a food sensitivity as we can experience symptoms up to 48 hours after consuming something that doesnt agree with us, depending on the mechanism through which you react. If you have a feeling that something youre eating isnt working for you, it can be helpful to keep a note of your symptoms and everything you eat for a couple of weeks to try and track the culprit/s.
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Why You Experience Bloating After Eating
As mentioned, you usually do not need to worry about feeling bloated after a meal, but if it happens quite often, you may need to dig deeper into the details to identify the underlying cause. Here are some of the most common reasons:
1. Food Intolerance
How people react to certain food is quite fascinating. Some people can eat anything without noticing any problem, while others are more sensitive to certain food and end up feeling bloated. If you experience this on a regular basis, this could be because you are intolerant to certain types of food. Yeast, gluten, milk, and fructose can all cause stomach bloating in some people.
2. Overeating
One obvious reason of dealing with bloating after eating is to eat too much. Overeating will most often result in flatulence and bloating. This happens because your digestive system fails to break down the food when there is too much of it. The best solution is to eat smaller meals more often throughout the day.
3. Lack of Digestive Enzymes
4. Eating Fatty Food
If your diet includes too much of fatty food, you are surely going to deal with bloating after eating. Your body takes a lot longer to process high-fat meals. Fat moves slowly through your digestive tract and increases the chances of you feeling bloated. You should consider eating leaner food, such as grains and produce.
5. Eat Too Fast
6. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
7. Coeliac Disease
Which Foods Cause Stomach Bloating After Eating
All types of foods can be triggers for bloating, including carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. For some people, having a food intolerance can also increase the risk of bloating. The most common triggers include apples, dairy products, beans, cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage, lettuce, onion, peaches, and pears. Artificial sweeteners, like those found in diet sodas, can also be a cause of bloating. Many people cannot digest these sweeteners, resulting in an unusual amount of gas.
Switching to a whole grain diet has been known to cause bloating, as the amount of fiber intake is significantly increased after switching to whole grains and fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate. If you plan to switch to a whole grain diet, make sure to do so slowly and drink plenty of water.
Salt is another well-known culprit of bloating. When people talk about losing water weight, what they are referring to is the bodys natural tendency to decrease water retention when salt intake is reduced. Avoiding foods with high salt content can prevent water retention and the bloated feeling associated with it.
Dairy intolerance is the most common cause of bloating. Nearly 10 percent of adults suffer from some form of dairy intolerance. While calcium is a required nutrient for the bodys health and well-being, it can be sourced from other foods besides those containing lactose. There are also many lactose-free alternative dairy options.
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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.
You’re Drink Carbonated Beverages
The carbonation in sparking water has also been known to cause gas, bloating and reflux in some people, says Rizzo. If you notice that youre bloated after drinking seltzer, then its time to switch to plain water.
That said, zero-calorie unsweetened seltzers are a great pick for general health and good hydration. Just go easy, okay?
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How Much Bloating Is Normal
Bloating is one of the most commonly reported gastrointestinal complaints, according to research published in the journal Gastroenterology & Hepatology. But while bloating is common, only a certain amount is considered normal, or healthy.
If you eat a huge meal and youre a little bit bloated and gassy, thats normal, says , a dietitian and health coach at Parsley Health in New York City. You may also feel unusually full and tight if you scarf your food down quickly, as this may bring excess air into your stomach. But if youre experiencing it with almost anything you eat, and its hard to identify food triggers, that is a red flag, Cohen says. If you have been experiencing bloat and discomfort for a prolonged period and/or youve had lifelong digestive issues, thats when its time to dig deeper for root causes, she adds.
What Causes Bloating And Gas After Eating
Bloating is a term thatâs often used to describe a feeling of uncomfortable fullness, having a tight, swollen belly, and feeling gassy after eating. Bloating happens when large amounts of air or gas get trapped in your gut.
So, what causes bloating?
Eating is a common cause of bloating because our bodies produce gas as they digest food.
We can also end up swallowing air when we eat, which gets trapped in our digestive system. The fizzy gas in carbonated drinks and beer can also make you feel bloated, although it often comes out through burping rather than from the other end of your digestive system.
The gas lower down the gut mainly comes from the trillions of microbes that make up your gut microbiome. As our gut microbes break down components in our food, they release lots of different molecules, called metabolites, as well as gases that we usually get rid of by farting.
Several factors affect how much gas brews up in the gut. The most obvious is what youâve eaten, as well as the types and numbers of different microbes living in the gut. Another is the length of time food takes to travel through your gut, known as transit time.
This gut gas is mostly made up of nitrogen, hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide, which donât smell. The classic fart stink comes from the tiny amounts of strong-smelling hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur-containing compounds that are also in there.
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For Much More Information On Bloating:
Dr Libby recently presented a 90-minute online event event called Bloating and fluid retention, and now you can now watch the replay online!
In this replay, Dr Libby teaches you the reasons why we can experience fluid retention and bloating, and the steps to take to ease this suffering, naturally.
Watch and learn:
- The reasons behind why we can retain fluid
- What drives bloating and why it happens
- Ways to decipher whats driving your fluid retention or bloating
- Why cellular health is so crucial to maintaining optimal fluid levels
- Reasons excess gas can be the problem and what to do about this
- Which foods commonly trigger bloating
- Nutrients and supplements that can help the body excrete excess fluid
- Ways to alleviate fluid retention
- Quick tips to ease discomfort from bloating
Youre Not Eating Enough
Nearly every client who comes to my practice complaining of GI symptoms and thinking they need an elimination diet is eating too few calories to support an active lifestyle and not allowing themselves to eat certain foods and food groups, says Jones.
It doesn’t take long for them to notice improvements in GI symptoms by increasing portion sizes and the variety of foods they eat. Speak to your dietitian or slowly increase portion sizes to see if it helpsyou dont want to overdo it and eat too much, of course.
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Possible Reasons Why Youre Suddenly So Bloated
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We bet you can relate to this scenario: You slip on your go-to pair of jeansthe ones you probably wear a little too often because theyre lying on your floorbut on this particular occasion, you just cant seem to button them. In fact, your bellys looking a whole lot bigger than it did just yesterday. What gives?
Ugh, the dreaded bloat. Women are more likely to puff up around the midsection than men, thanks to water retention caused by higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, says Rachita Reddy, M.D. But that doesnt mean guys are immune to belly bulge.
Weve all felt swollen after going ham on too many Doritos or a grease-soaked burger, but there are quite a few sneaky causes of bloating. Check out the 10 most common culprits, and start deflating, stat.
Rule Out Medical Conditions
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.
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Avoid Rapid Weight Gain
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.
Youre Not Getting Enough Exercise
Exercise can do wonders for your GI tract. Essentially, it gets things moving and decreases your risk for constipation and, therefore, bloating. Adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week, along with strength-building exercises. Just by exercise and adhering to a plant-forward diet, like the Mediterranean diet, its beneficial for a lot of things and can help with bloating, as well, Dr. Christmas says.
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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 body’s 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
5. Heartburn
6. Dyspepsia
7. Pancreatic Cancer
Ways To Avoid Bloating After Eating
Once you know the reasons behind bloating,you can take steps to deal with it. Here is what you can do to keep bloating at bay.
1. Avoid Carbonated Drinks
You should avoid carbonated drinks or at least limit their intake. Drink more of these drinks and carbon dioxide will build up in your system. This will lead to bloating. The best thing is to stick with plain water or add a slice of lemon to make it taste better.
2. Eat Slowly
Do not eat too fast because this makes you swallow air that leads to bloating after eating. Take more time to eat this keeps you from swallowing air and also helps reduce your overall food intake.
3. Take a Walk
Go for a walk after you eat your meal. Even a short walk after a meal can work wonders in reducing the gas buildup that usually leads to bloating. Besides, walking will also benefit your overall health.
4. Mind the Food You Eat
What’s more, several difficult-to-digest, bloat-inducing foods can make things extremely difficult when you are already having a hard time dealing with bloating after eating.
5. Try a Supplement
You can find gas-busting or anti-gas supplements such as a-galactosidase tablets to avoid dealing with gas after eating certain foods. These pills not just help relieve bloating, but they also prove effective against flatulence and belching. You need to take most of these supplements before every meal, but talk to your doctor about how often you should take it.
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