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:
Look At Supplements And Medications
Some supplements, such as iron, can cause constipation and other symptoms of indigestion. This can increase bloating. Potassium, on the other hand, may reduce bloating by helping to balance the bodys sodium levels .
Medications may also cause side effects that affect GI function or cause indigestion. If this happens, a doctor or pharmacist can suggest alternatives that are more gentle on the digestive tract.
Although it is not common, bloating and swelling of the abdomen can signify a severe medical condition. Liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, heart failure, kidney problems, and some types of cancer can cause bloating.
Bloating that continues for days or weeks may indicate a health issue that needs medical attention. It is advisable to speak to a doctor about ongoing bloating that does not go away over time.
People whose bloating occurs alongside these symptoms should seek medical advice:
- appetite changes or trouble eating
- bright red blood in the stool
- black or dark maroon stools
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
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Remedies For Stomach Bloat
Sometimes a simple diet change might be all you need. Sticking to foods that are high in protein or complex carbohydrates can help. Drink plenty of water and stay away from carbonated drinks. Making your meals last longer can help keep you from overeating so be sure to try eating slower and chewing your food more.
Another remedy is to try, in place of three meals a day, eating more frequent, smaller meals. This prevents the bloating that typically follows large meals.
Bloating In Upper Abdomen: Signs Symptoms And Treatment
Bloating in the upper abdomen is a common condition that can affect people of all ages.
Bloating in the upper abdomen, also called abdominal distension, causes the stomach to feel bloated and full.
This article will give you all the information on how it affects your body and ways to get rid of belly bloat quickly!
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Eat The Right Amount Of Fibre
Sometimes a low fibre diet is prescribed to people who suffer with bloating because of bowel problems.
Foods like lentils, beans, broccoli, asparagus, corn, wheat, potatoes, artificial sweeteners or too much fibre can cause bloating, says Mr Chophada. Keeping a food diary to see if any specific foods trigger your symptoms and trying an elimination diet can help.
Your gut bugs have a bit of a party when you feed them fibre, which can shake things up while your gut adjusts. So you might find yourself a little bloated or windy, adds The Gut Stuff team. Try to increase your fibre intake by 5g per day per week over a few weeks to reduce the risk of bloating, advises the team.
If you love bread, here are some breads that may not make you bloat.
Question: Why Is My Stomach Bloated And My Back Hurts
If your abdominal bloating and back pain persist, make an appointment with your doctor. You may need medical attention if your symptoms are caused by infection or other severe or chronic illness. These conditions may include: ascites, fluid buildup in the abdomen.
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Dr Gonzales: Where You Bloat Tells A Lot About Why
- Posted On: Apr 30, 2019
Do you regularly gain a pant size after lunch? Does constipation usually accompany your bloating? Bloat is a very common complaint in Dr. Chad Gonzaless clinical practice and one thats fascinated him for years. When patients experience bloating, where its felt it is one of his first questions. According to him, where the bloat occurs is valuable information that can help inform a diagnosis.
Next time you feel bloated, pay attention to where you feel it. Heres what your symptoms may be indicating.
Treatment For Lower Abdominal Bloating
Patients with constipation and predominant irritable bowel syndrome are treated with medication used to improve the consistency and frequency of stool. Dietary changes are recommended, such as upping their fiber and water intake. Patients with pelvic floor dysfunction are sent to a pelvic floor therapist to help with improving rectal anal contractions and relaxation techniques.
Bloating is one of the most fascinating and interesting conditions that I treat, says Dr. Gonzales. The majority of bloaters I see have been suffering for months or even years. Generally, the diagnosis can be found with a simple discussion and careful history of how their diet and symptoms relate to eating.
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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.
Why Is My Lower Stomach Always Bloated
Food intolerance can lead to bloating when:
- your bowel does not empty properly
- the food causes gas to be trapped
- too much gas is produced as a reaction to the food
The most common foods to cause problems are wheat or gluten and dairy products.
The best approach if you have a food intolerance is to eat less of the problem food or cut it out completely.
Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, noting everything that you eat and drink and when bloating troubles you most. But do not get rid of food groups long-term without advice from your GP.
Find out more about food intolerance.
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Abdominal Swelling And Bloating Symptoms
Abdominal bloating and swelling is described in many different ways. Some people describe it more as a symptomas a feeling of indigestion or a tight abdomen, and some people define it more as a signthat they can visually see that their belly is distended or their clothes look too tight around the middle.
Depending on the cause, this symptom can come on suddenly or gradually. It can be something that has recently appeared or a symptom that comes and goes.
You May Be Getting Your Period Soon
Bloating typically accompanies the natural hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle, Dr. Christmas tells Good Housekeeping, and it happens most often during the luteal phase. Thats the time when your hormone levels are rising because its right after you ovulate and your body starts to prepare the uterus for an impending pregnancy, she explains. The luteal phase ends when your period actually begins.
During this time, the hormones estrogen and progesterone increase in the body and are usually to blame for bloating. Estrogen can heighten water retention, and progesterone can slow the gastrointestinal tract, causing constipation in the long run. You might counteract some of this around your cycle.
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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.
What Is A Distended Stomach
The stomach is a hollow organ that fills with food after eating. Its walls are able to stretch and the entire stomach can distend to several times its size when empty. This distention is usually not visible from the exterior as space within the abdominal cavity allows for the stomach to expand. The term stomach is also commonly used, and quite incorrectly, to refer to the abdominal cavity as a whole.
Yet the stomach only occupies a small portion of the abdominal cavity, mainly sitting in the left upper quadrant. The term distended stomach is therefore often used to refer to a distended abdomen. The abdominal cavity is covered by the abdominal wall comprising skin, subcutaneous tissue including variable amounts of fat, muscles and and inner abdominal lining known as the peritoneum.
Read more on location of the stomach.
There is no skeletal system offering a rigid framework to protect the abdominal cavity. Therefore the abdomen can expand with accumulation of fluid, blood, gas or any mass within the cavity. The entire abdomen may distend with fluid and gas or there may be localized distension with masses. However, this is uncommon and only associated with severe diseases.
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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 Have A Buildup Of Hard Fat
The first cause brings us to the root of your hard stomach: a high accumulation of visceral fat. Located in the spaces between organs in your abdominal cavity, visceral fat is packed in tightly, so theres no jiggle room. As it accumulates in your abdomen, it pushes your abdominal wall outwards, which gives the appearance of having a gut. And while the fat itself isnt actually hard per se, the tissues that make up your abdomen are, which is why your beer belly feels rigid when you poke it.
While a hard, protruding beer belly is caused by the buildup of visceral fat, a soft belly is caused by subcutaneous fat, which is located close to the skins surface. If you have subcutaneous belly fat, your belly feels jiggly and softer to the touch. Unlike visceral fat, subcutaneous fat can be pinched.
For men, a waist that measures more than 40 inches is a sign that your belly fat may be increasing your risk of health problems. To measure it properly, place a tape measure around your waist, just above the hip bone . Relax, exhale, and measure without sucking your belly in. Its useful to record the number so you can see how it changes when you lose weight .
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It Could Be An Early Warning Sign Of A Serious Condition
It’s rare compared to other reasons on this list, but bloating may signify another issue that has nothing to do with your lifestyle choices. Constant bloating that doesnt go away after your period, or new instances of bloating that are irregular, could be an early sign of ovarian cancer or colon cancer. Bloating could also signal a number of other serious gastrointestinal problems, such as a bowel blockage, ulcer or conditions like Crohns disease.
Pay attention to other symptoms that accompany your bloating, Dr. Christmas says. If you also have constipation, diarrhea, bloody stool, vomiting with blood, pelvic or abdominal pain, and abnormal uterine bleeding or vaginal discharge, changes in appetite, or start feeling full quickly, you should make an appointment with your doctor.
Any time you have any concern thats bothering you, especially if its something new, you need to be evaluated, she says.
Explained: The Link Between Stress And Stomach Problems
If you are experiencing stomach problems, then you may also be feeling stressed. When we experience high levels of stress, our gut also feels this stress. Stress and anxiety have been linked to chronic health problems such as heart disease, depression, and obesity. There is also a connection between stomach gurgling and bloating, constipation, and stomach pain. Further symptoms of stress induced stomach gurgling include:
- Bad Bacteria Grows, Good Bacteria Dies
- Leaky Gut
- Reduced production of Serotonin
If your stomach gurgling is a symptom of stress, there are many things you can do to change your behavior and response to stress. In general, most of us will often respond to stressful events in a poor way. We will wait and hope that the source of our stress goes away by itself, excessively shop, drink alcohol, treat ourselves to something we want, or gamble. As a result, we then experience more stress and get stuck in a vicious circle.
There are far better ways to handle stress, including:
- Meditation
- Remove the Source of Stress
- List Ways to Solve the Problem
Learn these 3 simple steps to boost digestive health in the morning from BIOHM Health:
How do you manage stomach disturbances? Are you experiencing persistent stomach growling after eating? Lets talk about gut health in the comments below.Up Next:
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Get More Active Every Day
Exercise helps your body move stool and gas out of the colon and may make bowel movements more regular. Exercise also releases extra sodium from the body through sweating, which can help to relieve water retention.
It is vital to drink plenty of water before and after exercising to stay hydrated, as dehydration can make constipation worse.
Right Side Of The Abdomen
Upper right:
The upper right side of your abdomen contains the gallbladder, liver, and first part of the small intestine.
The gallbladder is a small sac that stores bile made by the liver. The duodenum, known as the first portion of the small intestine, is where food empties from the stomach into the small intestine.
Center right:
The center right side of the abdomen contains the ascending colon and the transverse colon. Food then passes from the ascending colon to the transverse colon.
Lower right:
The cecum of the large intestine with the appendix and the small intestine are in the lower right side of the abdomen. The cecum is the first part of the large intestine that the end of the small intestine connects to.
Some experts believe the appendix plays a role in the immune system. Others think it has no purpose.
If your doctor performs a physical exam and then suspects a medical condition is causing your abdominal bloating or pain, theyll run various medical tests.
The types of tests they order will depend on your medical history and physical exam results.
Some common tests for abdominal problems include the following:
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How Do I Get Rid Of My Belly Pooch In A Week
Additionally, check out these tips for how to burn belly fat in less than a week.Include aerobic exercises in your daily routine. … Reduce refined carbs. … Add fatty fish to your diet. … Start the day with a high protein breakfast. … Drink enough water. … Reduce your salt intake. … Consume soluble fiber.
Hallmarks Of Abdominal Swelling
Abdominal swelling is a bothersome, uncomfortable symptom that can leave feeling more full than you are and that your pants are suddenly two sizes too small. It can be due to common gastrointestinal disorders like heartburn, constipation, or irritable bowel syndrome or disease, and these conditions typically bring discomfort and pain. More serious causes of abdominal swelling include intestinal blockage, fluid in the abdomen, or cancer. Obesity, pregnancy, and local skin infections may also cause abdominal swelling symptoms. In many cases, abdominal swelling can be treated at home with lifestyle changes and over-the-counter remedies. However, the more serious causes of abdominal swelling require evaluation and treatment by a physician.
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Left Side Of The Abdomen
Upper left:
This part of the abdomen contains a portion of the body of your stomach, the tail of the pancreas, and your spleen.
The spleen is an organ that filters blood and supports the immune system.
Center left and center middle:
The transverse colon and the small intestine make up the center left and center middle of the abdomen. The small intestine is where most food digestion occurs.
The transverse colon is the upper part of the large intestine, where unabsorbed food is carried after going through the ascending colon. The small intestine is the organ that takes up most of the abdomen.
Lower left:
The descending and sigmoid colon portions are the part of the digestive system that stores unabsorbed food remains and waste before they leave your body.