In addition to feeling full, tight, or pressured in your stomach, bloating can make you feel uncomfortable, unattractive, and even in pain. It is a common digestive problem that affects many people. What you eat or drink, how you eat or drink, or certain medical conditions can all contribute to bloating.
However, bloating can affect your well-being and quality of life, even though it isn't a serious health issue. This blog post discusses the causes and symptoms of bloating, as well as how to beat it. There are a number of ways to prevent and treat bloating, including simple lifestyle changes and natural remedies.
Various factors can affect your digestive system, causing bloating. Some of the most common causes are:
You can swallow gas when you eat or drink too fast, chew gum, or drink carbonated beverages. Gas can accumulate in your stomach or intestines and cause bloating.
A food intolerance occurs when the body cannot digest or absorb certain foods or ingredients. This can cause gas, diarrhea, cramps, and bloating. Lactose intolerance is an inability to digest milk sugar, gluten intolerance is an inability to digest wheat protein, and fructose intolerance is an intolerance to fruit sugar.
When your immune system reacts to a specific food or ingredient as if it were harmful, it is called a food allergy. Food allergies include eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish, which can cause inflammation, hives, itching, swelling, and bloating.
When you have difficulty passing stools or fewer than three bowel movements per week, you have constipation. Dehydration, a lack of fiber, medications, stress, and other medical conditions can cause constipation. Because stool builds up in your colon and presses on your stomach, constipation can make you feel bloated.
The exact cause of IBS is unknown, but it may be related to stress, diet, hormones, infection, or genetics. IBS causes abdominal pain, cramps, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating.
As a result of hormonal fluctuations, your body may retain more water and salt before your period, causing bloating and digestion problems. If you are experiencing menopause, your estrogen levels drop and affect your metabolism and bowel movements. This can also make you feel bloated and swollen.
Other medical conditions: Some other medical conditions that can cause bloating are celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine when gluten is consumed), helicobacter pylori infection (a bacterial infection that causes stomach ulcers), diverticulitis (an inflammation of pouches in the colon), ovarian cancer (a cancer that starts in the ovaries), ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdomen due to liver disease or cancer), and intestinal obstruction (a blockage of the intestine due to tumor, hernia, or scar tissue).
Bloating is characterized by a feeling of fullness or tightness in your stomach or abdomen. Other symptoms include:
A visibly swollen or distended abdomen
A feeling of heaviness or pressure
A feeling of gas or air trapped in your stomach or intestines
Burping or passing gas
Nausea or vomiting
Loss of appetite
Difficulty breathing
Pain or discomfort
Bloating can be prevented by avoiding the factors that cause it. Here are some tips:
You can digest your food better and reduce gas production by eating slowly and chewing well. Eating too fast or not chewing enough can cause you to swallow more air and make you feel bloated.
Your stools should be soft and regular because water helps flush out toxins and waste from your body. Water also prevents dehydration, which can cause constipation. Avoid caffeinated, alcoholic, or carbonated drinks that can dehydrate you or cause gas. Drink at least eight glasses of water per day.
The good bacteria in your gut help you digest your food and reduce gas. Fiber helps regulate your bowel movements and prevents constipation and bloating. Avoid processed foods that are high in sugar, fat, and salt and are low in fiber, such as processed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
If you suffer from gas or intolerance, avoid them. It may vary from person to person, but some common foods include beans, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, garlic, dairy products, wheat products, fructose, sorbitol, and artificial sweeteners. Try to identify and avoid the foods that trigger your bloating and replace them with foods that are easier to digest.
In addition to causing bloating, stress can also make you eat more or less than usual or crave unhealthy foods that can worsen it. You can manage your stress by practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or massage. You can also consult with a friend, a therapist, or a support group for help.
The benefits of exercising include improving digestion and preventing bloating. You can also exercise to relieve stress, boost your mood, and maintain your weight. Choose activities that you enjoy and suit your fitness level and aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day. After a meal, you can also move the gas along your digestive tract by walking, stretching, or doing yoga.
Here are some natural remedies you can try if you have occasional or mild bloating.
If you drink peppermint tea or take peppermint oil capsules before or after a meal, it can relax your digestive tract muscles and ease bloating. Peppermint has antispasmodic properties that can ease bloating. If you suffer from acid reflux or heartburn, peppermint can worsen these conditions, so avoid it.
It has anti-inflammatory and carminative properties, which can help reduce inflammation and gas in the stomach and intestines. You can drink ginger tea or chew on ginger slices before or after a meal. You can also add ginger to your food or take ginger supplements.
Chamomile: Chamomile has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties that can help calm your stomach and reduce bloating. Chamomile tea or chamomile capsules can help you calm your stomach and reduce bloating. Taking chamomile can also improve your sleep if you suffer from bloating.
You can chew on fennel seeds before or after a meal or drink fennel tea to relax the muscles of your digestive tract and expel gas from your stomach and intestines. It has antispasmodic and carminative properties. Additionally, fennel can be added to food or taken as a supplement.
In addition to helping digest your food and reducing gas production, probiotics are beneficial bacteria that live in your gut. In addition to improving your immune system and preventing infections that can cause bloating, probiotics can also improve your immune system and eat probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, or tempeh.
If you have severe or persistent bloating that does not improve with home remedies or lifestyle changes, you should see your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment. If necessary, your doctor may prescribe medication to treat the underlying cause of your bloating or refer you to a specialist.
It is common for people to suffer from bloating at any age due to a variety of causes, such as what they eat or drink, how they eat or drink, or certain medical conditions. You can prevent and treat bloating with simple lifestyle changes and natural remedies. It is best to consult your doctor if your bloating is severe or persistent and does not improve with home remedies and lifestyle changes.
As Hippocrates said,
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
DPC can help you prevent and treat bloating with personalized and attentive care.
