Bloating is a feeling of fullness and pressure on the abdomen that may be accompanied by a visible widening of your girth (distension). The condition often improves after treatment.
You can eat plenty of fiber to prevent bloating, but increase your intake gradually to give your digestive system time to adjust. You should also drink lots of water to stay hydrated.
Trapped Gas
Having and passing gas is normal, but excess bloating can indicate an underlying digestive condition like celiac disease, lactose or fructose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. In some cases, the bloating may be due to fatty foods that slow digestion or certain medications such as antacids, heartburn drugs and antibiotics. Other causes of bloating are menstrual symptoms, internal hernias or adhesions from prior abdominal surgeries.
Sometimes, bloating is the result of eating too much food too fast. When you eat quickly, you swallow a lot of air along with your food, which can cause pain and bloating. If you frequently feel bloated after meals, try chewing gum or suck on candies to reduce the amount of air you swallow with your food. Also, eat smaller meals more frequently so your digestive system doesn’t have to process large amounts of food at one time.
Exercise and movement after a meal also helps relieve bloating by increasing gut motility, which speeds up the way food moves through your system. Try going for a walk or taking a light yoga class after a meal to see if that helps. If you have persistent bloating, see your doctor. They can test you for a variety of conditions including abdominal pain, bloody stool or fever that could indicate a more serious problem. They might prescribe alpha-galactosidase (Beano(r), Lactaid(r)), lactase enzymes or simethicone to help reduce excess bloating.
High-Fiber Foods
High-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes are excellent for regular bowel movements and gut health. But they can also cause bloating in some people. That’s because fiber adds bulk to your poop, which can increase digestive pressure and lead to temporary stomach discomfort.
Other factors that can contribute to bloating include lactose intolerance, chronic stress, certain medications and prior abdominal surgeries. These issues can affect the balance of bacteria in your gut, leading to an overproduction of bad (gas-producing) bacteria and a consequent increase in bloating.
Try keeping a food diary to help connect the dots between your bloating and specific foods. For example, if you’re sensitive to dairy, start by eliminating it for two weeks and see if your bloating improves. If not, you may be lactose intolerant.
A low-FODMAP diet, which excludes foods containing oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (short-chain carbohydrates that the body can’t digest), can also help with bloating. Talk to your doctor before starting this eating pattern, which is best followed under the guidance of a dietitian.
Contaminated Food
Food contamination is a huge global challenge that affects millions of people each year. It can cause a range of symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. Some people may also have a serious allergic reaction. Fortunately, most cases of food contamination can be prevented by following basic food safety practices. There are four main types of contaminated food: chemical, microbial, physical and allergenic.
Chemical contamination is caused by additives like pesticides or heavy metals. These can be harmful to human health, especially for people with sensitive skin or a weak immune system. Common chemical contaminants include toxins, phthalates and BPAs (bisphenol A).
Microbial contamination is caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses or parasites. This type of contamination is particularly dangerous for children, older adults and people who are immunocompromised such as those with HIV/AIDS or those who have received organ transplants.
Physical contamination is when an object such as hair, fingernails, rocks, soil or broken glass gets into food. This can be a significant risk for food poisoning and is mainly caused by poor hygiene in the production of food. People can also become contaminated by eating food that has been in contact with an animal’s waste. This includes raw meat, milk or juice that hasn’t been pasteurized and soft cheeses made from raw milk. This is the most dangerous form of contamination because it can lead to severe illness and even death.
Food Intolerances
Food intolerances cause digestive symptoms in response to a specific type of food. For example, lactose intolerance — a food sensitivity to the milk sugar known as lactase — can cause gas and belly pain in some people. Intolerances to other foods such as fructose, gluten, eggs and some food colorings may also cause bloating. Food intolerances are different from a food allergy, which causes an immune system response that can be life-threatening.
There aren’t tests to diagnose food intolerances, but you can keep a food diary to see which foods trigger your symptoms. You can also try an elimination diet to cut out a food group at a time and observe how your body responds.
Bloating in men is usually harmless, but if you experience pain or pressure in your abdomen, changes in bowel habits or trouble breathing, seek medical attention. Your doctor can check for conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome that could be contributing to your symptoms. He or she can also suggest dietary changes to ease your symptoms. In severe cases, a doctor may order an abdominal ultrasound or colonoscopy to rule out other conditions.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition that causes stomach pain, cramping and bloating. It can also cause changes in your bowel movements, like diarrhea or constipation. It’s important to see a doctor if you have symptoms of IBS, especially if they are frequent and don’t go away. IBS is a chronic disease, but there are things you can do to help manage your symptoms.
IBS can cause bloating because of the way it affects your gut-to-brain connections. The muscles in your stomach and belly can’t communicate correctly with the nerves in your gut, which makes you feel gassy and bloated even when the volume of gas is normal. This is called visceral hypersensitivity and is a common symptom of IBS and other disorders that disrupt the gut-to-brain communication, such as functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis.
Other conditions that can lead to bloating include:
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects your small intestine. When you eat gluten, it triggers your immune system to produce antibodies that attack the lining of your small intestine (villi). This causes malabsorption, so your body doesn’t get all the nutrients from food that it should. If your celiac disease isn’t treated, it can lead to a variety of health problems, including anemia, skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis), infertility, long-term diarrhea and low vitamin levels. It can also increase your risk of developing a second autoimmune disease or cancer.
Your doctor can diagnose celiac disease by doing blood tests to check for antibodies against gluten. They may also do an endoscopy or X-ray to check for damage to your small intestine. You should stop eating gluten before having this test done so your results will be accurate.
Many people who have celiac disease don’t notice any symptoms at first. This can make it hard to know if you have the condition. Over time, untreated celiac disease can cause serious health issues, like anemia, nutrient deficiencies, weight loss, osteoporosis, nervous system injury and thinning bones. It can also raise your risk of intestinal cancer. You can prevent celiac disease by following a gluten-free diet. You can also talk to your doctor about getting tested for it if you have a family history of the condition or other risk factors, like type 1 diabetes.
