A More Serious Condition Such As Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common condition that causes abdominal pain with bloating, diarrhea or constipation. The cause of IBS is unknown, but it may be brought on by certain triggers, including:
- Bacterial infections
- Food sensitivity
- Stressful events
If you think you may have IBS, reach out to your doctor for an evaluation. Many times, lifestyle modifications and medicines can help ease symptoms. You may also try some at-home techniques to relieve your bloating.
Why Is My Stomach Bloated
The most common cause of stomach pain and bloating is excess intestinal gas. If you get a bloated stomach after eating, it can be a digestive issue. It might be as simple as eating too much too fast, or you could have a food intolerance or other condition that causes gas and digestive contents to build up. Your menstrual cycle is another common cause of temporary bloating. Sometimes a bloated stomach can indicate a more serious medical condition.
Drink Ginger Tea Or Eat It Raw
Ginger is a medicinal property-rich herb which is in use since ancient civilization for curing different basic ailments. You can chew raw ginger directly or can prepare its hot drink , in all the forms it works amazing. It can help in reducing inflammation in your gut with its substances like gingerols and shogaols that calms your intestinal muscles and relieves the gas and abdominal swelling problem.
Start your day with a hot and delicious ginger tea to keep your digestive function working smoothly. It is very easy to prepare. You can add honey in it in order to sweeten its taste and can also use few lemon drops which will again enhance its taste and nutrient essence. Also, make your own ginger supplement at home with a powdered ginger root that you can consume every day to enhance your digestive health and getting rid of gas and abdominal swelling problems.
Recommended Reading: What To Eat After Stomach Bug
How Common Is Stomach Bloating
Between 10% and 25% of otherwise healthy people complain of occasional abdominal bloating. As many as 75% describe their symptoms as moderate to severe. About 10% say they experience it regularly. Among those diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome , it may be as much as 90%. Up to 75% of women experience bloating before and during their period. Only 50% of people who experience bloating also report a distended abdomen.
Natural And Other Remedies For Gas
Two products on the market can help with food-related gas and bloating. Both products are packaged forms of the enzymes needed to break down the problematic carbohydrates. Lactase, found in products such as Dairy Ease and Lactaid, can be taken with dairy foods to help break down lactose and lessen gas. Beano helps digest the indigestible carbohydrate in beans and other gas-producing vegetables.
Natural remedies for gas include:
- Peppermint tea
You May Like: Can Hpv Cause Stomach Pain
Bloated Stomach And Swollen Legs
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!
HealthTap doctors are based in the U.S., board certified, and available by text or video.
Fix Bloating From Anxiety
All of these can provide some relief from bloating, but won’t prevent bloating from coming back. You can also check your trigger foods, and see if there are foods that tend to cause more bloating when you’re anxious.
SUMMARY:
Anxiety affects the gut, it affects breathing, and it affects sleep. All of these things can lead to bloating, and what adds to the complications is that bloating can also affect anxiety. Once you feel bloat, you often have to just let it and fade away, but eventually it will become important to address the anxiety itself.
Was this article helpful?
You May Like: Are There Any Stomach Bugs Going Around
Bloating: Causes And Prevention Tips
How often do you hear yourself or friends complain about bloating? We often just say were bloated when we feel full, but for many women, the problem relates to a chronic underlying condition. If you feel bloated often, you may have a condition like irritable bowel syndrome , which affects up to 24 percent of women.
Linda Lee, M.D., explains common causes of bloating and what you can do to prevent this uncomfortable condition.
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?
Recommended Reading: How To Relieve Stomach Acid Pain
Swollen Colon Left Side
The left side of the colon in the left half of the transverse colon that continues from the right upper quadrant to the upper quadrant. It bends at the splenic flexure to become the descending colon and then runs downwards to the left lower quadrant. It then proceeds as the sigmoid colon and connects with the rectum.
- Infection- viruses, bacteria, and parasites are a common cause of swollen colon. Infections can lead to chronic diarrhea, which can cause massive dehydration.
- Blood flow problems- since the proper supply of blood is required by the entire intestinal tract for proper functioning, as well as keeping tissues alive and healthy. Problems in the flow can lead to swelling of your colon. This condition is commonly known as ischemic colic, whereby the arteries of the colon become narrowed or compromised. Some other conditions that can cause this include volvulus and incarcerated hernia.
- Presence of chemical substances
- Collagenous colitis or lymphocytic colitis
Why Your Stomach Swells After Eating
Foods That Result in Gas Formation
Bloating occurs due to gas trapped in your intestines and stomach. After eating, the food gets digested in stomach and then goes into the small bowel, where carbohydrates and proteins present in the food are broken down by the enzymes to be used in the body as energy. Certain foods are hard to digest and may result in excessive gas, which may collect in your digestive system leading to belching, bloating and flatulence. Common gas forming foods are cauliflower, baked beans, carbonated beverages, broccoli, cabbage, vegetables and fruits and hard candy. Bloating can also occur due to swallowing of air from chewing gum or eating quickly.
Intolerance to Foods
Intolerance to certain kinds of foods is among the common causes of bloating of stomach. Bloating can be triggered by milk and foods containing gluten and fructose. It is recommended to not eat these foods in case you develop stomach pain or bloating after consuming them.
Overeating
Why your stomach swells after eating? Due to overeating, the food is not effectively broken down by your body, which results in distended or bloated stomach. Hence, instead of large meals, eat frequent small meals all through the day so that your stomach gets ample time to digest the food.
Lack of Digestive Enzymes
IBS
Constipation
Acid Reflux
Other Causes
Recommended Reading: How To Stop Stomach Hair From Growing
Infusion Site Handles Aka Diabetes Belly Love
Did you know that you get little rolls of “insulin fat” on your frequent insulin injection/infusion site spots? Yuck! Maybe I’m just naive, but I thought those little bulges developing on my otherwise-gratifyingly-flat stomach were just advancing age. Or too much cheese. But my endo took one look at my tummy a few weeks ago, and said, “Those sites are overused! Can’t you see the damage? It’s plain as day.” She took out a ballpoint pen and actually drew circles just like these: Furthermore, when I had some catch-up OmniPod training with the Insulet rep a few days later, she just shook her head. “Clear to see, but it’s not that bad. I’ve seen some patients who have little baseballs of fat in the spots they keep using.” Ooh, too much information. She says my spots are still “fresh” enough that I might be able to reduce the puffiness by applying warm compresses regularly in the evenings. If I ever got around to sitting down quietly for more than a few minutes at a time, that is. Usually by the time all the kids are quiet upstairs, I flop on the couch for a very short TV respite before going to bed, and there ain’t no way I’m getting back up to prepare a special “warm compress” for my belly. Not unless it’s life-threatening, that is.Continue reading > >
Why Is My Upper Stomach Bloated And Hard
When your stomach swells and feels hard, the explanation might be as simple as overeating or drinking carbonated drinks, which is easy to remedy. Other causes may be more serious, such as an inflammatory bowel disease. Sometimes the accumulated gas from drinking a soda too quickly can result in a hard stomach.
Read Also: What Causes Extreme Stomach Pain
Dont Eat Foods That Give You Gas
Some high-fiber foods can make people produce large amounts of gas.
Major players include legumes like beans and lentils, as well as some whole grains.
Try keeping a food diary to figure out if certain foods tend to make you more gassy or bloated than others.
Fatty foods can also slow down digestion and the emptying of the stomach. This can have benefits for satiety , but can be a problem for people with a tendency to bloat.
Try eating less beans and fatty foods to see if it helps. Also, check out this article on 13 foods that cause bloating.
Summary
If certain foods make you feel bloated or give you gas, try cutting back or avoiding them. Eating fatty foods can also slow digestion and may contribute to bloating for some people.
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.
Recommended Reading: How Do You Reduce Stomach Fat
When To Talk To Your Health Care Provider
Bloating can be normal, but it can also be a sign of serious conditions. Its important to keep track of what foods cause you to feel bloated, but also note if you experience other symptoms that have accompanied bloating.
If you notice a drastic change in weight or changes in your bowel movementssuch as changes in color or consistencyyou need to tell your provider that as well, as they can be signs of an underlying condition, Hoffman said. If you ate too much and are having trouble digesting your food, then you know that was the likely cause of your bloating and cramping, but if its come on suddenly with a healthy diet, you should err on the side of caution and visit your provider.
Journal Your Way To Finding The Culprit
If you get bloated often, say, more than once a month, its worthwhile to figure out what triggers your symptoms. Try keeping a food journal for a few days and write down everything you eat and drink. Be sure you include the ingredients in your meals in case one of those is the actual problem.
As you make that journal entry, note how you feel 30 minutes after you eat. Terrific? Overly full? Tired? Gassy? You may see some patterns that help you figure out if you have any food allergies or intolerances.
Also Check: What Exercise Can I Do To Lose Stomach Fat
Can Bloating Be Prevented
To keep your digestive system working well, follow a healthy diet and eat at least 30g of fibre every day. Cut down on processed and fatty foods, and drink less alcohol. Drink plenty of water and take any medicines as directed by your doctor.
Dont overeat, and try to eat more slowly. Eating regularly will help to prevent digestive problems.
Regular exercise is also important for your gut because it strengthens the muscles in your tummy and stimulates the digestive system to push food through. It also helps with stress, which affects the nerves in the digestive system and can slow down digestion.
Smoking is very bad for your digestion. If you smoke, try to quit now.
What Causes Bloating In The Stomach
Gas
Gas is a natural byproduct of digestion, but too much intestinal gas means your digestion is gone awry. While you can ingest gasses by swallowing air or drinking carbonated beverages, these gasses mostly escape through belching before they reach your intestines. Gasses in your intestines are mostly produced by gut bacteria digesting carbohydrates .
If theres too much fermentation going on, its because too many carbohydrates werent naturally absorbed earlier in the digestive process, before reaching those gut bacteria. That could be for several reasons. Maybe you just ate too much too fast for proper digestion, or you might have a specific food intolerance or gastrointestinal disease. Some possible causes include:
Digestive Contents
These can include solids, liquids, and gas. Digestive contents can build up in your digestive system when there is a backup or restriction in your digestive tract or when the muscles that move digestive contents along are somehow impaired. Any build-up of digestive contents along the digestive tract will leave less room for normal amounts of gas to process through. It also leaves less room for other things in your abdomen, including circulatory fluids and fat, making everything feel tighter. Causes of build-up can include:
Hormones
Other Causes
Also Check: What Is Best For Upset Stomach
Bloating And Ovarian Cancer
Even though ovarian cancer is certainly not the most common cause of abdominal bloatingand is down on the listit is an important cause of abdominal bloating. Among people who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, it’s been found that this bloating is often attributed to something else, such as middle-age spread or winter weight gain.
While ovarian cancer isn’t the most common cause of abdominal swelling and bloating, these symptoms are one of the more common symptoms of ovarian cancer. It is also a symptom that is most ignored. The bloating may be so bad that one can’t button their pants, or even have to go up a size.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer may also include pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, and frequent urination, but it is also considered the silent killer. In the early stages, the only symptom may be a feeling of being full quickly when eatingin other words bloatingso it is important to make sure you get your symptoms evaluated thoroughly.
It’s also important to note that sometimes people have two conditions at the same time. For example, someone could have both irritable bowel syndrome and ovarian cancer, so trust your instinct. If your healthcare provider does not seem as concerned as you are, get a second opinion.
Ovarian cancer is not a common cancer in women, but it’s the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in womenmost likely due to the fact that the diagnosis is missed until it has progressed to the later stages of the disease.
Slow Down At Mealtime
Eating too fast is a common cause of abdominal bloating because it results in swallowed air. Once that air reaches the intestines, you may feel pain and be bloated. The stomach stretches as you eat and sends signals to the brain alerting you that you are full. However, it takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to alert the brain, so you could be overeating and swallowing lots of air before you feel uncomfortably full. Slow down, chew thoroughly, and enjoy your meals. Drink enough water and stay hydrated to help ensure healthy digestion.
Also Check: How To Reduce Stomach Fat
How Is Bloating Diagnosed
Your doctor can generally diagnose the cause of your bloating through a physical exam in the office. They will ask you questions about your symptoms. They will want to know if your bloating is occasional or if it occurs all the time.
Temporary bloating is usually not serious. If it happens all the time, your doctor may order other tests. These could include an imaging test to look inside your abdomen. This could be an X-ray or CT scan.
What Does Enlarged Lymph Nodes In The Abdomen Mean
If the lymph glands of the mesentery react to an infection in the abdomen or the intestine, they will swell and become painful, causing abdominal discomfort. Mesenteric adenitis usually results from a viral or bacterial infection. It may also occur with some kinds of cancer, or inflammatory bowel disease .
Also Check: How Stop Your Stomach From Hurting
Having A Food Intolerance
Typically, if someone is feels bloated, it is because of their food or water intake, but even if you havent eaten too much, you may have eaten the wrong thing. Certain food intolerances or sensitives to spicy or acidic foods can cause the gastrointestinal tract to have a more difficult time than usual.
An undiagnosed intolerance to foods can cause a lot of bloating, Hoffman said. The body is trying to break down the foods for the body to use, and a lot of gas can be the result of that work.
If you experience a lot of bloating, try keeping a food journal to track what you eat, when you notice bloating and the amount of discomfort you experience.