Why Does My Stomach Get Bloated Every Time I Eat

Causes Of Feeling Bloated After Eating Only A Small Meal

The most common cause of feeling bloated after eating a small meal is consuming foods or drinks that can cause bloating, such as carbonated drinks, lentils, and beans. However, if you experience bloating regularly, and regardless of what food types you eat, there could be another underlying cause. There are several potential disorders which can cause bloating or fullness, but it is important not to self-diagnose, and you must visit your health professional for further investigation.

How Do I Know If Im Bloated Or Gaining Weight

Gently press your stomach specifically around the swollen area. If your abdomen feels hard and tight, it means you are bloated. Generally, our stomach is soft and spongy and it remains the same even after gaining weight. If you can easily gasp an inch of your stomach, it can be due to excess of fat.

My Tummy Grew By 23 Inches In Eight Hours

One of the most common causes of bloating is IBS.

To find out what triggers it, Professor Peter Whorwell gets his patients to wear a Bloat-ometer belt.They keep it on for 24 hours and a computer monitors their girth every hour.

We asked two women who suffer from IBS to try it out

Terri Taylors stomach expanded after a hectic morning at work

Terri Taylor, 21, is a student nurse from Huddersfield.

WAIST: Morning, 27in Lunchtime, 33in Evening, 33in

My stomach was flat when I woke up, but by the end of a hectic morning at work it had expanded.

For breakfast, I had two Weetabix and two slices of white toast, and by the time I got on the ward ten minutes later I felt really uncomfortable.

Then when I got home at 2.30pm, absolutely starving, I had a big plate of beans on wholemeal toast, which pushed it up by another inch .

Just a few minutes after eating, I had stomach pains and had to loosen my clothes.

That night I had to study for my nursing finals. I finally ate my dinner of wholemeal pasta and vegetables around 9.30pm, but left a quarter of it as it made me feel so ill. Overnight my stomach went right down to 27in. If only it would stay that way.

Professor Whorwell says:

What triggers the bloating can vary widely some patients literally put food in their mouths of have a glass of water and their stomachs will distend.

Patients often ask me why they can eat, say, tomatoes one day and be fine, yet the same food will cause them to bloat a day later.

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When To Ask Your Doctor About Bloating

Temporary bloating is common and nothing to worry about. But if youâre troubled by bloating on a regular basis, talk to your doctor.

Physical obstructions such as scarring of the stomach opening can make it hard for food to pass through the digestive tract normally. If your doctor diagnoses a physical obstruction in the stomach or small intestines, surgery may be required to correct it. Bloating can also be caused by impaired muscle function in the digestive tract. When muscles that normally move food along donât work properly, gas can build up in the small intestines, causing bloating. In some cases, gas in the intestines may go the wrong way, returning to the stomach.

Persistent bloating or distention may also signal potentially serious conditions, such as enlargement of one of the abdominal organs or a malignancy.

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.

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Excess Gas Can Build Up

Gas is a normal part of digestion, but if it builds up in your intestines, it may cause bloating and pain. Gas happens when food that is not digested is broken down in your colon. This process produces methane and hydrogen, which you pass naturally as gas.

If you do experience bloating due to gas, modifying your food intake may help. Here are some common drinks and foods that can cause bloating:

• Foods high in fiber or fat
• Fried and spicy dishes
• Carbonated drinks, such as soda or beer
• Lactose found in milk, cheese and yogurts

Over-the-counter supplements can even trigger bloating.

Food Allergies And Intolerances

Researchers estimate that 15 million people in the U.S. are living with a food allergy. In total, 1 in 5 Americans face food allergies or intolerances. When you eat something you’re either allergic to or have an intolerance to, your body releases histamines, compounds that help tame allergy symptoms. The higher concentration of histamines causes your digestive system to produce more gastric acid and increase smooth muscle contractions, and these changes can equal some uncomfortable symptoms, including indigestion and bloating.

How to Prevent It: The only real way to know if you have a food allergy or intolerance is to talk with your doctor. They may order a series of tests to check for allergies or signs of sensitivity to specific foods. These issues cannot be self diagnosed, and you may end up eliminating foods that are healthy and entirely safe for you to eat if you try. Keep a food diary if you suspect food is your bloating culprit. A food diary will help you and your doctor eliminate possible problem foods and identify a list of troublesome options quickly.

“It might seem hard to narrow down the culprit, but the more information you can gather about your reactions to different foods and circumstances, the better idea you’ll have as to what triggers your symptoms,” says Josh Axe, D.N.M., C.N.S., D.C., founder of Ancient Nutrition.

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Bloating : Why You Feel Bloated

Bloating, gassiness, and abdominal discomfort arenât limited to the occasional holiday feast. One in 10 Americans say they suffer from bloating regularly, even when they havenât eaten a large meal. In some cases, bloating can become severe enough that it causes distention, or a perceptible swelling of the abdomen. Bloating and gas are usually tied to what and how you eat, so a few simple changes may help.

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

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Diagnosis Of Stomach Pain After Meals

Your doctor will ask you a number of questions about your diet, lifestyle, and medical history. All of these can significantly affect the digestive system.

Doctors can use computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans to diagnose gastrointestinal pain, but it is not always easy to generate accurate images of the digestive system using these methods.

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.

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Drinking Too Much Soda

Carbonated beverages, such as soda or sparkling water, are a common reason for bloating. The fizz in your favorite sodas can cause gas to get trapped in your stomach, which can lead to bloating and belching.

Try limiting the amount of soda you drink and switch to a healthier alternative. Water with cucumber or lemon can offer a flavorful drink with your meal, and black tea can provide the caffeine kick you may need in the early afternoon. If youre already feeling bloated, peppermint tea is a common remedy that can be used to help reduce the discomfort.

Having An Undiagnosed Condition

There are a few conditions that can cause bloating. Heart and liver disease and venous insufficiency can cause excess fluid in the abdomen or limbs. These conditions come with more prominent and tell-tale symptoms, and your health care provider can help you identify them and other illnesses that can cause bloating.

Chronic conditions can cause swelling and bloating in certain areas, Hoffman said. If you have a history or concern of these conditions, then its best to talk with your primary care provider.

Other gastrointestinal conditions can also cause bloating and stomach ailments. Conditions such as ulcerative colitis, Crohns disease and irritable bowel syndrome can all cause bloating. Acid reflux, and the medications to treat it, can cause bloating and a feeling of increased gas in the abdomen, leading to belching.

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Why Healthy Eating May Cause Stomach Issues

The irony is that when you decide to clean up your diet and commit to whole foods and lots of vegetables, you expect to feel better than ever, but you dont. Suddenly youre bloated or full or have diarrhea or are nauseated. Its helpful to know this is a transition phase where your digestive system is adjusting to new foods, according to dietitian Tamara Duker Freuman, RD, author of The Bloated Belly Whisperer..

When people start eating healthier, which usually means more vegetables and possibly swapping refined grains for whole grains, they sometimes find theyre getting stomach upset, she says. That might include bloating, feeling overfull, even nausea in some cases.

This is a short-term effect, so, fortunately, you dont need to ditch your healthy strategies, she says. But there are ways to make the transition go smoother. Here are some potential causes and how to adjust.

How Does Acid Reflux Cause Stomach Pain And Bloating After Eating Sometimes After Eating Digestive Juices Or Stomach Acid Backflows In Esophagus And Results In Acid Reflux Acid Reflux Makes You Feel Bloated In The Upper Belly Especially After Eating Meals It Can Also Make You Burp Excessively Or Feel Nauseous Within An Hour Of Eating Your Meal You Can Drink Fizzy Drinks Or Carbonated Water To Relieve The Pressure From Gas Buildup In The Stomach

How to treat stomach pain and bloating?

Changes in lifestyle habits or dietary decisions can go a long way in curing bloating or stomach ache. These simple tips may help you to combat bloating and contribute towards healthy lifestyle:

• Drink plenty of water to flush down sodium and fluids from your body. Alternatively, you can also drink herbal tea like peppermint or chamomile to help bloating go down.
• Exercise regularly to help the gas pass down through your system more quickly. Simple exercises such as walking or jogging will help expel the gas from your body.
• Take magnesium-rich foods such as leafy greens, vegetables or nuts to reduce fluid retention that leads to bloating.
• Eat probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi or other fermented foods to encourage the growth of friendly bacteria in your stomach.
• If possible, try to avoid smoking. Limiting or avoiding the intake of salts, starches and artificial sweeteners can also help to fend off bouts of gas and reduce bloating.
• Additionally, you may consider taking Ranitidine 75mg Tablets or Kaolin & Morphine Mixture to provide effective relief to ease an upset stomach.

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You Saw In My Picture Above How Severe My Extreme Bloating Was

That’s what I lived with, until I found the cause of my swollen and bloated belly and how to get rid of that excessive bloating and painful pressure that was destroying my life!

There are over 75 distinct toxins released by the metabolism of Candida.

As a result, the body has to deal with an unhealthy domino effect.

You can learn how to permanently & holistically cure Candida by tackling the root causes of the stomach digestive problems.

Fortunately, for us, who suffer with extreme bloating and/or other Candida symptoms, Linda Allen created a holistic program to relieve and actually get rid of uncomfortable, painful life altering excessive bloating along with the many other poor health symptoms that Candida Yeast Overgrowth causes by curing the yeast infection all together at the root cause.

Common Causes Of Bloating

The following are some common reasons why you might feel bloated. In most instances, these causes of bloating can be reduced or eliminated by practical diet and lifestyle changes.

Healthy eating. Believe it or not, healthy foods are the reason for a bloated stomach. Whole veggies such as cabbage, brussel sprouts, and carrots and legumes such as beans, can cause extra air to get trapped in your belly, giving you that uncomfortable and bloated feeling. Foods high in fiber and lactose can also cause bloating since they release hydrogen and methane, which are bloating gases. Certain fruits like apples, pears, and watermelon can also cause bloating because of the high ratio of fructose to glucose.

Consuming diet products. Sugar substitutes found in many diet foods, such as sorbitol and xylitol) can cause you to feel bloated and uncomfortable. Ingesting too much of these or any artificial substances can cause bloating.

Fizzy drinks. Bubbly drinks like soda, champagne, or seltzer can do a number on your stomach because of the carbonation. When you ingest these drinks, the bubbles expand in your gut, which leads to that bloated feeling. This is also true of popular probiotic, naturally fermented drinks like kombucha, which can cause gas, bloating and loose stools.

Recovery from a stomach bug. Many people experience bloating after having a stomach virus or bug. Thiss because of the bacterial overgrowth that occurred in the small intestine as a result of the infection.

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How To Improve Your Gut Health

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Dont Eat Too Much At A Time

Being stuffed can feel like being bloated, but the problem is that you simply ate too much.

If youre eating big meals and tend to feel uncomfortable afterward, then try smaller portions. Add another daily meal if necessary.

A subset of people who experience bloating dont really have an enlarged stomach or increased pressure in the abdomen. The issue is mostly sensory .

A person with a tendency to be bloated will experience discomfort from a smaller amount of food than a person who rarely feels bloated.

For this reason, simply eating smaller meals can be incredibly useful.

Chewing your food better can have a two-fold effect. It reduces the amount of air you swallow with the food , and it also makes you eat slower, which is linked to reduced food intake and smaller portions .

Summary

People who experience bloating often have increased sensitivity to food in the stomach. Therefore, eating smaller meals can be very useful.

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