Why Does My Stomach Swell Up After I Eat

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Stop Smoking Chewing Gum Or Wearing Dentures

According to the charity Guts UK!chewing gum, smoking or wearing loose dentures all promote air swallowing and can cause bloating. Avoid using gum and quit smoking. Visit the NHS Stop Smoking Service, or call the Smokefree National Helpline on 0300 123 1044 for help. If your dentures are loose see a dentist.

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Why Do I Feel Hungry After Eating Salad

Salads are an excellent option for a main meal they are jam packed with nutrients as made with lots of vegetables. However, having a salad for lunch can at times leave you feeling hungry. The main reason a healthy salad meal leaves the stomach rumbling is because it lacks sufficient protein, fibre or healthy fats.

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Avoid Rapid Weight Gain

Rapid weight gain is linked to bloating for several reasons.

First, a buildup of fat in your stomach area may constrain your bowels, increasing tension and contributing to bloating. Additionally, fat may have inflammatory effects, contributing to hypersensitivity in your gut .

Finally, unwanted weight gain may cause you to focus attention on your stomach area, which may increase your perception of bloating .

If you have overweight or obesity and are experiencing bloating, trying some healthy strategies for weight loss such as exercise and limiting portion sizes may be beneficial.

Summary

Rapid weight gain may contribute to bloating by increasing bowel tension, inflammation, and mental focus on your stomach area. Conversely, weight loss may help reduce these effects.

What Causes Bloating And Gas After Eating

Bloating is a term thatâs often used to describe a feeling of uncomfortable fullness, having a tight, swollen belly, and feeling gassy after eating. Bloating happens when large amounts of air or gas get trapped in your gut.

So, what causes bloating?

Eating is a common cause of bloating because our bodies produce gas as they digest food.

We can also end up swallowing air when we eat, which gets trapped in our digestive system. The fizzy gas in carbonated drinks and beer can also make you feel bloated, although it often comes out through burping rather than from the other end of your digestive system.

The gas lower down the gut mainly comes from the trillions of microbes that make up your gut microbiome. As our gut microbes break down components in our food, they release lots of different molecules, called metabolites, as well as gases that we usually get rid of by farting.

Several factors affect how much gas brews up in the gut. The most obvious is what youâve eaten, as well as the types and numbers of different microbes living in the gut. Another is the length of time food takes to travel through your gut, known as transit time.

This gut gas is mostly made up of nitrogen, hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide, which donât smell. The classic fart stink comes from the tiny amounts of strong-smelling hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur-containing compounds that are also in there.

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Two: Manage Your Fodmaps

FODMAPs are specific groups of carbohydrates found in a wide range of plant foods. These are considered healthy, however, if symptoms such as bloating or other symptoms of IBS are present, reducing the amount of FODMAPs consumed may help to improve overall symptoms. However, it does not address the underlying issue, instead it simply avoids potential triggers.

As mentioned, bread made from wheat contains fructans which is a FODMAPs that causes bloating in many people. Instead of following a full low FODMAP diet, some find it helpful to lower their overall FODMAP intake to reduce the overall load placed on the gut, while addressing the underlying issue.

The most common FODMAPs that can be an issue for people are

Check For Certain Medical Conditions

Medical conditions which affect co-ordinated bowel movements including bowel inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome or even conditions like diabetes can result in bloating, says Mr Chophada.

Underlying digestive issues such as Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth , IBS or an unresolved gut infection, plus blood sugar imbalances that mean we make too much stress hormone can result in bloating, says Claire.

According to one studyprobiotics may be helpful in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, enteritis, bacterial infections, and various gastrointestinal disorders and diarrhoea. The same study found that probiotic microorganisms are also effective in the alleviation of lactose intolerance. Taking probiotics can actually cause bloating at first, until your gut microbiota settle down, though they are worth persisting with. While pricey, the food supplement drink Symprove which contains live bacteria has been found to be very effective at improving gut health in some people. Users have found that it reduces bloating and some symptoms of IBS. It has also been attributed to a better mood.

You can also reduce bloating by eating certain foods. For example, many IBS sufferers have also had success with the Fodmap diet.

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Best: Yogurt With Probiotics

Probiotics, which are good bacteria in your gut, help regulate digestion and champion the overall health of your digestive tract. You can take probiotic supplements, but you may as well get a breakfast out of it. So eat your bloat away with yogurt that has active cultures. If you want to add some sweetness, use a little honey, jam, or granola.

Menstrual Cycle & Bloating

Does your stomach feel bloated around the time of your period? Oestrogen has a big role in deciding how women retain water.

Levels of this hormone fluctuate during a womans monthly cycle, with the body typically retaining more water when oestrogen is higher in the week or so leading up to the start of a period.

As a result, a common symptom of premenstrual syndrome is bloating.

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The Story Behind Bloating And Gas

• Bloating happens when air or gas gets trapped in your gut
• It can be caused by taking in air when you eat and drink, or from gas produced by your gut microbes
• Gas and bloating after eating can be triggered by certain foods, as well as some health conditions
• Simple changes to how and what you eat can help cut down on bloating and gas

Hard Stomach During Pregnancy

Generally, you expect a hard stomach when youre pregnant. Your hard-feeling stomach is caused by the pressure of your uterus growing and putting pressure on your abdomen.

The hardness of your stomach while pregnant can be more pronounced if you eat a low-fiber diet or drink a lot of carbonated beverages.

If your experience severe pain along with your hard stomach, you should see your OB-GYN or seek immediate medical attention. Sometimes severe pain in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy is an indicator of miscarriage.

Although more common in the third trimester, in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, discomfort can come from labor contractions or Braxton-Hicks contractions. Typically Braxton-Hicks contractions pass. If the contractions dont pass and become more persistent, it might be a sign that youre going into labor.

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How To Stop Bloating After Eating Bread

If you have bloating or other minor symptoms after eating bread, Dr. Skypala recommends trying an elimination diet. This is where you completely remove wheat from your diet for 4 weeks, then gradually reintroduce it to see if symptoms return.

Does bread make you bloated?

For the average healthy person, theres very little evidence that bread causes bloating, says Helen. A 2014 study by Dr Elisabeth Weichselbaum for the British Nutrition Foundation found no correlation between bread consumption and symptoms.

Can bread give you gas?

Processed foods are packaged products, such as breads, snack foods, cereals and salad dressings. These contain a variety of ingredients, including fructose and lactose. This combination can cause increased gas.

How to get rid of bloating in 24 hours?

Long term solutions for bloating

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Causes Of Stomach Bloat

High fiber foods that might cause this are beans, dairy products, and even some fruits and vegetables, such as:

• Brussels sprout

Overeating or eating too fast can also be triggers.

Bloat could also be a sign of greater, underlying conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome , Lactose intolerance, or even a wheat allergy. Stomach bloat can also be a result of consuming too much salt on a daily basis, causing your stomach to keep excess water.

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What Is The Best Medicine For Bloated Stomach

Over-the-counter gas remedies include:

Is my tummy fat or bloated?

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.

How do you get rid of upper stomach bulge?

What you should do to get abs

Here are additional suggestions to decrease bloating:

Does drinking water help with bloating?

While it may seem counterintuitive, drinking water may help to reduce bloat by ridding the body of excess sodium, Fullenweider says. Another tip: Be sure to drink plenty of water before your meal too. This step offers the same bloat-minimizing effect and can also prevent overeating, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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You Could Be Nearing Perimenopause

Perimenopause is the stage when your body starts to transition to menopause , and can occur anywhere from your mid-30s to your 40s. When women become perimenopausal, your ovaries dont have a synchronized secretion of hormones anymore, Dr. Christmas explains. Fluctuating hormones may increase water retention and bloating, and some foods, like dairy, can make it worse. Usually, by the time you reach menopause, estrogen levels drop, and bloating tends to subside, she says.

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?

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Proven Ways To Reduce Or Eliminate Bloating

Bloating is when your belly feels swollen after eating .

It is usually caused by excess gas production or disturbances in the movement of the muscles of the digestive system .

Bloating can often cause pain, discomfort and a stuffed feeling. It can also make your stomach look bigger .

Bloating is not the same as water retention, but the two terms are often used interchangeably. Put simply, bloating involves excessive amounts of solids, liquids or gas in your digestive system.

However, in some people, bloating is caused mostly by increased sensitivity. It just feels as if there is increased pressure in the abdomen, even though there isnt (

Although bloating is sometimes caused by serious medical conditions, it is most often caused by the diet and some foods or ingredients you are intolerant to.

Here are 11 proven ways to reduce or eliminate bloating.

How To Treat Stomach Bloating

After discussing why your stomach swells after eating, lets discuss ways to treat stomach bloating. Making changes in your lifestyle and dietary habits may prove helpful in treating stomach bloating. Follow the simple tips mentioned below to combat stomach bloating and lead a healthy lifestyle:

• Consume lots of water to flush out fluids and sodium from your system. You may also drink herbal teas such as chamomile or peppermint tea to relieve bloating.
• Do regular exercise to help the release of gas from your system. Simple exercise including jogging and walking can help.
• Consuming foods rich in magnesium including nuts, vegetables or leafy greens may help in decreasing retention of fluid, which results in bloating.
• Consuming probiotics such as kefir, kimchi, yogurt or other types of fermented foods may help in encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria in the small intestine.
• Avoid smoking. Furthermore, avoiding or limiting the consumption of salts, artificial sweeteners and starches may also help in releasing gas and reducing bloating.

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What Are Fodmaps Foods

The term FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols Certain foods are classed as FODMAPs meaning that they are poorly absorbed by the body, which may result in IBS-type symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloating.

High FODMAP foods, such as onion and garlic, are common foods which the gut finds difficult to digest. Discovering and, most importantly, understanding your own personal thresholds of a certain ingredient may ensure you make the best dietary choices in order to optimise your diet, take control of your bloating and quality of life.

Here are some examples of high FODMAP foods:

As weve mentioned, bloating can be a sign of a food intolerance and therefore finding out your trigger foods could be a great way to manage your bloating.

When Is It Serious

Most of the time, you can manage bloating on your own. But if you also feel weak or lose your appetite, or have diarrhea, weight loss, fever, belly pain, or blood in your stool, talk to your doctor. To find out whatâs going on, they may take a stool sample or an X-ray of your small intestine, or test you for lactose intolerance or celiac disease.

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Bloated Stomach After Eating Certain Foods Or Meals

Getting bloated stomach after eating certain foods or meals is usually a much easier to handle. The solution is simple: the elimination diet. You stop eating the foods or meals you suspect cause bloating for a few days and see if eliminating these foods reduce your bloating and other digestive issues. Many people are surprised to learn that many foods that are considered very healthy and are widely recommended for good health, are the cause of their bloating issues.

If this is something you want to explore, you may want to check if these common foods and eating habits known to cause bloating apply to you:

• Eating habits that cause bloating.

It Could Be An Early Warning Sign Of A Serious Condition

Its 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.

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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.

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