Where Does Bloating Come From and How to Get Rid of it

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Most likely, nothing threatens you. But it’s still worth checking the symptoms.

When you need to see a doctor as soon as possible

Schedule an emergency visit to a gastroenterologist or therapist if a bursting feeling in your stomach is haunting you regularly, almost every day. And especially if additional symptoms are observed:

blood in the stool;
protracted constipation or diarrhea;
any changes in the frequency of bowel movements;
weight loss despite the fact that you have not changed anything either in nutrition or in physical activity;
persistent or periodic nausea and vomiting.

Call an ambulance immediately or contact your nearest emergency department if bloating is accompanied by:

persistent abdominal pain;
burning chest pain.

All this can be symptoms of deadly conditions, up to tumors of the intestine or heart attack.

However, really dangerous causes of bloating are very rare. If there are no threatening signs, most likely you are all right.

And so that the bursting sensation does not appear in the future, it is enough to understand its causes and slightly change the eating habits and lifestyle.

Where does bloating come from and what to do about it

Here are the most common causes and ways to eliminate them.

1. You overeat

The stomach is a fairly small organ. According to various sources when stretched, it is able to accommodate from 1 to 4 liters of food – food and drink. If you overeat, the walls of the stomach stretch beyond measure. And you feel heavy , your stomach is bursting.

What to do

Try to reduce the portion sizes. If you don’t over-eat, eat more often – up to 5-6 times a day. But do not push into the stomach more than it can accommodate.

2. You swallow air while eating or drinking

This often suffers lovers of chat during lunch. When you talk and eat at the same time, with each piece a piece of air enters your esophagus. The same thing happens when you chew gum, suck a lollipop, drink through a straw.

What to do

Follow the rule “when I eat, I am deaf and dumb.” Avoid foods and habits that make you swallow air.

3. You chew food badly or eat too fast

This causes you to swallow large chunks. They expand the esophagus, and therefore air enters the stomach.

What to do

Make sure the food is well chewed . By the way, many eat too fast, in large chunks, when they are under stress. Try to learn how to control emotions.

4. You lean on fatty foods

Fat digests longer than proteins or carbohydrates. Therefore, the stomach does not empty for a long time.

What to do

Try to limit fats in your diet.

5. You have a food allergy or intolerance to certain foods

These two states are sometimes similar, but have different developmental mechanisms. Allergy is a powerful reaction of the immune system to any irritant-allergen. But food intolerance has genetic reasons: the body simply does not perceive a particular product and reacts to its appearance with the development of chronic inflammation.

However, in the context of bloating, the body’s reaction to “inappropriate” foods is the same: they can cause excessive gas formation in the intestines.

Here are some products and their components that can be dangerous:

Lactose. This is called the main carbohydrate in dairy products.
Fructose. These are sugars, which are especially rich in sweet fruits (bananas, grapes) and honey.
Eggs. Excessive flatulence and bloating are the main symptoms of an egg allergy.
Gluten free . This is a protein contained in the seeds of cereals, especially a lot of it in wheat, rye, barley. Overuse can cause to various digestive symptoms, including bloating.

What to do

Try to track what you ate before you had a bursting feeling in the stomach and intestines. Perhaps it is really about food intolerance.

6. Do you eat foods that cause excessive gas

These products include:

carbonated drinks, including beer;
products that include artificial sweeteners – aspartame, sucralose, sorbitol, xylitol;
some vegetables and fruits with a high fiber content – legumes (beans, peas, lentils), cabbage (white, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower), carrots, apples, apricots, prunes;
fiber supplements.

What to do

Try to temporarily give up food that stimulates gas formation, and observe how you feel. If you manage to find a product that provokes bloating, refusing it is not necessary at all – just limit its use.

You can try to supplement the diet with products that, on the contrary, reduce gas formation.

7. You have constipation

Normally, there are gases in the digestive system. When there are too many of them, they leave through the anus. But with constipation, the passage of gases is difficult. They accumulate in the intestines and provoke bloating.

What to do

Understand the causes of constipation . When you normalize your stool, the bloating problem will go away by itself.

8. Do you smoke?

Smoking effects on the activity of the digestive tract and may well cause gas formation.

What to do

Tie up smoking . Or at least reach for a cigarette less often.

9. You have problems with the digestive system

Often, gas production increases with bowel diseases – for example, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

What to do

If bloating often torments you, consult your gastroenterologist, even if there are no other warning signs. This is necessary to exclude possible diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.