Bloating: causes, problem solving

An unpleasant feeling of bloating, intestinal distension and flatulence often occur in absolutely healthy people, especially after holidays and stormy feasts. The reason is simple - some foods do not combine well with each other, so they are not completely digested and a large amount of gas is formed in the intestines. However, such symptoms may also indicate a serious illness. 

Causes of bloating

The main cause of flatulence lies in the violation digestion and external factors that influence it. Bloating and flatulence are not independent diseases; they are just a symptom that can signal serious pathologies.

The most common causes of bloating related to diet and digestive habits:

1. Excess air often enters the digestive tract when eating or drinking carbonated drinks. Fermentation and rumbling in the stomach, of course, are not dangerous, but they cause a lot of trouble. Typically, gas bubbles are absorbed into the intestines or exit naturally.
2. Some dishes and foods can cause fermentation and bloating.   The most dangerous foods for digestive problems are peas, beans, lentils, Brussels sprouts and white cabbage, salty, fatty, spicy foods, dairy products and baked goods.
3. If you rush too much when eating, you can swallow a lot of air, which will be difficult to get rid of even with the help of belching. This also applies to overeating.
4. It is worth remembering that some foods are completely incompatible with each other and should be eaten separately. For example, it is better to eat raw fruits an hour before meals or a couple of hours after them.
5. The common habit of eliminating heartburn with soda also leads to intestinal distension and flatulence, because soda and gastric juice react, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide.
6. Long-term smokers often suffer from increased gas formation due to swallowing large portions of air.

Foods that cause bloating

To eliminate such a nuisance as bloating, adjusting proper nutrition. If you regularly suffer from flatulence, you should simply exclude from your diet foods that affect the accumulation of gas bubbles.

1. Reduce your intake of salty foods. Salt retains water in the body, digestion occurs more slowly, and you feel drowsy and tired. In addition, it negatively affects the appearance due to swelling on the face.
2. Eating raw fruits and vegetables is definitely healthy. But only if you don’t have a problem with excess gases. In this case, it is necessary to subject all products to heat treatment and consume them in small portions.
3. Some foods, due to their chemical composition, can cause bloating and flatulence. First of all, it applies to legumes, as well as radishes, sorrel, corn, pumpkin, potatoes, dishes containing yeast, fresh bread, sweet pastries, fruits and dairy products.
4. Chewing gum not only harms the gastric mucosa; during chewing, we swallow a large amount of excess air, which puts pressure on the gastrointestinal tract.
5. Fried food is one of the main enemies when it comes to intestinal and stomach problems. It is digested slowly and leaves a feeling of heaviness. Try to avoid fatty, salty, spicy (they irritate the stomach lining) foods, eat more foods rich in saturated fats, such as nuts or seeds.
6. Well, and, of course, you should not abuse carbonated drinks, but it is better to give them up altogether.

Bloating during pregnancy

Bloating during pregnancy is a constant companion for women throughout the entire period of bearing a baby. The reasons may be different, but they all overshadow such a happy moment in the life of the expectant mother. To eliminate the symptoms, of course, you need to consult a doctor. But you can familiarize yourself with the factors influencing the appearance of bloating.

1. The first and main reason is a powerful hormonal change in the body, during which a large amount of the hormone progesterone is produced; it is responsible for relaxing the smooth muscles of the uterus and helps to avoid miscarriage. At the same time, intestinal activity decreases, which prevents timely emptying and getting rid of accumulated gases.
2. In the second and third trimester pregnancy the uterus begins to actively increase in size and put pressure on the intestines, which cannot but affect its functioning.
3. If the expectant mother suffers from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, she will be forced to take appropriate medications, which, in turn, disrupt the natural microflora and lead to dysbacteriosis. Abdominal bloating due to dysbacteriosis can appear even if you follow the required diet.
4. Nervousness, anxiety, stress and fear of childbirth are additional risk factors during pregnancy, which can lead to various diseases, including bowel dysfunction.
5. When infected with intestinal parasites, one of the symptoms is bloating. Of course, when planning a child, it is worth going through all the tests to exclude the possibility of infection.

Constant bloating

All diseases in which constant bloating occurs and gas formation increases are associated with disruption of the stomach and intestines:

1. Opportunistic bacteria, which form the normal intestinal microflora, help us process food in the body. When this balance is disturbed, all sorts of malfunctions occur - foods are poorly digested, begin to rot and emit a foul odor, the stomach at this moment thickens, and constipation often occurs.
2. Irritable bowel syndrome is not a disease and does not lead to structural disorders of the intestine, but it creates a state of discomfort, excessive gas formation, severe pain, and problems with stool.
3. Bloating can be a sign of infection with intestinal parasites (giardia, trichomonas, etc.), which pollute the human body with their waste products.
4. Pancreatitis, colitis and enteritis disrupt work intestines and stomach. In this case, opportunistic bacteria work with redoubled force and release a lot of gases, with which the gastrointestinal tract becomes oversaturated, so after eating the stomach often becomes bloated and the patient suffers from belching and flatulence.
5. Chronic form of gastritis accompanied by severe pain, nausea, heartburn and flatulence.

To identify the true cause of bloating, you need to conduct a full examination, which includes:

• bacteriological examination of stool and analysis for dysbacteriosis;
• analysis of gastric juice;
• Ultrasound of the stomach and abdominal cavity.

Abdominal heaviness and bloating

Bloating and heaviness in the abdomen will most likely go away without your intervention if we are talking about an occasional case, for example, discomfort after a good feast. It’s a completely different matter if the symptoms are caused by a serious illness, such as gastritis or a stomach ulcer.

Gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric mucosa caused by the activity of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Other factors can aggravate the situation - stress, lunch on the run, constant dieting, smoking and alcohol. Typically, in this case, pain, belching, nausea appear, and after eating the patient feels heaviness in the abdomen, bloating and flatulence.

Constipation and bloating

If the problem of frequent constipation is added to bloating in the abdomen, this is a reason to turn to the following tips:

1. Morning is the best time to have a bowel movement, try drinking a glass of clean water as a stimulant.
2. Don't be patient if you want to go to the toilet.
3. Include foods containing coarse fibers and fiber in your diet, and don’t let your intestines get lazy.
4. Consult allergist, perhaps the reason for bloating and constipation lies precisely in this.
5. Analyze your lifestyle; perhaps your intestinal microflora has been disrupted due to taking antibiotics or stress.
6. Any active activities in the fresh air are welcome, do not forget about exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles; massage of the abdomen with stroking movements in a clockwise direction helps in this case.

Proper nutrition is especially important for problematic bowel movements. It should be fractional, with a sufficient amount of plant food; coarse fibers and fiber serve as an excellent stimulator of the gastrointestinal tract. Bakery products, marinades, smoked foods, spicy and salty foods should be completely excluded or limited from the diet.

Treatment for bloating

As with any other disease, it is first necessary to address the causes of the disease, not its symptoms. In case of overeating, poisoning, lactose deficiency, the following measures will help you:

• analysis of your diet nutrition, consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain bread, dairy products;
• eliminating the main cause - the disease that caused bloating;
• physical activity, exercise and walking;
• restoration of intestinal microflora with the help of probiotics.

Medicines:

• activated carbon tablets are taken before each meal (1-3 tablets);
• drugs based on simecotin, for example, Espumisan, relieve occasional accumulation of gases that appear due to malnutrition;
• “White Coal” tablets relieve pain and colic in the abdomen, eliminate flatulence;
• Traditionally, folk remedies are also used for abdominal discomfort - a decoction of fennel, parsley and wormwood; they should be taken one tablespoon each time before meals.