Where does bloating come from and how to get rid of it

When to see a doctor as soon as possible

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

blood in the stool;
prolonged 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 intermittent nausea and vomiting.

Call an ambulance immediately (103, 112) or go to the nearest emergency room if bloating is accompanied by:

persistent abdominal pain;
burning pain in the chest.

All of these can be symptoms of deadly conditions, including bowel tumors or heart attacks.

However, the really dangerous causes of bloating are very rare. If there are no threatening signs, chances are you are okay.

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

Where does bloating come from and what to do about it

Here are the most common causes and how to fix them.

1. You overeat

The stomach is a rather small organ. According to various sources, in a stretched state, it can hold from 1 to 4 liters of food - food and drinks. If you overeat, the stomach walls are stretched beyond measure. And you feel the heaviness, the belly is bursting.

What to do

Try to keep your portion sizes smaller. If you are not full, eat more often - up to 5-6 times a day. But don't push more into your stomach than it can hold.

2. You swallow air while eating or drinking

This is often the case for those who like to chat during lunch. When you talk and eat at the same time, a portion of air enters your esophagus with each bite. The same thing happens when you chew gum, suck lollipop, drink through a straw.

What to do

Observe the rule "when I eat, I am deaf and dumb." Avoid foods and habits that make you swallow air.

3. You chew badly or eat too fast

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

What to do

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

4. You are high on fatty foods

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

What to do

Try limiting fat in your diet.

5. You have food allergies or intolerances to certain foods

These two conditions are sometimes similar, but have different mechanisms of development. An allergy is a powerful reaction of the immune system to an irritant, an allergen. Food intolerance has genetic causes: the body simply does not perceive this or that product and reacts to its appearance with the development of chronic inflammation.

However, in the context of bloating, the body's response to “inappropriate” foods is the same: they can cause excess gas in the intestines.

Here are some foods and their ingredients that can be dangerous:

Lactose. This is the name of the main carbohydrate in dairy products.
Fructose. These are sugars, which are especially rich in sweet fruits (bananas, grapes) and honey.
Eggs. Excess gas and bloating are the main symptoms of egg allergy.
Gluten. This is a protein found in cereal seeds, especially in wheat, rye, barley. Excessive consumption can lead to a variety of digestive symptoms, including bloating.

What to do

Try to track what you ate before you have a bursting feeling in the stomach and intestines. Perhaps we are really talking about food intolerances.

Nicola Shubrook nutritionist in an interview with NetDoctor

If you suspect that you have an intolerance to some foods, stop completely for at least 21 days and see if your symptoms improve.

6. You eat foods that cause excessive gas formation

These products include:

carbonated drinks, including beer;
products containing artificial sweeteners - aspartame, sucralose, sorbitol, xylitol;
some vegetables and fruits high in fiber - legumes (beans, peas, lentils), cabbage (white cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower), carrots, apples, apricots, prunes;
dietary supplements containing fiber.

What to do

Try for a while to give up food that stimulates gas formation, and observe how you feel. If you manage to find a product that provokes bloating, you don't have to give it up - just limit its use.

You can try supplementing the diet with foods that, on the contrary, reduce gas production.

Elena Kalen nutritionist

To eliminate bloating, you can use fermented milk products: natural yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk. They contain beneficial bacteria that help food digest. If you have bloating, you should eat porridge. Oatmeal helps to normalize digestion, and buckwheat porridge improves intestinal motility. The most popular home remedy for flatulence is dill. You can add it to salads to prevent bloating, or brew a decoction of dill seed.

7. You are constipated

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

What to do

Understand the causes of constipation. When you normalize your bowel movements, the bloating problem will go away on its own.

8. You smoke

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

What to do

Stop smoking. Or at least reach for your cigarette less often.

9. You have problems with the digestive system

Gas production is often increased in bowel disorders such as diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease.

What to do

If bloating is bothering you frequently, see a gastroenterologist, even if there are no other warning signs. This is necessary to exclude possible diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.