Why is the stomach blowing and what to do

You may feel bloated even if you don't actually have a bloated stomach. Bloating is usually a digestive problem, although hormones and stress also play a role. Sometimes it is due to health problems.

What is a bloated belly

Bloating is primarily a feeling of tightness, pressure, or fullness in the abdomen. It may or may not be accompanied by a visibly distended (swollen) abdomen. The sensation can range from mildly unpleasant to intensely painful. It usually goes away after a while, but it is a recurring problem for some people. Digestive problems and hormonal fluctuations can cause cyclical bloating. If the bloating does not go away, you should see a doctor to determine the underlying cause.

Why does the stomach swell?

The most common cause of stomach pain and bloating is excess intestinal gas. If you have a bloated stomach after eating, it could be a digestive problem. It can also be a very simple reason, such as eating too fast or too much food. A common cause is intolerance to certain foods. Women's menstrual cycle is another common cause of temporary bloating. Sometimes a bloated belly can indicate a more serious health condition.

How often does bloating occur?

From 10% to 25%, otherwise healthy people complain of occasional abdominal bloating. Even 75 percent describe their symptoms as moderate or severe. About 10 percent claims to experience it regularly. Among those diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it can be as high as 90 percent. Up to 75% women experience bloating before and during menstruation. Only 50% people who experience bloating also notice a bloated belly.

What causes bloating

Gas

Gas is a natural byproduct of digestion, but too much intestinal gas means your digestion is bad. Although you can ingest gas by swallowing air (during meals) or drinking carbonated beverages, this gas is usually released through belching before it reaches your intestines. Gas in your gut is mostly produced by gut bacteria digesting carbohydrates in a process called fermentation.

A common solution is to use enzymes that help break down food –

If there's too much fermentation going on, it's because too many carbohydrates weren't naturally absorbed earlier in the digestive process before reaching those gut bacteria. This could be for several reasons. Maybe you just ate too much and too fast for proper digestion. Alternatively, you may have a specific food intolerance or gastrointestinal (GI) disease. Some possible reasons are:

• Carbohydrate malabsorption. Many people have trouble digesting certain carbohydrates (sugars). Some common culprits are lactose, fructose, and carbohydrates found in wheat and beans. You may have an intolerance or simply have a general difficulty that makes your body struggle more with heavier carbohydrates. A health professional can help you distinguish between your nutritional sensitivities.

• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. This happens when gut bacteria overflow from the large intestine into the small intestine. An overgrowth of these bacteria can also overwhelm other bacteria that are meant to balance them out. Some bacteria actually absorb gases produced by others, but too much of one type of bacteria and not enough of another type can throw off the harmonious balance.

• Functional digestive disorders. Functional dyspepsia is diagnosed when your body struggles more with digestion for unexplained reasons. Symptoms often include gas and bloating after eating. Watch for classic symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation, nausea, vomiting, fever, bleeding, anemia, and unintentional weight loss.

• Increased visceral sensitivity. Some people feel gassy and bloated even when their gas levels are normal. This condition often correlates with other disorders related to the neural networks of the gut and brain. Some people even develop muscle hyperreaction to make more room for gas in the abdominal cavity (abdominophrenic dyssynergia). Their abdominal muscles relax and protrude outward with gas, even if the actual volume is normal.

It's what we digest

These can be solid nutrients, liquids and gases. Digestive contents can build up in your digestive system. Any accumulation of digestive contents in the digestive tract will leave less room for the normal amount of gas to be processed. It also leaves less room for other things in the abdomen, including circulatory fluids and fat, making everything more responsive. Possible reasons:

• Constipation. You may experience occasional constipation due to dietary or lifestyle factors or chronic constipation due to a medical condition. Recently digested food stays longer in the intestines, waiting to be digested. Everything in the intestines expands to accommodate the extra volume, and this results in bloating.

• Intestinal obstruction. It could be something more serious. Both the large and small intestines can be blocked by tumors, scar tissue, strictures, stenosis, or hernias. Inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease and diverticulosis can damage parts of your small intestine, creating a stricture that narrows the passage of digestive contents.

• Intestinal motility disorders can cause constipation, or they can just make things move more slowly through the digestive tract. These are usually disorders of the muscles and nerves that sense the digestive contents in the digestive tract. Examples include intestinal pseudo-obstruction, a condition that mimics the effects of an obstruction when it doesn't exist, gastroparesis, partial paralysis of the stomach muscles, and pelvic floor dysfunction.

• Sudden weight gain. The weight gained in the last year goes primarily to the abdomen. If you've gained ten pounds or more, it's probably affecting your belly size. This means that there is less room for normal digestive processes, so even when you eat normally, you may feel unusually bloated during digestion. Sometimes weight gain also involves water retention, which can make you feel bloated.

Hormones

You may have noticed that your bloating occurs on a different cycle—not so much your digestive cycle, but your menstrual cycle. If so, you are not alone. As many as 3 out of 4 women report feeling bloated before and during their period. Bloating is also a common complaint during perimenopausal hormonal fluctuations. Female hormones deserve a special mention when it comes to bloating because hormones can affect bloating in many ways—fluids, gas, digestive tracts—and the body's sensitivity to those things.

First, estrogen causes water retention. As estrogen spikes and progesterone drops, you'll notice fluid retention. This, in addition to the increased volume of the uterus just before menstruation, can cause a bloated stomach. However, hormones also interact with the digestive system. Estrogen and progesterone can cause intestinal gas by slowing or speeding up motility. Estrogen receptors in the GI tract also affect visceral sensitivity—which makes you feel bloated.

Other reasons

Bloating that comes and goes is usually digestive, hormonal, or both. These reasons can also make you feel sick and tired. As long as your symptoms eventually go away, they probably aren't serious. But if your bloating doesn't go away or gets worse, or if you have other symptoms of a serious illness, such as fever or vomiting, you should see your doctor for a more detailed evaluation. It can be:

• Ascites. It is a gradual accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. It is usually caused by liver disease and sometimes by kidney failure or heart failure.

• Pancreatic insufficiency. This is a type of pancreatic dysfunction where your pancreas can no longer produce enough digestive enzymes to perform its function in the digestive process.

• Stomach inflammation (gastritis). It is usually caused by a bacterial infection (usually H. pylori infection) or excessive alcohol consumption. It can also be associated with peptic ulcers.

How long does a bloated belly last?

If your bloating is caused by something you ate or drank or hormonal fluctuations, you should start to feel better within a few hours or days. If you have constipation, it won't go away until you start having regular bowel movements. Water, exercise, and herbal teas can help stimulate all of these things together. If it doesn't go away or gets worse, you can use quality gut supplements:

What reduces bloating

What will bring relief in the long run will depend on the underlying cause of the bloating. You may need a professional diagnosis to get to the bottom of it. But if you're looking for sure-fire remedies to help your stomach today or prevent bloat tomorrow, there are a few things you can try.

• Probiotics can help replenish or balance gut bacteria. Some will initially help you digest food better, while others may actually help absorb excess gas. You may need to use them consistently for days or weeks to really notice a difference.

• Fibers is a popular supplement that can help you have more regular bowel movements. Always introduce fiber supplements gradually and with plenty of water.

• Herbal teas, including peppermint, chamomile, ginger, turmeric, and fennel, can help with digestion and help with gas. Dandelion tea can help reduce water retention.

• Peppermint oil capsules is a natural antispasmodic. This means that it helps the muscles of the intestines to relax. This can help you move out trapped gas and congestion, especially if your problems stem from a bowel motility problem.

• Antacid drugs relieves inflammation of the digestive tract and helps pass gas more easily. Antacids often contain the active ingredient simethicone, which helps pass gas by grouping smaller gas bubbles. Simethicone is also available separately.

• Magnesium supplements helps neutralize stomach acid and relax intestinal muscles. Magnesium has a natural laxative effect, which can be helpful occasionally, but can be habit-forming if taken too often.

• Regular exercise, focusing on strengthening the body, can help fight bloating.

How to avoid bloating

If bloating is caused by eating habits or alcohol, you can help prevent it by making lifestyle changes. Some good general guidelines include:

• Eat foods with enough fiber. If you don't normally include a lot of fiber in your diet, you should start gradually so as not to overwhelm your digestive system. Fiber often causes more gas at first, but once it starts cleaning out your digestive system, it will help clear out the fermenting stools that are stuck there at the same time. Fiber also tells your body to drink more water, which makes you feel full faster so you don't overeat.

• Drink enough water. This will promote motility throughout the digestive tract and prevent the digested food from becoming too hard and compressed to pass. Water also helps you feel full between meals.

• Get some exercise. Exercise helps prevent water retention and keeps your bowels moving. It can also help prevent rapid weight gain, which often goes straight to the belly first. If you have a sedentary job, regular exercise can seem daunting, but it doesn't take too much - just remember to get up and walk around and exercise regularly.

• Avoid processed foods. Processed foods are low in fiber and high in salt and fat. Salt causes water retention in the body, while fat slows down the digestive process as it takes longer to digest. All of these things can cause constipation and bloating. Processed foods are also low in nutrients and will make you feel hungrier even after consuming a lot of calories. This leads to eating more and exacerbating the problem.

• Practice mindful eating. Take your time chewing thoroughly and stop eating before you are full. Feeling full is a delayed response because it takes some time for the food you eat to actually reach your stomach. Most people eat enough to be full before they actually feel full.

• Pay attention to sensitivity. Whether it's alcohol or certain foods, just paying attention can help you notice which ingredients you're most sensitive to. Some people keep a food journal and take notes to track how different meals make them feel. You can also try eliminating foods one at a time and see if you notice any differences in your symptoms.

If the cause of your bloated belly is something more specific, such as a specific food intolerance, perimenopause, or a medical condition, you may need a little help with diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. This may include:

• Elimination diet. A dietitian can help you follow an elimination diet to identify food sensitivities and give your digestive system a chance to heal. This usually means following a very restricted diet for a short period of time and then adding certain food classes one at a time to see how your body reacts.

• Hydrogen exhaled air test. This relatively simple test is an effective way to check for several different digestive disorders, including specific sugar intolerance. You can have it done on an outpatient basis or sometimes at home and get results in a day or two.

• Targeted Probiotics. If your health care provider has an imbalance in your gut bacteria, they can help restore your microbiome by reintroducing the specific bacteria you're missing to help balance the dominant ones.

• Hormone therapy. Some women find relief from menstrual bloating and other PMS symptoms when taking hormonal birth control pills. You can discuss the pros and cons of the pill with a health professional.

When should you see a doctor?

See a health professional if you have a swollen abdomen:

• Gradually getting worse.
• Symptoms persist for more than a week.
• Is constantly painful.
• Symptoms of the disease appear, such as fever, vomiting or bleeding.

It's important

A bloated belly is not a pleasant feeling. Although this is a common experience and usually temporary. It may be worth paying some attention to the problem to determine a possible cause. Try to write down your symptoms and possible causes. Pay attention to diet, hormonal and stress factors. If in doubt, bring your notes to a professional for professional advice. The various factors that contribute to bloating can be complex and difficult to analyze, but medical tests can help. As always, see your doctor if your symptoms are persistent or severe.

More useful articles:

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Gut and psychological state. How to restore the balance of good bacteria in the intestines?

It is important to rememberthat everyone's health is individual and there is no common recipe for everyone!

So, if you want to know what nutrients your body might be lacking right now, health professionals recommend a guide –  "Your Day".

• In time, pay attention to the signals sent by your well-being
• Replenish the body with natural minerals, vitamins and nutrients necessary for health.
• Enjoy energy and good mood everyday!