Bloating often causes discomfort, with symptoms like gas and stomach pain. Lifestyle changes and medications can help reduce symptoms.
There are many reasons you might feel bloated, including:
Gas: Some foods cause your gastrointestinal (GI) tract to produce more gas than others, especially high-sulfur vegetables like Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and broccoli. Swallowing air and drinking carbonated beverages can also cause gas.
Large meals: Eating more than you need can lead you to produce more gas than usual.
Menstruation: Hormonal changes during your period can cause bloating.
Lack of fiber: Not getting enough fiber in your diet could cause food to travel too slowly through your digestive system, leading to discomfort.
A sedentary lifestyle: Sitting for too long can compress your abdominal organs, slowing digestion.
Stress: Your body slows digestion when you are stressed, leading to bloating, pain, and indigestion.
Other medical issues: Bloating can be a symptom of a more serious condition, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
There are many options you can try to relieve short-term bloating...To Read The Full Content; Tap Here Now .
Increase Your Activity
The motion of exercise increases blood flow to your digestive tract, massaging food along.1
It does not have to be intense exercise. Walking for just a few minutes after a meal can support digestion.2
Relax Your Body
Your autonomic nervous system enters a sympathetic state, also known as “fight, flight, or freeze,” when you are stressed. In this state, digestion slows down.
As you relax, the system returns to a parasympathetic state, known as “rest and digest”, allowing your food to digest easily.3
To relax your body, you can try:
Taking a warm bath
Having a good laugh
Doing deep breathing exercises
Reading your favorite book
Listening to calming music
Spending time in nature
Talking with a friend
Give Yourself an Abdominal Massage
Massaging your abdomen can help move food along in your bowels.
Start on your right side near your pelvis and rub upwards in a circular motion until you reach your ribcage. Move across in a straight line to your upper left side and move down to your left hip. Then go upward towards your belly button.
Repeat the process for up to 10 minutes, always moving clockwise. Going counter-clockwise could make your problem worse.
Here are some tips to make your massage more effective:
Use your fingertips to rub, not the palm of your hand.
Incorporate massage oil to avoid friction and help you relax.
Lie flat on your back on a comfortable surface throughout the massage.
Start light and add a little more pressure with your fingertips throughout the massage.
Stop if you feel pain or tenderness anywhere. This could be a sign that you are harming yourself or that something more serious is going on.
Do the massage at least once a day to see if it decreases your bloating.45
Try Over-the-Counter Remedies
Medicines containing simethicone, like GasX, are effective at relieving bloating caused by gas.
Pepto Bismol contains bismuth subsalicylate, which decreases bloat caused by overindulging in food. Lactase enzymes, like Lactaid, relieve bloating due to dairy intolerance.
You can often find these medications in local pharmacies or grocery stores.
Frequent bloating could mean you need a long-term solution. Here are changes you can make to relieve chronic (long-term) bloat.
Avoid Foods That Cause A Lot of Gas
You can try a temporary low-FODMAP diet. It decreases fermentable foods, as well as those with oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols.6
The following are examples of foods to eliminate from the diet:
Fermentable foods: Pickles, kefir, kombucha, miso, sourdough bread, natto, and cheese
Oligosaccharides: Wheat, garlic, legumes, and onions
Disaccharides: Milk, yogurt, and ice cream
Polyols: Nectarines, plums, cauliflower, apricots, and most sugar-free candies
This is an elimination diet to determine which foods cause your bloating. You can avoid them when you discover which ones cause your bloating.
Chewing gum, drinking soda, and sparkling water all encourage air to enter your GI tract, creating gas, so you may want to try avoiding them. It can also happen when you drink through a straw.
Eat Smaller Meals Throughout the Day
Try eating 4-5 smaller meals throughout the day. This way, you can stay satisfied and avoid overeating. This approach to eating can also lead to more stable blood sugar, weight loss, and more consistent energy throughout the day.7
By incorporating complex carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables at every meal, you get all the nutrients you need throughout the day without the bloat.
Increase Your Fiber Intake
Constipation is a common cause of bloating, and increasing fiber can help relieve it.
Fiber is a carbohydrate that helps your body digest food.8 There are two types of fiber, and both have positive health impacts.
Soluble Fiber: dissolves in water and helps regulate your blood sugar and cholesterol levels
Insoluble Fiber: does not dissolve and helps move food along your digestive tract, relieving constipation and bloating
Soluble fiber can help you feel less hungry. Insoluble fiber can help with the bloating caused by constipation.
Foods with soluble fiber include:
Black beans
Lima beans
Broccol
Brussels sprouts
Avocados
Sweet potatoes
Turnips
Pears
Figs
Apricots
Apples
Carrots
Be sure to increase water intake when you increase fiber, otherwise, you can make constipation worse.
Cut Down on Sodium
Adults need fewer than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. This is the equivalent of around one teaspoon. However, most people in the United States consume more than 3,400 milligrams.9
Try to cut back if your sodium intake is too high from ultra-processed food. Salt causes your body to retain water, which can cause bloating.
Avoid Smoking
You take in more air when you smoke, which can travel into your digestive tract, causing bloating.
Trying to stop smoking overnight can lead to dangerous side effects, so take it slow. Speak with a doctor or an addiction specialist who can help you safely wean off nicotine.
Quitting nicotine can also increase your appetite, so it’s important to choose foods that do not contribute to your bloating.10
Occasionally, bloating could mean that something more serious is going on.
Your bloating, combined with other symptoms, could be a sign of:
IBS
Celiac disease
Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
A GI blockage
Endometriosis
Gastritis
Ascites
Cancer
Pancreatic insufficiency
For many of these conditions, prompt treatment is key to a positive outcome. See a doctor if you have the following:
Bloating so severe that it impacts your ability to perform everyday activities
Vomiting or diarrhea
Blood in your stool
Chronic (long-term) heartburn
Unintended weight loss