Bloating is the feeling of tightness or fullness in the abdominal area – usually accompanied with abdominal pain. Most people feel bloated after eating, in which their stomach will feel swollen.
At the London Gastroenterology Centre, we specialise in providing treatments for a variety of different conditions, in which we offer you a diagnosis with an endoscopy in London. One of the areas that we specialise in is bloating, which is why we have put together a handy guide on the subject.
This includes how it’s caused, why it happens and how best to stop or reduce that awful bloated feeling. Read on for all the information!
What is bloating?
As we said earlier, bloating is the feeling of tightness in the abdominal area. It also refers to the presence of wind, gas or flatulence in the digestive tract.
The most common cause of feeling bloated is excessive gas in the digestive system – and/or a disturbance in the movement of the muscles in the digestive system. This causes increased pressure and discomfort, and can sometimes make the stomach look bigger.
The excessive gas arises as a result of chemical reactions or because of gut bacteria in the gut. Every day, there is around 5 litres of gas produced in a normal gut. Therefore, when a normal digestive function is interrupted, changes in the way that gut bacteria works can lead to increased amounts of gas being produced.
Other causes of bloating
There are many other causes of bloating in the digestive tract. We have highlighted some of these reasons below.
- Indigestion
- Acid Reflux
- Intolerance to food/lactose
- Constipation
- Menopause
- IBS
Indigestion and acid reflux are conditions that relate to the upper part of the digestive tract. It’s possible for bloating to occur when food isn’t broken down correctly in the very early stages of digestion.
Bloating because of food intolerance is often linked to gluten and lactose – in which it’s difficult for the middle of the digestive system to complete the digestion of food. If this happens, an unwanted production of gas occurs – causing the bloated feeling.
Constipation or IBS are both conditions of the lower digestive tract. Whilst there are a number of reasons for their condition, a key factor lies in the imbalance of bacterial types in the gut.
Reducing bloating
There are a few things that you can do in your everyday lifestyle to attempt to reduce the feeling of bloating, or stop it from occurring. These are:
- Chew your food well – eating food too fast is a cause of bloating after a meal. It’s also said that eating slowly is a way to combat overeating.
- Drink plenty of water
- Limit fats in your diet – fatty food takes longer to digest than any other food group, so your stomach feels full for longer.
- Avoid all fizzy drinks
- Exercise
- Reduce stress
- Reduce alcohol intake
If you suffer from constant bloating, and none of the advice above has helped reduce that horrible bloated feeling, then we can help you out.
Here at the London Gastroenterology Centre, we offer treatments for bloating that can help make you feel less uncomfortable after eating. For many people, bloating is just one symptom of an irritable bowel. If you need IBS treatment, we are specialists in that.
To find out more about bloating treatments in London, or for more information on how to reduce bloating and IBS, please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can call us on 020 7183 7965 and a member of staff will be happy to help.
