Bloating Is a Common Occurrence for Many People

Abdominal bloating is a condition that is mainly characterized by a feeling of fullness, stomach tightness, and swelling in the abdomen. Normally, this occurs when the gastrointestinal tract – also known as the GI – gets filled with gases or air. The abdomen becomes distended – appears swollen – and the person also reports pain in the abdomen. Normally, bloating is accompanied by the following symptoms.

• Excessive gas – also referred to as flatulence
• Pain
• Belching or increased burping
• Rumbling of the abdomen or gurgling

Essentially, abdominal bloating can severely impact the normal functioning of a person. For instance, the person’s ability to participate in recreational or social activities is heavily curtailed. Typically, bloating occurs in people of all ages. Severe instances of bloating are characterized by more severe symptoms that include.

• Blood in the stool
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Unintentional and noticeable loss of weight
• Vomiting
• Vaginal bleeding between periods
• Deteriorating heartburn

Bloating is incredibly common and dealt with by many people. 

Causes of Bloating

There’s a lot of reasons that people may feel bloated. Some of the most common ones include:

1. Air and Gases

Gases are the common causes of bloating. Abdominal bloating mainly occurs after eating. Normally, the gas builds up in the gastrointestinal tract during the breakdown of undigested food. In addition, the gas might build up if a person swallows air. Typically, swallowing air is a common occurrence when a person eats or drinks. However, some people tend to swallow more air than others if they:

• Smoke
• Have loose dentures
• Chew gum
• Drink or eat too fast

In most cases, the person develops flatulence or burping to let the air out of the body. In addition to the accumulated gases, delayed stomach emptying can cause further accumulation of gases, leading to bloating and increased abdominal distension.

2. Medical Conditions

A person might also develop abdominal bloating due to health conditions that include:

• Food intolerances
• Heartburn
• Particular medications
• Weight gain
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease
• A flux of the hormones, especially for women
• Intestinal parasite infection – giardiasis
• Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders
• Stress, depression, and anxiety
• Functional gastrointestinal disorders

Essentially, these conditions don’t directly cause bloating. Typically, they contribute to the rise of factors that lead to bloating. For instance, they:

• Prevent emptying of gas leading to accumulation of gases
• Cause constipation which consequently slows down the emptying of the stomach
• Reduce digestion bacteria within the gastrointestinal tract
• Alter the gut motility
• Impair the passage of gas
• Prevent efficient absorption of food particles
• Lead to visceral hypersensitivity
• Cause abdominal reflexes that are not normal

3. Severe Causes of Abdominal Bloating

A person can also develop abdominal bloating due to severe conditions that include:

• Gluten intolerance or celiac disease
• Lack of proper digestion since the pancreas cannot create enough digestive juices or enzymes – also referred to as pancreatic insufficiency.
• Accumulation of fluids in the abdominal cavity. This could be due to cancer, failure of the kidney, or congestive heart failure.
• Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract leads to the escape of gases, bacterial and other substances. If these substances escape to the abdominal cavity, a person might experience very severe bloating.

Treatment

Bloating can be treated through lifestyle changes or medication. A change can treat most mild cases of bloating through lifestyle. For instance, a person who is overweight can embark on a weight loss journey. Other changes that a person can make include.

• Limited consumption of carbonated drinks
• Drinking using a straw
• Eating at a slow pace
• Consuming products that don’t contain lactose – especially for people with lactose intolerance
• Eating foods that don’t cause the development of abdominal gas

For people suffering from a more severe form of abdominal bloating, seeking medication is recommended. Normally, a health care provider will evaluate the person for any severe symptoms and seek to find whether the person suffers from a condition that might cause bloating. Most forms of bloating can be treated with common medications. However, if a more severe medical condition causes bloating, the doctor will attempt to treat the individual cases to relieve the bloating.