What are the signs that your bloating could indicate a more serious health issue? Discover the 5 key indicators that warrant medical attention for your persistent stomach bloating.

Understanding Abdominal Bloating

Stomach bloating is a common occurrence, affecting up to 70% of people regularly. It is often caused by an accumulation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to a feeling of discomfort and abdominal distension. Typical culprits include consuming certain foods and beverages, such as fizzy drinks, broccoli, beans, and an excess of fruits and vegetables.

While occasional bloating is usually harmless, there are times when it can signal a more serious underlying condition. It’s important to be aware of the potential red flags that may indicate the need for medical attention.

5 Signs of Serious Stomach Bloating

1. Unexplained Weight Loss

If you are experiencing continuous bloating accompanied by unintentional weight loss, it’s advisable to consult your healthcare provider. This combination can be a sign of a more serious issue, such as a tumor pressing on the intestines, making you feel full after consuming only a small amount of food.

2. Changes in Bowel Movements

Unusual changes in your bathroom habits, such as persistent diarrhea, increased frequency of bowel movements, or the presence of blood in your stool, may warrant medical investigation. Bloating can also be a symptom of conditions like inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which cause inflammation in the digestive tract. Severe bloating accompanied by pain can also indicate a bowel obstruction or blockage.

3. Persistent Fatigue

Continuous feelings of tiredness combined with bloating can be attributed to various underlying conditions. For example, individuals with celiac disease may experience bloating, diarrhea, and fatigue when consuming gluten-containing foods.

4. Appetite Changes

If you find yourself feeling full after eating less or experiencing a reduced appetite, it’s essential to discuss these symptoms with your doctor. Frequent indigestion that does not seem related to food or other apparent causes could be a sign of a more serious condition, such as a stomach ulcer, cancer, or liver failure.

5. Unrelenting Bloating

If your bloating persists and is accompanied by severe discomfort, it’s advisable to seek medical advice. Continual bloating that doesn’t subside may be a symptom of a more serious health issue, such as a buildup of fluid in the abdomen, which can occur with conditions like ovarian cancer.

Identifying the Underlying Cause

When it comes to persistent or severe bloating, it’s crucial to determine the underlying cause. Common culprits include food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance or celiac disease, where the body is unable to properly digest certain foods. In these cases, making dietary changes can help alleviate the symptoms.

However, if the bloating is accompanied by other concerning symptoms, it’s essential to seek medical attention. Your healthcare provider can perform various tests, such as blood work, imaging scans, or endoscopic procedures, to identify the root cause of your bloating and develop an appropriate treatment plan.

Preventing and Managing Bloating

If your bloating is primarily diet-related, there are several steps you can take to prevent and manage the condition:

1. Identify and limit your consumption of foods that trigger bloating, such as carbonated beverages, certain vegetables, and dairy products.
2. Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly to reduce the amount of air you swallow.
3. Incorporate probiotics and digestive enzymes into your diet to support healthy digestion.
4. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
5. Engage in regular physical activity to promote healthy digestion and gas elimination.

By being mindful of your body’s signals and seeking medical attention when necessary, you can effectively manage persistent or severe bloating and identify any underlying health concerns.

When to Seek Medical Attention

If your bloating is accompanied by any of the warning signs mentioned earlier, such as unexplained weight loss, changes in bowel movements, persistent fatigue, or appetite changes, it’s crucial to consult your healthcare provider. They can perform the necessary tests and examinations to determine the underlying cause and develop an appropriate treatment plan.

Remember, while occasional bloating is often harmless, continual or severe bloating that doesn’t subside may indicate a more serious health issue that requires medical attention. By being proactive and addressing your symptoms, you can take the necessary steps to maintain your overall digestive health and well-being.

5 signs stomach bloating is something more serious

70 per cent of people regularly suffer from stomach bloating, with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), acid reflux and constipation as three of the most common causes.

Stomach bloating is when your belly inflates and you feel uncomfortable. It’s often when you have too much gas that clogs up your gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). You may attribute bloating to eating certain foods and drinks such as fizzy drinks, broccoli, beans or too many fruits and vegetables. While this is a common cause of bloating, there are times when your bloating could signal something more serious.

Abdominal bloating is usually nothing to worry about and generally can be attributed to poor diet, intolerance or a gut problem often on the left side. Symptoms of a bloated stomach vary. Some people notice that their belly looks swollen or misshapen or may experience sharp stomach pain or abdominal pain. Some people bloat when stressed (especially if they suffer from irritable bowel syndrome) or before, during or after their menstrual cycle.

Ovarian cancer bloating is due to a buildup of fluid (ascites) in the abdomen and can also come with pain. Risk factors include taking medication such as tamoxifen, estrogen supplements that don’t contain progesterone, radiation therapy, a family history of uterine cancer or a family history of inherited colon cancer called Lynch syndrome.

How do I know if my bloating is serious? Here are five signs that indicate it may be time to see your doctor.

1. Weight loss

Weight loss alongside continual bloating should be explored by your GP, especially if the weight loss was not part of a lifestyle change.

Weight loss can be caused by tumours that press on the intestines, making you feel full after just a small amount of food.

Advertisement

2. Changes in bowel movement

Out-of-the-ordinary changes in your bathroom habits, such as continuous diarrhoea, needing to go more frequently, or blood in your stools, may indicate that you have something which requires medical attention.

Constipation may cause or exacerbate symptoms of bloating. Painful bloating could signal a bowel obstruction or a blockage in the small or large intestine.

Bloating with frequent tummy pain and the runs can often be a sign of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, both of which cause inflammation of your digestive tract. Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects the GI tract, usually in the small intestine or colon.

Crohn’s disease can cause narrowing of the intestines and lead to a bowel obstruction, resulting in severe bloating, weight loss, nausea and vomiting after meals. Other symptoms may be present outside of the GI tract, including mouth ulcers, joint pain, skin lesions and eye inflammation.

Swollen belly accompanied by unusual stools could be a sign of cancers like breast cancer, pancreatic, colon or stomach cancer, if cancer appears along the lining of the abdominal cavity or liver disease.

3. Fatigue

Continual tiredness combined with bloating can be attributed to many things but shouldn’t be ignored. If you have Coeliac disease, eating foods containing gluten can trigger diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fatigue.

4. Appetite changes

If you’re starting to feel full when eating less or find you lose your appetite, speak to your GP about your symptoms.

Frequent indigestion that does not appear to be associated with food or other apparent causes could be a sign of something more serious. Possible causes include a stomach ulcer, cancer or liver failure.

5. Continual bloating

If you have bloating that doesn’t seem to reside and is really painful, it is advisable to get advice from your GP.

A bloated stomach and stomach fullness are symptoms of excessive gas in the stomach. While you can ingest gasses by swallowing air while eating certain foods, smoking and chewing gum or drinking carbonated beverages, these gasses mostly escape through belching before they reach your intestines. Otherwise, they tend to pass as flatulence.

The most common foods that cause problems are wheat, gluten or dairy. Coeliac disease is a common digestive condition where your intestine cannot absorb gluten found in wheat, barley and rye. If you have Coeliac disease, eating foods containing gluten can also trigger diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fatigue. Lactose intolerance is associated with many digestive symptoms, including bloating. Lactose is the main carbohydrate in milk.

If your stomach bloating is caused by diet or alcohol, you can help prevent it by making some lifestyle changes.

FAQ’s

What does bloating feel like?

Bloating is a feeling of discomfort in your stomach due to an accumulation of gas and fluid. It can be tight, you feel full which often makes clothing too restrictive for comfortable wear. Bloating may also cause cramping and abdominal pain, making it hard to get through the day. The increased gas in the stomach can lead to burping or passing gas more frequently, a very embarrassing symptom. This feeling can occur at any time but is commonly reported after meals when the stomach has run out of room with excess gas. Other causes can be hormonal changes or even swallowed air. If you struggle with bloating, remember you’re not alone, there are ways you can treat this uncomfortable feeling.

Why am I still bloated after pooping?

Pooping is a normal and natural part of life, it’s important to remember that when it comes to digestive issues like bloating, the source of discomfort can vary from person to person.

In most cases, feeling bloated after pooping can be caused by what we have eaten; for example, dairy or high-fibre foods may cause you to feel puffy afterwards. Another possible culprit is gas that hasn’t been released during your bathroom session. Another reason could be an indication of food intolerances or food allergies; it could mean your body isn’t digesting and absorbing important vitamins and minerals as it should. Sometimes it could be a sign that something else is wrong with your digestive systems, such as coeliac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or lactose and fructose intolerant.

If the bloating persists or worsens during or after pooping, it’s probably wise to bring this up with a doctor, as other underlying conditions could be at play. But overall, intestinal bloating after a bowel movement is almost always caused by something dietary or related to an accumulation of gas in your digestive tract.

How do I know if my bloating is serious?

Knowing the difference between occasional bloating and a serious condition is important. Fortunately, several telltale signs can help you understand if your bloating is something to be concerned about.

If your bloating is accompanied by abdominal pain, cramps, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, then it might be a serious problem. Regularly occurring bloating that doesn’t improve with lifestyle changes, such as eating smaller meals or avoiding certain foods, may also point to a more serious issue. Other symptoms like weight loss or blood in the stools could also indicate a medical problem and warrant further investigation.

Speak with your doctor if you have any concerns so they can determine whether additional testing or treatments are advisable. Taking charge of your health starts by understanding the information available and making informed decisions to stay well.

Why does my stomach feel stiff when I press on it?

Feeling bloating in the abdomen is a very common complaint. When bloating is present and you press on your stomach, it can feel challenging because bloating causes abdominal swelling that puts pressure on the stomach wall.

Bloating can be caused by different factors, including overeating, eating gassy foods, irritable bowel syndrome or even swallowing air while talking. It’s important to discuss these sensations with your health provider to make sure you can identify any underlying medical issue and take the necessary steps towards relieving bloating symptoms.

How do I treat bloating?

Dealing with bloating can be uncomfortable and even embarrassing at times, which is why many people are interested in over-the-counter treatments for bloating. These treatments typically involve common medications like antacids, laxatives or probiotics, which help to neutralise stomach acid and restore a natural balance in the digestive system.

Bloating presents common symptoms like abdominal discomfort, abdominal distension/swelling and burping. Fortunately, several simple self-care strategies like decreasing the intake of common trigger foods (e.g. full-fat dairy products, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli), drinking plenty of water, engaging in regular physical activity and taking specialised supplements can help to reduce its severity.

Talk to a healthcare provider to learn more about potential over-the-counter treatments for bloating that may be right for you. Unfortunately, these treatments don’t always solve more severe cases of bloating, so it is important to consult a doctor if you experience bloating regularly.

How long can bloating last?

Bloating is an uncomfortable and sometimes painful sensation that most people have experienced at one point in their lives. This distention of the abdomen can vary in severity and duration – some episodes of bloating may only last a few minutes, while others can persist for multiple days.

If bloating lasts longer than three days, it is important to seek advice from a medical professional as it may indicate a more serious underlying condition that needs further investigation. Eating small portions frequently, avoiding certain gassy foods and drinking plenty of water are all helpful ways to manage and reduce periods of excessive bloating.

What are the causes of a bloated tummy in ladies?

A bloated tummy can be caused by fibroids or endometriosis in women. Fibroids are benign uterus tumours and may cause bloating because they can push on other organs, such as the bladder and the intestines. In addition, fibroids can produce hormones like estrogen, which cause an increase in the buildup of fats in your abdomen, leading to discomfort and a bloated feeling. Endometriosis is another condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, causing pain and a bloated stomach from fluid accumulation. Other causes include premenstrual syndrome, food allergies or sensitivity, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and consuming large amounts of carbohydrates or sodium-rich foods. It is always important to receive a proper medical diagnosis if you have a bloated stomach, as it could be a symptom of other conditions.

I have a bloated stomach, feel sick and tired, and I am female. Should I be worried?

If you are a female experiencing a bloated stomach and feel sick or tired, please take it seriously. Although the symptoms can be minor, they can also indicate underlying health issues that you should check out. The lack of energy or upper abdominal pain could be caused by inflammation or digestive problems such as IBS, food sensitivities, hormonal imbalances or certain infections.

To help ensure that there isn’t something serious going on with your body, it is always best to seek medical attention from your doctor if the symptoms don’t subside after a few weeks. An accurate professional diagnosis will help you find the best possible treatment plan to start feeling better.

I have a bloated stomach, feel sick and tired, and I am male. Should I be worried?

If you’re male and constantly feeling bloated, it could be a sign of something bigger. This type of tension or pressure in the stomach accompanied by fatigue or feeling sick can be symptoms of many health issues, from simple digestive problems to more serious illnesses like diabetes or liver disease.

It’s important to speak with your doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms regularly, so they can rule out any underlying problems and offer a diagnosis. In many cases, lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise modifications can result in symptom reduction if no other underlying issue is present.

I am feeling bloated and sick after eating. Should I be concerned?

After overindulging in food, it’s common to experience bloating and overall discomfort. Bloating is caused by increased gas production within the digestive tract, which certain foods can trigger like those high in fibre, sulfur-containing compounds or sugar alcohols. Eating too quickly or consuming large amounts of food can also contribute to these unwanted symptoms.

To avoid feeling bloated and sick, try eating slowly and taking smaller bites to help control your appetite. Spacing meals throughout the day can also help keep you from overconsuming calories at once. Eating healthy foods and managing portion sizes are important steps in avoiding uncomfortable sensations after eating.

Is gas a sign of bloating?

True bloating is a feeling of fullness, tightness and pressure that can cause discomfort in the abdominal area. Gas or trapped wind is one symptom of bloating, but other symptoms can include abdominal distension and pain caused by gas buildup or spasms in the gastrointestinal system. It is also possible to experience bloating without any release of gas.

Factors such as hormonal imbalances, food intolerances, constipation, gut bacteria imbalances, large or small intestinal parasites and certain medications can all result in bloating without passing gas. It’s important to remember that while gas may be a sign of true bloating, it depends on what else you are feeling.

Suppose you’re experiencing ongoing symptoms like fullness, tightness and discomfort in your abdomen and notice changes in your regular eating patterns. It may be worth discussing with your healthcare provider or a dietitian for further evaluation.

My stomach has been bloated for a week. What should I do?

If you have been experiencing bloating for a week or more, it is important to seek medical advice. Bloating can have many causes, ranging from lifestyle factors such as diet, stress and hormonal changes to underlying medical conditions. To help your doctor determine the best course of action for you, keeping track of any other symptoms besides the bloating is important.

Have these symptoms, such as abdominal pain or gas been consistent or come and go? Make sure to also pay attention to accompanying emotions such as anxiety and sadness. Once you’ve given your healthcare provider all the details of what you’ve been experiencing, they can help you find the cause and come up with a plan to reduce bloating.

About Now Patient

Now Patient’s online services are available in the US and UK. We help you manage your prescriptions, doctor appointments, test results, health risks and a lot more, all in one place for FREE. US prescriptions are available on a discounted ‘cash’ basis and delivered across all 50 states by our network of pharmacy providers dispensing FDA-approved generic and branded medications. We do not currently handle commercial insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. UK NHS and private prescriptions are delivered FREE of charge across England & Wales by our UK regulated online pharmacy.

Sources

• Bloating – NHS
• Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Treatment of Bloating – NCBI

Gas and Bloating: When You Should See a Doctor

We’re all familiar with that uncomfortable fullness of bloating and the sometimes-embarrassing consequences of gas. That discomfort is the result of trapped or slow-moving gas.

You may recognize that certain foods and drinks are to blame. Some foods are more likely than others to cause gas and bloating. Simply avoiding them can keep it to a minimum.

But sometimes, gas and bloating aren’t easy to relieve or can point to a more serious condition. Irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatic insufficiency, celiac disease, and many other conditions can cause gas and bloating.

But how do you know if your gas and bloating result from regular eating habits or something more?

What’s Normal, What’s Not?

It’s normal to pass gas around 15-20 times per day. Gas is a normal product of digestion that causes symptoms like:

• Abdominal cramping
• Bloating
• Burping
• Distended abdomen
• Flatulence (passing gas)

It’s caused by the digestion and fermentation of foods and by swallowing air while you eat or drink. The foods that cause gas the most include:

• Artificial sweeteners
• Carbonated beverages
• Fiber supplements
• High fiber foods
• Sugars

Some medical conditions can also cause gas, bloating, and gas pains, including:

• Bacterial changes in the intestines
• Constipation
• Food intolerance
• Intestinal conditions like Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, or ulcerative colitis

Gas and bloating can often be treated successfully at home.

What Home Remedies Work for Bloating?

Lifestyle changes or over-the-counter remedies can sometimes relieve or prevent excess gas and bloating. Try the following:

• Avoid straws, chewing gum, and sucking on hard candy
• Dietary changes (more fiber, less fatty foods, avoiding your trigger foods)
• Eat slower
• Eat smaller portions
• Exercise regularly to reduce the risk of constipation
• Limit carbonated drinks
• Over the counter medications for gas
• Quit smoking
• Take a laxative if constipation is the cause
• Tighten loose dentures to minimize the amount of air you swallow

If you’ve tried home remedies but are still experiencing excess gas and bloating, you should talk to a doctor about your symptoms.

When Should I See a Doctor About Gas and Bloating?

When gas and bloating occur with other symptoms, it could mean something is going on other than normal digestion. You should see a doctor if you have gas and bloating along with any of these symptoms:

• Blood or mucus in your stool
• Changing your eating habits didn’t help
• Chronic or frequent diarrhea, constipation, or vomiting
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Over-the-counter remedies don’t help
• Persistent bloating, gas, or heartburn
• Significant changes in bowel movements
• Symptoms are disrupting your life
• Unexplained weight loss

When you see a doctor, you’ll probably start by discussing your medical history and symptom history. It might help to keep a symptom journal noting what you were doing or what you ate when you had symptoms, their severity, and what helped or worsened them.

You’ll also have a physical exam of your abdomen to check for anything that feels abnormal and/or tender.

Your doctor may then recommend testing, like a colonoscopy, blood tests, upper GI imaging, or breath tests.

When is Gas and Bloating an Emergency?

Some conditions that cause bloating, gas, and abdominal pain can be serious. Get immediate medical help for these symptoms:

• Chest pain
• High fever
• Severe abdominal pain
• Severe diarrhea

We Can Help You with Your Symptoms

Living with excessive gas and bloating can be uncomfortable, embarrassing, and interfere with your daily activities. A visit with a gastroenterologist could be your first step to leading a more comfortable life.

Don’t live with chronic gas and bloating any longer – schedule an appointment today!

Related:

• 4 Ways to Reduce Gas & Bloating Without Medicine
• 7 Bad Eating Habits That Cause Indigestion, Acid Reflux and Stomach Bloating
• Stomach Pain: When Should You See a Doctor?

View All News

The concept of “acute abdomen” and tactics in case of it

• Home >
• Divisions >
• Ambulance >
• The concept of “acute abdomen” and tactics in case of it

Ambulance calls are received daily
around the clock free of charge

Phones: 8 (812) 702-49-21

The term “acute abdomen” is collective, it means a number of acute
surgical diseases of the abdominal organs, which have
many common signs and require, as a rule, urgent
surgical intervention. If surgical treatment
delayed, life-threatening complications arise.

The most common of these diseases is acute
appendicitis. This disease is characterized by inflammation
appendix (appendix). The classic signs of this
diseases: abdominal pain, fever, vomiting,
stool retention, abdominal muscle tension, leukocytosis (increased number of
leukocytes in the blood) a positive symptom of peritoneal irritation.

Abdominal pain most often occurs gradually, has a constant
whining character. At the onset of the disease, they are distributed throughout
belly or stomach area. Then the pain is localized in the right
iliac region, increasing with a change in body position.
The most intense pain occurs in the first hours of the disease, and then
subside, which is associated with the death of the nervous apparatus of the process. Pain in
stomach interfere with sleep.

Vomiting – once or twice, at the beginning of the disease. When
complications – rupture of the process and the development of diffuse peritonitis
(inflammation of the peritoneum), constant vomiting.

The temperature is in the range of 37.5-38º C, in 15% of patients it can
be normal. When there are signs of complications of appendicitis
(diffuse peritonitis, abscess in the process area) temperature
rises to 39º C and above.

At the beginning of the disease, the tongue of the affected person is clear, may be slightly
lined with white. When complications occur, the tongue becomes
dry, a plaque appears on it. There is a delay in stool. At
the appearance of complications, it can be liquid and frequent.

In the blood test, an increase in the number of leukocytes within
11000-15000 thousand in 1 mm and a shift of the leukocyte formula to the left.

When feeling the abdomen (begin the examination from the left half
and do it very delicately) it can be determined that the pain is getting worse
in the right half. You can also feel passive muscle tension
on the right, which does not depend on the will of the patient, but is associated with
reflex contraction.

The classic picture of appendicitis is characterized by the presence of
also a positive symptom of peritoneal irritation. It is defined
in the following way. Put a hand on the patient’s stomach and palm
gradually and gently press, and then the hand is sharply taken away from
belly. With a positive symptom of peritoneal irritation, pain during
withdrawal of the hand intensifies.

The presence of the listed signs gives reason to suspect
appendicitis.

You should also know that this disease can progress
atypical, especially in young children and the elderly.

In all cases where the patient has abdominal pain, before
all it is necessary to exclude acute surgical disease, in this
case of appendicitis, and only a doctor can do this.

Another acute surgical disease is acute
cholecystitis – inflammation of the gallbladder.

This disease occurs mainly in adults (more often in women)
and in older children. Causes of cholecystitis are infection
(microbial and parasitic – Giardia), dyskenesia (violation
normal flow of bile). Contributes to cholecystitis
malnutrition with the presence of abundant fatty foods, sedentary
lifestyle and associated obesity. cholecystitis may be
usual non-calculous and calculous, that is, with the presence in the bile
bladder stones that can clog the bile ducts.

Non-calculous acute cholecystitis usually appears quite
sharp pain in the right hypochondrium, body temperature rises to 38º
C, there may be nausea and vomiting.

In cases of calculous cholecystitis with obstruction of the bile ducts
stone or something else (cyst, swelling of the mucous membrane of the duct
due to inflammation), the course of this disease is exacerbated. pain
intensify with irradiation to the area of ​​the scapula, temperature
increases to 39º C and above, vomiting appears, as well as signs
peritoneal irritation. In cases of complete blockage of the bile ducts
jaundice appears.

The question of how to treat a patient with acute cholecystitis may
only the surgeon can decide.

An acute surgical disease also includes perforated
ulcer of the stomach, duodenum and other departments
intestines. Perforation of the stomach and duodenum occurs more often.
This usually happens in people who have had ulcers for a long time.
disease. However, asymptomatic course of this disease is also possible and
then perforation occurs, as it were, against the background of complete health.

Due to destruction in some part of the digestive tract
wall ulcerative process occurs perforation and the contents of the stomach
or intestines leaking into the abdominal cavity, which leads to the development
peritonitis.

Signs of perforation: acute (dagger) abdominal pain, with
the appearance of cold sweat, a sharp tension in the abdominal muscles
(board-like abdomen), disappearance of hepatic dullness. Since the gas
from the digestive tract enters the abdominal cavity and accumulates
in the region of the liver. In the first hours, the stomach is drawn in like a boat, and then
its swelling appears, a positive symptom of irritation of the peritoneum,
forced position of the patient (with knees bent to the stomach).

Bowel obstruction is also an acute surgical
disease. Urgent surgical treatment is required for mechanical
acute intestinal obstruction. It has a mechanical
an obstruction somewhere along the bowel. It could be loop compression.
intestines from the outside or from the inside, intestinal volvulus as a result of which
the intestine in some place is squeezed; knotting, at
in which part of the loops of the small intestine spontaneously knots
into a knot; intussusception, when one part of the intestinal loop is embedded in
another, clogging the intestinal lumen and some others.

The most consistent common features of the listed species
mechanical acute intestinal obstruction are: often severe
paroxysmal pain in the abdomen, lack of discharge of gases and stools,
vomiting, bloating. The presence of these features indicates
the patient may have acute intestinal obstruction.

First aid.

In case of all acute surgical diseases, urgently call
ambulance team and deliver as quickly and carefully as possible
patient in the surgical department. Apply cold to the stomach. It is forbidden
apply a heating pad, give painkillers, and drink and
There is. You can only wet your lips.

Products that cause bloating / Blog / Clinic EXPERT

Prashnova Maria Konstantinovna

Chief physician, gastroenterologist, hepatologist, Ph.D.

March 21, 2022

8.5 thousand views

Every day at the gastroenterologist’s appointment, you can meet a patient who complains of a feeling of fullness, fullness in the abdomen, this is accompanied by pain and an increase in the volume of the abdomen. Simply put, such a patient is worried about “bloating”. It can be a difficult task for a doctor to understand the causes of this condition, because bloating is a symptom of many diseases. Eliminate first organic pathology of the gastrointestinal tract (chronic gastritis, cholelithiasis, pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, tumors, etc.). But after the examination, it may turn out that the patient does not have any organic disease. In this situation, we are talking about the so-called functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional bloating. For these diseases, one of the treatment recommendations is to follow a low-FODMAP diet. There is scientific evidence that in some patients following this diet, the symptoms of bloating and abdominal pain are reduced. So what is the point of this diet? Scientists have collected data that some foods have a large amount of fermentable carbohydrates, which are poorly absorbed or not absorbed at all in the small intestine, and in the large intestine these carbohydrates are broken down by microflora with the formation of a large amount of gas. Hence the symptoms of “bloating” and pain in the abdomen. Thus, the basis of the low-FODMAP diet is to reduce the intake of fermentable carbohydrates. It is important to emphasize that fermentable carbohydrates do not cause damage to the intestinal wall, do not cause inflammation of the mucous membrane, they provoke discomfort in the abdomen. Therefore, there is no need to completely exclude fermentable carbohydrates from the diet, you just need to reduce their amount to a level at which the symptoms of “bloating” will be absent. Moreover, with the complete exclusion of a number of products from the daily diet, it can provoke deficient states of the body.

What products are leaders in the content of fermentable carbohydrates, i.e. most likely to cause bloating?

1. Products containing lactose. The first place in terms of lactose content is condensed milk ( 9.9-14.0 g of lactose per 100 g of product). In second place is whole cow’s milk (3.7-5.1 g per 100 g of product). You need to be careful with ice cream, it can contain from 3.6 to 8.4 g of lactose per 100 g of product. Also, bloating can cause kefir, yogurt, which contain about 4 g of lactose per 100 g of product.

The safest dairy products are hard cheeses, they practically do not contain lactose.

To diagnose lactose intolerance, a hydrogen breath lactose tolerance test is performed; as well as analysis of feces for the content of carbohydrates in feces.

2. Foods containing fructose. The largest amount of fructose is found in grapes, apples, pears, cherries, watermelons.

To diagnose fructose intolerance, a fructose hydrogen breath test is performed.

3. Fructans – consist of several molecules of fructose. These carbohydrates are practically not absorbed in the small intestine, and in the large intestine they are actively broken down by normal microflora with the formation of a large amount of gas. These carbohydrates stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, thus having a beneficial prebiotic effect.

Dried fruits contain the highest amount of fructans: dried pineapple, dried goji berries, raisins, dried apricots, dried mango, dates. Garlic and onion, which also contain fructans, are often provocateurs of flatulence.