Abdominal Bloating and Nausea: Causes, Photos, and Treatments

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission Here’s our process.

Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:

• Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
• Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
• Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.

Read more about our vetting process.

Was this helpful?

Overview

Abdominal bloating is a condition where the abdomen feels uncomfortably full and gaseous, and may also be visibly swollen (distended). Bloating is a common complaint among both adults and children.

Nausea is a symptom that occurs when your stomach feels queasy. You may feel as if you could vomit. Many factors contribute to feelings of nausea, including a medical condition or something you ate.

Abdominal bloating and nausea commonly occur together. One symptom often triggers the other. Fortunately, they both usually resolve with time.

Examples of conditions that can cause abdominal bloating and nausea include:

• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• gastrointestinal blockage
• gastroparesis
• giardiasis (an infection from an intestinal parasite)
• constipation
• irritable bowel syndrome
• lactose intolerance
• overeating
• pregnancy (especially in the first trimester)
• taking certain medications (such as antibiotics)
• ileus, impairment of normal bowel motility
• celiac disease
• inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
• bacterial overgrowth syndrome
• viral or bacterial gastroenteritis
• bacterial or ischemic colitis
• diverticulitis
• appendicitis
• symptomatic gallstones or infection of the gallbladder
• eating excessive starches
• food poisoning
• gastric outlet obstruction
• gastrointestinal bleeding
• gastritis

Less common causes include:

• cancer
• congestive heart failure
• dumping syndrome (a condition that can occur after you’ve had abdominal surgery)
• intestinal tumors
• liver cirrhosis
• pancreatic insufficiency

Seek emergency medical attention if you have chest pain, blood in your feces, a severe headache, neck stiffness, or you’re vomiting blood. These are all symptoms of conditions that require emergency care, including a heart attack, stroke, meningitis, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Symptoms that may warrant a trip to your physician’s office include:

• dehydration (because nausea has prevented you from eating or drinking)
• dizziness or lightheadedness when standing
• symptoms that do not subside in one to two days
• unexplained weight loss
• worsening symptoms

Contact your doctor if you experience any other symptoms that are out of the ordinary for you or that make it hard to perform daily tasks.

Abdominal bloating and nausea related to foods you eat will typically resolve after your body has had time to digest whatever has upset your stomach. Common food intolerances include lactose and gluten. Avoid eating any foods that you determine are causing abdominal bloating and nausea.

Your doctor may prescribe medication if you have underlying conditions such as acid reflux or constipation. More serious disorders, such as congestive heart failure or dumping syndrome, may require prolonged treatments.

Resting in an upright position can reduce abdominal bloating and nausea related to acid reflux. This position reduces the acid’s flow up your esophagus. Physical activity can worsen symptoms when you feel nauseated.

Drinking clear fluids that contain natural sugar, such as sports drinks or Pedialyte, may help settle your stomach. However, drinking artificially flavored beverages and those made with sugar alcohols may contribute to abdominal bloating.

Shop for sports drinks.

Anti-gas medications to reduce abdominal bloating, such as simethicone drops, are available at pharmacies. They’re not always effective, so take in moderation.

Shop for anti-gas medications.

If you’re able to target the foods causing your abdominal bloating and nausea, avoiding them can prevent your symptoms. There are other steps you can take to maintain a stomach-friendly lifestyle as well. They include:

• eating a bland diet of toast, broth-based soups, baked chicken, rice, pudding, gelatin, and cooked fruits and vegetables
• exercising regularly, which helps reduce gas in the intestinal tract while also preventing constipation
• refraining from smoking
• avoiding carbonated beverages and chewing gum
• continuing to drink plenty of clear liquids, which can prevent constipation that leads to nausea and abdominal bloating

Abdominal Bloating and Nausea: Causes, Photos, and Treatments

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission Here’s our process.

Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:

• Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
• Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
• Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.

Read more about our vetting process.

Was this helpful?

Overview

Abdominal bloating is a condition where the abdomen feels uncomfortably full and gaseous, and may also be visibly swollen (distended). Bloating is a common complaint among both adults and children.

Nausea is a symptom that occurs when your stomach feels queasy. You may feel as if you could vomit. Many factors contribute to feelings of nausea, including a medical condition or something you ate.

Abdominal bloating and nausea commonly occur together. One symptom often triggers the other. Fortunately, they both usually resolve with time.

Examples of conditions that can cause abdominal bloating and nausea include:

• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• gastrointestinal blockage
• gastroparesis
• giardiasis (an infection from an intestinal parasite)
• constipation
• irritable bowel syndrome
• lactose intolerance
• overeating
• pregnancy (especially in the first trimester)
• taking certain medications (such as antibiotics)
• ileus, impairment of normal bowel motility
• celiac disease
• inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
• bacterial overgrowth syndrome
• viral or bacterial gastroenteritis
• bacterial or ischemic colitis
• diverticulitis
• appendicitis
• symptomatic gallstones or infection of the gallbladder
• eating excessive starches
• food poisoning
• gastric outlet obstruction
• gastrointestinal bleeding
• gastritis

Less common causes include:

• cancer
• congestive heart failure
• dumping syndrome (a condition that can occur after you’ve had abdominal surgery)
• intestinal tumors
• liver cirrhosis
• pancreatic insufficiency

Seek emergency medical attention if you have chest pain, blood in your feces, a severe headache, neck stiffness, or you’re vomiting blood. These are all symptoms of conditions that require emergency care, including a heart attack, stroke, meningitis, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Symptoms that may warrant a trip to your physician’s office include:

• dehydration (because nausea has prevented you from eating or drinking)
• dizziness or lightheadedness when standing
• symptoms that do not subside in one to two days
• unexplained weight loss
• worsening symptoms

Contact your doctor if you experience any other symptoms that are out of the ordinary for you or that make it hard to perform daily tasks.

Abdominal bloating and nausea related to foods you eat will typically resolve after your body has had time to digest whatever has upset your stomach. Common food intolerances include lactose and gluten. Avoid eating any foods that you determine are causing abdominal bloating and nausea.

Your doctor may prescribe medication if you have underlying conditions such as acid reflux or constipation. More serious disorders, such as congestive heart failure or dumping syndrome, may require prolonged treatments.

Resting in an upright position can reduce abdominal bloating and nausea related to acid reflux. This position reduces the acid’s flow up your esophagus. Physical activity can worsen symptoms when you feel nauseated.

Drinking clear fluids that contain natural sugar, such as sports drinks or Pedialyte, may help settle your stomach. However, drinking artificially flavored beverages and those made with sugar alcohols may contribute to abdominal bloating.

Shop for sports drinks.

Anti-gas medications to reduce abdominal bloating, such as simethicone drops, are available at pharmacies. They’re not always effective, so take in moderation.

Shop for anti-gas medications.

If you’re able to target the foods causing your abdominal bloating and nausea, avoiding them can prevent your symptoms. There are other steps you can take to maintain a stomach-friendly lifestyle as well. They include:

• eating a bland diet of toast, broth-based soups, baked chicken, rice, pudding, gelatin, and cooked fruits and vegetables
• exercising regularly, which helps reduce gas in the intestinal tract while also preventing constipation
• refraining from smoking
• avoiding carbonated beverages and chewing gum
• continuing to drink plenty of clear liquids, which can prevent constipation that leads to nausea and abdominal bloating

Increased gas formation – causes

ABVGDE (E) ZHZIKLMNOPRSTUFHTSCHSH (SCH) EYUYA

INCREASED GAS PRODUCTION / BLOATING / METEORISM – an unpleasant feeling of bloating, fullness of air in the abdomen, often accompanied by discomfort, arching pains, a feeling of ” puffed up like a balloon, loud discharge of foul-smelling gases to the outside (flatulence). This is one of the most common complaints that patients turn to a gastroenterologist.

This condition is most often based on nutritional characteristics, indigestion and absorption in the intestine, as a result of which the food undergoes fermentation (with poor absorption of carbohydrates) or putrefaction (with poor absorption of proteins) in the intestinal lumen. At the same time, conditionally pathogenic flora multiply intensively, which aggravates the process of increased gas formation.

There are “anxiety symptoms” when you need to see a doctor as soon as possible: a sharp bloating in the abdomen, accompanied by intense pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, lack of gas, constipation or diarrhea, the presence of blood in the stool.

Causes of increased gas formation:

• Liver diseases (hepatitis, liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension)
• Diseases of the biliary system (cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, biliary dyskinesia)
• Diseases of the stomach (peptic ulcer, gastritis with high or low acidity, functional gastric dyspepsia)
• Diseases of the pancreas (pancreatitis with dysfunction of the pancreas to produce enzymes to digest food)
• Diseases of the small intestine (congenital or acquired enzyme deficiency, food intolerance or allergy, lactase deficiency (milk intolerance), celiac disease (cereal intolerance, gluten intolerance with the development of atrophy of the intestinal mucosa, bacterial overgrowth syndrome)
• Colon diseases (irritable bowel syndrome, dysbacteriosis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, infectious colitis, pseudomembranous colitis, helminthic infestations, microscopic colitis, diverticular disease, ischemic colitis, colon cancer)
• Gas-producing foods (legumes, carbonated drinks, vegetables and fruits with coarse fibers)
• Taking antacids (calcium carbonate, soda): react with hydrochloric acid to form excess carbon dioxide
• Swallowing air during meals (aerophagia) – with hypersalivation, hasty eating, swallowing large pieces of food, talking while eating, drinking heavily carbonated drinks
• Hormonal changes in women during the premenstrual period.

In our clinic, a thorough examination of the gastrointestinal tract is carried out to determine the cause of bloating in the intestines. Experienced doctors – gastroenterologists, nutritionists will help to deal with this problem at the most modern level.

Bloating in a dog – causes and treatment. Veterinary clinic “Zoostatus”

Acute bloating

Rapid bloating occurs due to the expansion of the stomach with gases during gastric volvulus or acute gastric dilation.

Deterioration of the dog’s condition occurs before our eyes. Shortness of breath develops, the dog does not lie down, may whine, vomiting appears, usually unproductive. More often the disease develops in the evening, after feeding. Giant breed dogs are prone to this problem, but acute gastric dilatation occurs in dogs of all sizes.

Acute gastric dilatation is promoted by heavy feeding, feeding fermentable foods, physical activity after feeding, voracious eating (eg, when feeding several animals competing for food), when the dog swallows a large amount of air along with the food.

Increased gas formation in the stomach in violation of the evacuation of food masses and resulting gases into the intestine leads to a significant increase in the volume of the stomach. A huge stomach presses on the diaphragm, making it difficult to breathe, compresses the caudal vena cava, disrupting the work of the heart. In the walls of the stomach, blood circulation is disturbed and necrosis develops after a few hours. Expansion of the stomach is accompanied by severe pain.

In the event of acute abdominal distension, the dog must be immediately taken to a veterinary clinic.

Expansion of the stomach is determined by x-ray.

Treatment of a dog with acute bloating

Without treatment, the dog will die within a few hours. First of all, it is necessary to remove excess gas from the stomach. With acute expansion, not accompanied by volvulus, probing of the stomach is possible. With the help of a probe, gas and gastric contents are evacuated from the stomach, the stomach cavity is washed out and defoamers (espumizan) or adsorbents are introduced into it. To prevent the recurrence of attacks of the disease, the dog is prescribed an easily digestible diet, fractional feeding, gastroprotectors, defoamers and adsorbents.

To prevent acute bloating, the dog should be fed in a calm environment, after a walk, with high-quality habitual food.

Chronic bloating

Chronic flatulence – persistent increased production of gases in the digestive tract of a dog – is not so dangerous, but also requires treatment.

Chronic bloating is indicative of indigestion. The reason may be feeding unsuitable food, liver and pancreas disease, insufficiency of digestive enzymes.

To diagnose the causes of increased gas formation, it is necessary to perform general and clinical blood tests, ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs, and sometimes X-rays and stool examinations.

Treatment is to eliminate the main identified cause of the disease, the selection of a suitable diet. Sometimes defoamers (espumizan), adsorbents (enterosgel, activated charcoal), drugs that improve the motility of the gastrointestinal tract are used.