Bloating is a deeply uncomfortable experience. After finishing a meal or sipping a fizzy drink, you suddenly feel fullness and discomfort. Maybe your stomach makes rumbling noises, or you pass gas more than usual.
It’s easy to pass off the causes of bloating as a bad case of Brussels sprouts. However, if your bloating persists, it can indicate a problem with your underlying gut health. So, if you find abdominal bloating is interfering with your work or social life, here’s everything you need to know.
What is Bloating?
Abdominal bloating occurs when too much air or gas is in the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, people complain of feeling full, tight, or swollen as the air expands their stomach and intestines. It’s not uncommon for the abdomen to become swollen, hard, and painful.
You may also notice
- You have stomach pain and discomfort
- You have excessive flatulence
- You often burping or belching
- You have stomach rumblings or gurgles (borborygmus)
Is Bloating a Sign of Poor Gut Health?
Usually, no. By far, the most common cause of bloating is gas after eating. Gas accumulates in the digestive tract when undigested food is broken down (often by bacteria) or because you swallow air.
Swallowing air, or aerophagia, is normal when you eat or drink. However, excessive swallowing of air can lead to some GI problems. Swallowing air commonly occurs when people eat or drink too fast, chew gum, wear loose dentures, or smoke. It can also be associated with high anxiety.
In most cases, air simply leaves the body via burping or flatulence. It’s not considered a harmful condition.
Other causes of bloating are due to undiagnosed medical conditions. Some of these conditions aren’t serious. However, bloating can be a sign of poor underlying gut health.
Causes of Bloating
Coeliac Disease
Symptoms
- Diarrhoea
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Constipation
- Floating stools
Causes by an autoimmune reaction, coeliac disease occurs due to the body’s reaction to gluten (a protein found in cereal grains). If left untreated, the immune system will continue to attack the small intestine, leading to nutrient and vitamin deficiencies.
Treatment involves a gluten-free diet, vitamin and mineral supplements, and anti-inflammatory medications to avoid bloating and other symptoms.
Food Intolerances
Symptoms
- Bloating
- Diarrhoea
- Flatulence
Lactose intolerance is one of the most common causes of food intolerance. It’s caused by the inability to metabolise lactose, a sugar found in dairy products, due to low levels of the enzyme lactase. Consequently, bacteria in the gut break down lactose, producing excess gas, which is detrimental to gut health.
Other food intolerances include non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and salicylate sensitivity (found in chocolate, cheese, and cherries).
If you suspect the cause is food intolerance, like lactose, salicylate, or something else, you should undergo a sensitivity test. These tests can help guide an elimination diet, informing you of the likely cause behind your symptoms.
Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth
Symptoms
- Bloating and gas
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Abdominal pain or cramps
- Fatigue or weakness
Small intestinal bowel overgrowth, or SIBO, is a prime example of poor gut health. It occurs due to abnormal alterations in the community of bacteria that live in your gut, known as the gut microbiome. Common causes of SIBO include IBS, diabetes, opioid drug use, weakened immune system, and intestinal surgery.
Often, certain bacteria like E. coli or Klebsiella increase in number. These bacteria digest and absorb nutrients from your foods, producing excess gas and leading to nutritional deficiencies.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Symptoms
- Abdominal pain or cramping
- Bloating
- Gas
- Diarrhoea or constipation (or alternating between the two)
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is often considered a minor condition. However, as a chronic digestive system disorder and a cause of bloating, it’s highly detrimental to gut health. It’s not clear what causes IBS. However, it’s linked to stress, SIBO, post-infection, and vitamin D deficiency.
Characteristically, people with IBS report fluctuations between constipation and diarrhoea, with bloating a common side effect.
Constipation
Symptoms
- Infrequent bowel movements
- Hard or lumpy stools
- Straining to have a bowel movement.
Constipation is a common cause of bloating and a symptom of a gut health condition. It’s defined as difficulty having a bowel movement or fewer than three bowel movements per week.
Causes of constipation include lack of dietary fibre, opioids and other medications, diabetes, thyroid disease, and more. Bloating occurs as the gas cannot escape the bowel, leading to a build-up in the intestines.
Other Causes of Bloating
- Gastrointestinal infections caused by pathogens like bacteria or parasites can lead to bloating.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, can cause bloating, among other symptoms.
- Gastroparesis, or delayed gastric emptying, often linked with diabetes, can result in bloating and other uncomfortable symptoms.
- Ovarian Cancer, though less common, can cause bloating.
- Diverticulitis involving inflamed pouches in the colon can lead to bloating and abdominal discomfort.
How to Reduce Bloating
In most cases, treating bloating involves eating slower and less, cutting out fizzy drinks, and stopping habits that involve swallowing air. If bloating persists, you could have an underlying gut health condition.
You should see a doctor if you experience:
- Continual abdominal bloating
- Chronic diarrhoea
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
If your bloating is occasional and only occurs after certain meals, it could be due to a food intolerance. The Individual Sensitivity Test is specifically designed to test for food allergies and intolerances in people suffering from symptoms like IBS, bloating, headaches, and fatigue.
The quick and simple test looks for 625 sensitivities, including food and environmental items, metal toxicity, and nutritional balance. Simply send your sample using our test kit and receive your results in 7 days.
Get your Individual Sensitivity Test now! Stop enduring post-meal bloating – make a change!
