
Tired of Feeling Bloated? Do These 5 Things
Most of the time, bloating is harmless and not serious. The most common culprit is your diet. Try these tips to banish bloat.
Jul 24, 2018
Menopause & Aging WellSheryl Kraft, a freelance writer and breast cancer survivor, was born in Long Beach, New York. She currently lives in Connecticut with her husband Alan and dog Chloe, where her nest is empty of her two sons Jonathan. Sheryl writes articles and essays on breast cancer and contributes to a variety of publications and websites where she writes on general health and wellness issues. She earned her MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College in 2005.
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Do you feel like you're busting out of your jeans? Does your stomach feel puffy, gassy or distended? Maybe you're blaming someone for shrinking your clothing, because, after all, it fit perfectly last week.
The answer is pretty simple: You're bloated.
Along with the physical discomfort, bloating has its share of emotional side effects too, like moodiness, sluggishness, even laziness. It might even trigger memories of being in your seventh month (only instead of looking forward to a new baby, you're looking forward to … relief).
Enter the belches, burps and other forms of letting the gas pass. It needs somewhere to go, after all. Yes, it's your body's natural way to get rid of excess air—but it sure can be embarrassing and mess with your confidence if it comes at the wrong time (and doesn't it always?).
Bloating is pretty familiar to all of us. Here's some fun trivia: People produce between one and three pints of gas each day and pass gas between 14 to 23 times each day. (Thanks to The Cleveland Clinic for that interesting tidbit.)
Most of the time, bloating is harmless and not serious. The most common culprit: your diet. The bacteria that lives in our guts feasts on the carbohydrates that your body is unable to digest. Gases like hydrogen and methane are then released, causing your belly to swell. Eventually, it passes those gases.
Aside from that, gas can come from eating too much too fast. Fatty or high-fiber foods like beans, veggies (think cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli) and fruits (apricots, prunes) can make your stomach swell; so can swallowing air from drinking through a straw, sucking on hard candies, chewing gum or drinking carbonated beverages like soda or beer.
Other things to blame? Food allergies, indigestion or constipation. For some, artificial sweeteners, lactose or other food allergies will cause a distended and gassy stomach.
Read more: Are These Gassy Foods Giving You a Bloated Stomach?
There are more serious causes of bloating, of course. Intestinal disorders (like Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome and others), gluten intolerance or adhesions (scar tissue) in your abdominal regions due to prior surgery are among them.
Here's how to deflate your belly and inflate your confidence.
Although annoying, gas and bloating are usually nothing to worry about. But if you have them and also find yourself with anemia, unintentional weight loss, fevers, diarrhea or blood in your stools, it's time to get evaluated by a professional. Other times, taking a dietary approach and trying a nonprescription or other medication to reduce your symptoms may be all you need to turn off the gas and get some relief.