Bloating:

Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
Apr 8, 2019
3 min read

Bloating and how to banish that constipated pain in your tummy

Around 40% of us will suffer from a digestive issue at some point in our lives, so we take a look at the things that could be bothering your belly

Heartburn

It is a common digestive problems. It occurs due to consumption of greasy food and heavy drinking. It could be a medication side effect used to treat depression, high-blood pressure and osteoporosis.

TRY THIS: In order to lower heartburn stay away from caffeine,spicy and alcohol as they increase stomach acid production.

You can try small frequent meals instead of large ones.

Replace spices with herbs.

Irritable bowel syndrome

Women have a double risk of having IBS than men.

Symptoms include stomach pain, bloating and anything from chronic diarrhoea to persistent constipation.

As symptoms are not exclusive to IBS it is better to visit your GP to have appropriate diganosis.

TRY THIS: You need to adjust your fiber intake and try low FODMAP diet.

As it is a complex problem some dietary changes could not solve the problem so you need to have some medications to wash off toxins, bacteria and viruses.

Food intolerances

Some people suffer from allergy or food intolerance with sugar, yeast, wheat and milk being the usual suspects.

TRY THIS: In order to notice symptoms and food relationship you need to have a diary and write all symptomes you have after certain food consumption.

Then you need to remove unwanted food for two weeks and slightly re-introduce it.

Constipation

Stress and medications can increase risk of constipation.

Unfortunately, healthy foods like brown rice and multigrain bread can make it worse, but there are natural ways to get things moving again, such as adding a couple of dessert spoons of linseed to your food and making sure you drink 2 litres of water a day.

TRY THIS: Too much insoluble fiber increase risk of constipation so instead try to add more soluble fiber.

Good sources are oats and root vegetables, like carrots, parsnips and celeriac.

Traveller's diarrhoea or vomiting can be caused by drinking contaminated water

Traveller’s diarrhoea

Unfortunatly many as 30% of travellers suffer from diarrhoea or vomiting caused by food and drinking water contaminated by pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli, salmonella and shigella.

Symptoms typically show a day or two after consuming the contaminated food or drink, and you might also have nausea and stomach cramps.

TRY THIS: You need to drink bottled water as you are at risk of diarrhea. Moreover, you need to have a blend diet along with probiotics to support gut health. If you dont find supplements try live yogurt.

Try reducing your salt intake to ease bloating

Bloating

It’s a common complaint: after eating your tummy swells up like a balloon, leaving you feeling uncomfortable for the rest of the day.

Many reasons can be behind bloating but some food like kale, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, onions, beans and some artificial sugars are known to trigger the problem.

Water retention and constipation could be behind bloating but be aware that persistent bloating is a sign of ovarian cancer, so rule this out with your GP first.

Processed food are high in sodium which increase the risk of water retention. So try low salt version along with salt alternatives like herbs and lemon.

Get checked out if you are concerned about your symptoms

When to see a doctor right away

The following symptoms could be a sign of a serious digestive illness, so it’s best to see your GP:

■ Losing weight unexpectedly

■ Difficulty swallowing

■ A sudden, persistent change in bowel movements

■ Bleeding from the bottom