Summary: Bloating is one of the most common abdominal problems that people after eating, even if they haven’t had too much to eat. In this article, we will discuss what the most common causes for bloating and gassiness are and how it can be avoided.
What is bloating?
Abdominal bloating is described as a general feeling of fullness and tightness in the stomach. It is an extremely common condition that affects 10 to 30 percent of adults.
It is not a serious condition, but feeling unwell can distract you and limit your productivity or activity, especially if it occurs often.
Bloating is often accompanied by frequent gas.
What are the causes?
Abdominal bloating can be caused by a number of things. The most common are the following:
- Swallowing too much air by chewing gum or drinking through a straw.
- Being constipated.
- Being lactose intolerant and ingesting dairy products.
- Heartburn.
- Eating too much too fast, especially if the food is fatty, which takes more time to digest than protein and carbohydrates.
- Gaining weight.
- Artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol.
How can bloating be avoided or treated?
Usually, bloating is very simple to treat and it does not require a medical treatment. By following these simple lifestyle changes, you should be able to reduce or completely eliminate bloating:
- Avoid things that make you swallow more air: chewing gum and drinking through a straw are the most common causes for swallowing extra air.
- Avoid carbonated drinks.
- Avoid certain vegetables: cabbage, cauliflower and carrots contain certain sugars that contribute to bloating.
- Avoid products with sorbitol and fructose: these are added to some foods and are, in some cases, difficult to digest.
- Avoid beans and lentils: they also contain difficult-to-digest sugars.
- Try losing weight.
- Eat more slowly and chew your food well.
- Avoid fatty foods.
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