Cure Stomach Bloating

Many people suffer from bloating. It can be very uncomfortable. Luckily, there are several ways that you can change your diet or lifestyle to improve or eliminate it. If these solutions don’t help, consult a doctor for advice.

Steps

Getting Immediate Relief with Over-the-Counter Products

1. Rebalance your gut bacteria with probiotics. Probiotic supplements contain yeasts and bacteria that are similar to those that are in a healthy gut. These bacteria assist with digestion. They may be able to lessen bloating due to:
   • Diarrhea
   • Irritable bowel syndrome
   • Difficulty digesting fiber
2. Try activated charcoal. Though this natural remedy is frequently used, it is unclear if it is actually effective against gas. If you are interested in trying it, you can purchase it at your local pharmacy. The following contain charcoal:
   • Charcoal Plus
   • CharcoCaps
3. Experiment with products containing Simethicone. These medications are supposed to help break up uncomfortable gas bubbles in your digestive tract and make them easier to pass. While frequently used, these products haven’t been scientifically proven to be effective. If you try them, read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging. Common brands include:
   • Mylanta
   • Gas-X
   • Mylicon
   • Gelusil
4. Add Beano to gassy foods. If you really enjoy eating beans, cabbage, and broccoli, and don’t want to cut back, the solution may be to use Beano. This product contains enzymes that help your body break down foods without producing as much gas.
   • You can purchase Beano at your local pharmacy. It is available as tablets and drops.
   • Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Take lactase enzyme supplements. Many people who are lactose intolerant may still crave dairy products like ice cream. If this describes you, you don’t have to give up dairy. You can supply your body with the enzymes it needs to process dairy in a supplement. Common brands are:
   • Lactaid
   • Dairy Ease.

Implementing Dietary Changes

1. Avoid gassy fruits and vegetables. You can replace them with other healthy fruits and vegetables that won’t irritate your digestion and cause painful bloating. Also the regular consumption of industrially made biscuits may cause bloating, as they contain very much of sugar plus hardened heat-resistant fats like palm oil. This combination of sugar plus too much fat may change your intestinal microflora to worse. >Reduce the consumption of this and look, if you are feeling better. The following foods often produce gas when digested:
   • Cabbage
   • Brussels sprouts
   • Cauliflower
   • Broccoli
   • Beans
   • Lettuce
   • Onions
   • Apples
   • Peaches
   • Pears
2. Lower your fiber consumption. Though fiber is healthy and helps move foods along your digestive tract, it can also increase the amount of gas in your bowels. High fiber foods include whole-grain breads, brown rice, whole-wheat, and bran.
   • If you have recently changed your diet to include more fiber, either by taking supplements or switching to whole-grain foods, consider easing into your new diet more slowly. Reduce the amount of fiber you are eating and then slowly increase it again. This will give your body a chance to adjust.
3. Limit your consumption of fatty foods. Your body digests fatty foods slowly. This extra digestion time means that there is more time for the food to generate gas as it breaks down. Ways to reduce your fat intake include:
   • Reduce the consumption of industrially made bakery products, as they contain very often the combination of sugar(refined), yeast and saturated fats like palm tree fat and/or corn starch syrup. This can affect the composition of your intestinal micro-flora.
   • Eat lean meats like fish and poultry instead of fatty red meats. If you do eat red meat, trim off the fat from the edges.
   • Drink low fat or skim milk instead of whole milk. Though you need some fat to be able to properly process fat soluble vitamins, most people eat too much.
   • Cook at home. Restaurant food is usually rich in cream, butter, and oils. By cooking for yourself you can control how much fat you put in your food. Fast foods are usually particularly high in fat.
4. Evaluate whether artificial sweeteners might be the problem. If you are dieting and trying to cut your sugar intake, go easy on the sugar replacements. Some people have difficulty processing them and get gas or diarrhea. Examine the packaging on any diet foods your purchase. These substances are added to many low calorie foods. Look for the following ingredients:
   • Xylitol
   • Sorbitol
   • Mannitol
   • Maltitol Syrup (may be in sugar-free lozenges)
5. Consider whether you might be lactose intolerant. Even if you were not lactose intolerant as a child, many people lose their ability to digest milk products as they age. Gas and bloating are common symptoms. Evaluate whether your symptoms occur after eating dairy products. If so, you may want to reduce your dairy intake and see if that helps. Dairy products to limit may include:
   • Milk. Some people can drink milk if it has been thoroughly and vigorously boiled first.
   • Ice cream.
   • Cream.
   • Cheese.
6. Eat fermented dairy products. Fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir have life bacterial cultures in them. These bacteria may also help your body break down foods and digest them properly. If your digestive problems have occurred due to either of the following, eating yogurt may be helpful for you:
   • You have irritable bowel syndrome.
   • You recently took strong antibiotics which may have reduced the normal healthy gut bacteria in your digestive tract.
7. Prevent water retention by lowering your salt intake. If you eat a lot of salt, it will make you thirsty and cause your body to hold water to balance your electrolytes. If you frequently feel thirsty after eating, consider reducing your salt intake by:
   • Not adding table salt to your food. If you are in the habit of doing so, consider taking the salt shaker off the table.
   • Don’t salt the water for cooking pasta and rice. Reduce the amount of salt you put on meat before cooking it.
   • When purchasing canned goods, look for cans that say low sodium. This means low salt. Many products are canned in salt water.
   • Eat out less. Restaurants often add significant amounts of salt to their food for flavoring.

Improving Your Lifestyle

1. Get active. Exercise will stimulate your body to move food through your system, reducing the time that it may sit in your bowels and ferment. In addition, it will help you control your weight, increase your metabolism, and relax you physically and mentally.
   • The Mayo Clinic recommends 75–150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week, or 15 to 30 minutes five times per week. Choose an activity that you enjoy. Many people like to jog, walk, bike, swim, or join local sports teams like basketball or volleyball.
   • Start out easy and work up to more strenuous exercise. If you have health problems that may make it unsafe for you to exercise, consult your doctor before starting.
2. Eat more small meals to reduce constipation. If you are constipated, the feces are not moving through your system as they should. This means that they have extra time to ferment in your bowels and are likely to produce more gas. They may also block the passage of gas.
   • Eating frequent small meals keeps your system continually busy without burdening it with more than it can handle. Try eating less at your normal meal times and then adding a snack between breakfast and lunch and then again between lunch and dinner.
3. Eliminate habits that cause you to swallow air. People often swallow air without recognizing that they are doing it. If you have any of the habits below, you may want to consider making changes.
   • Smoking. Smokers often swallow air when they smoke, leading to bloating and gassiness. You can reduce bloating, and your overall health by quitting.
   • Sipping drinks with a straw. Similar to smoking, the act of sucking in air makes you more likely to swallow it.
   • Gulping your food. People are more likely to swallow air when they eat too fast and don’t take the time to chew. Make a conscious effort to eat more slowly. It will also make you less likely to over eat.
   • Chewing gum or eating hard candies The process of chewing gum or sucking on candy and tasting the flavoring makes you produce saliva. This causes you to swallow more often, increasing the likelihood that you will swallow air.
4. Limit fizzy drinks. Fizzy, or carbonated, drinks taste good, but they release carbon dioxide gas into your system. By cutting them out of your diet, you can lower the amount of gas you have in your gut. This includes:
   • Carbonated sodas and sparkling water
   • Many alcoholic beverages including those that are mixed with sodas
5. Manage stress. Your body naturally produces stress hormones when you are under a lot of pressure. These hormones can alter your digestion. If you are under a lot of stress, try managing it as a way of alleviating your body’s response to it. Not only will you feel more relaxed, but it may also improve your digestion.
   • Use relaxation techniques. There are several methods that many people use, you can try different ones until you find what works best for you: visualizing calming images, meditation, yoga, massage, Tai chi, music therapy, art therapy, deep breathing, or progressively tensing and relaxing each muscle group in your body.
   • Get enough sleep. Most adults need at least seven or eight hours of sleep per night. If you are well rested you will be better able to withstand the stress in your life and to devise creative solutions to your problems.
   • Maintain a social network with friends and family. Keeping up your social relationships will provide you with social support. If the people you care about are far away, you can communicate by phone, letter, email, or social media.

Seeking Medical Help

1. Go to a doctor if you have signs of an underlying condition. You should also see a doctor if your pain is so severe that it prevents you from living your life. The following symptoms may also indicate an underlying condition that needs treatment:
   • Nausea that doesn’t go away
   • Black, tarry stool or bright red bloody streaks
   • Severe diarrhea or constipation
   • Chest pain
   • Unexplained weight loss
2. Proactively investigate serious symptoms. There are several conditions which can have similar symptoms to gas. This means that if you aren’t sure that your symptoms are just gas, you may want to get checked by a doctor. The following conditions may produce symptoms that feel like gas:
   • Appendicitis
   • Gall stones
   • An obstructed bowel
   • Irritable bowel syndrome
   • Heart disease
3. Get a medical exam. Be honest and open with your doctor. In order to best diagnose you, your doctor will need to examine you physically and talk about your diet.
   • Let your doctor tap your abdomen and listen to whether it sounds hollow. If so, it suggests you have a lot of gas.
   • Your doctor will also listen to your abdomen with a stethoscope. Loud rumbling and gurgling noises may be a sign that the intestines are full of gas.
   • Give your doctor an honest summary of your eating habits.
   • Provide your doctor with your medical records, including a complete list of medications, supplements, and vitamins that you take.

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Sources and Citations

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