What is Abdominal Bloating
Abdominal bloating, your abdomen may feel full, tight, or painful. It may also look bigger than normal or swollen (distended). Common causes of abdominal bloating include:
- Swallowing air.
- Constipation.
- Problems digesting food.
- Eating too much.
- Irritable bowel syndrome. This is a condition that affects the large intestine.
- Lactose intolerance. This is an inability to digest lactose, a natural sugar in dairy products.
- Celiac disease. This is a condition that affects the ability to digest gluten, a protein found in some grains.
- Gastroparesis. This is a condition that slows down the movement of food in the stomach and small intestine. It is more common in people with diabetes mellitus.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is a digestive condition that makes stomach acid flow back into the esophagus.
- Urinary retention. This means that the body is holding onto urine, and the bladder cannot be emptied all the way.
Follow these instructions at home:
Eating and drinking
- Avoid eating too much.
- Try not to swallow air while talking or eating.
- Avoid eating while lying down.
- Avoid
these foods and drinks:
- Foods that cause gas, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and baked beans.
- Carbonated drinks.
- Hard candy.
- Chewing gum.
Medicines
- Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
- Take probiotic medicines. These medicines contain live bacteria or yeasts that can help digestion.
- Take coated peppermint oil capsules.
Activity
- Try to exercise regularly. Exercise may help to relieve bloating that is caused by gas and relieve constipation.
General instructions
- Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.
Contact a health care provider if:
- You have nausea and vomiting.
- You have diarrhea.
- You have abdominal pain.
- You have unusual weight loss or weight gain.
- You have severe pain, and medicines do not help.
Get help right away if:
- You have severe chest pain.
- You have trouble breathing.
- You have shortness of breath.
- You have trouble urinating.
- You have darker urine than normal.
- You have blood in your stools or have dark, tarry stools.
Summary
- Abdominal bloating means that the abdomen is swollen.
- Common causes of abdominal bloating are swallowing air, constipation, and problems digesting food.
- Avoid eating too much and avoid swallowing air.
- Avoid foods that cause gas, carbonated drinks, hard candy, and chewing gum.
