BLOATED BELLY – A COMMON PROBLEM WHICH CAN BE SINIATER

 

Bloating of belly or Dyspepsia is a fairly common problem encountered by most of us, particularly after a heave meal. Though a natural process of the body, bloating is caused when the stomach and the intestine fills with gas, generated while digesting the food we ate. The gases in the stomach occur due to intestinal microflora microorganisms - bacteria that help the digestive process. The harder the stomach and intestines have to work to digest food, the more gases are produced. There are few things in life as frustrating as a bloated belly when you’re working out and sticking to a healthy diet. Even though you might be doing all the right things, feeling the way you want to feel might be less about cutting things out and, well, adding things in.

 

 

The Causes of Stomach Bloating

Stomach bloating can be caused by quite a number of different things. Here are some of the most common reasons it occurs:

• Long hours of fasting, you are hungry for too long.

• Constipation.

• Indigestion.

• A recent change in your diet.

• Lactose intolerance.

• Consuming gas-producing foods, such as fizzy carbonated drinks, broccoli, beans or cauliflower.

• Certain drugs, such as opioid painkillers, aspirin or antacids, iron supplements or multivitamins.

• Underlying medical condition, such as gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or cancer.

• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

 

Signs & Symptoms Bloated Belly

Dyspepsia or bloated belly is quite common. If you find yourself experiencing any of the following symptoms, then there's a good chance that you're suffering from stomach bloating:

• Stomach feels very full and tight in upper abdomen over the navel.

• Stomach pains.

• Passing a lot of flatulence.

• Repeated and continuous burping.

• Feeling of fatigue.

• Nausea or vomiting.

• Fever.

• Borborygmus - gurgling or rumbling coming from inside your abdomen.

 

Possible Side Effects Bloated Stomach after eating

The majority of stomach bloating cases are rarely a cause for concern. However, there can sometimes be unpleasant side effects associated with stomach bloating, which may be signs of a serious underlying medical condition. If you experience any of the following side effects while you've got a bloated stomach, then you should seek medical attention right away:

• Difficulty breathing

• Pressure or pain in the chest area

• Fever • Dizziness

• Fatigue

• Rapid pulse

• Jaundice-like symptoms

• Severe abdominal pain

• Vomiting blood or a dark-colored liquid

Medical text books suggest that a fat, fertile female of forty when experiences bloating should be investigated for gall bladed stones and hiatus hernia

 

Treating Stomach Bloating at home

As a bloated belly or dyspepsia can be both simple and harmless as well as an early sign of something sinister. So, self medication should not be continued for too long. You may try these for some time but if you do not get relief then you must visit your physician:    

• Massage above the navel - Place 4 fingers horizontally above the navel and massage this area for 2 to 3 minutes clockwise and counterclockwise. If the massage was successful you should feel a sour taste in your mouth and salivation will increase. 
• Massage close to the navel - Locate the point which is situated at the height of the second finger, just above the navel. Press on the point and massage the area for two minutes clockwise and counterclockwise.
• Massage below the navel - Place four fingers under the navel, the point is located just under the little finger. Massage the point for 2 to 3 minutes clockwise and counterclockwise. If done correctly, bloating should be alleviated. 
• Turpentine stooping - Do the same 3 massage after applying Turpentine oil and mineral oil mixture in a circular manner all around the navel. 1tablespoon turpentine to 8 tablespoons of mineral oil for children, 1 tablespoon turpentine to 6 tablespoons of mineral oil for adults is what is required. After the massage cover the area with dry towel and apply hot fomentation over the area covered. Breathe in slowly bringing the abdomen up on inspiration and down on expiration
• Drink a glass of warm lemon water every morning 15-30 minutes before your first meal. Doing so will help normalize the secretion of gastric acid. Lemon water will also help relieve the symptoms of heartburn, as well as prevent belching and gas formation in the intestine. Drinking warm water first thing in the morning can also help flush the digestive system and hydrate the body. Furthermore, there is evidence that drinking water with lemon first thing in the morning can help maintain a healthy weight.
• Don't have milk or coffee for breakfast - As we get older, our body's ability to produce lactose decreases, primarily because we don't need milk anymore. As our body's ability to break down cow's milk becomes more difficult with age, we are likely to experience more bloating. Opt for yogurt or buttermilk or lassi instead as they contain probiotics. This helps stomach bacteria in the digestive processes which causes a bloated belly. 
• Drink ginger tea throughout the day - Ginger tea is known to treat nausea as well as improve circulation and relieve menstrual problems. It also has the ability to soothe the stomach, reducing gas formation and intestinal activity. 
• Don’t eat your food so quickly - One of the most common reasons for bloating is eating or drinking too quickly or drinking during your meals. The drinks you take with your meal dilute the gastric acid and the concentration of enzymes responsible for digestion. As a result, the food takes longer to digest, enabling the fermentation process to begin. As a consequence, increased gas formation and bloating may occur. 
• Some over the counter medicines are commonly used. These can be Ayurvedic like Aqua Ptychotis, Pudin Hara, Kayam Churna, and Bhaskar lavan churna or regular ones like antacids – Digene, Gelusil, Sodamint etc.
  

 

 

What will your physician do?

Your doctor is likely to start with a health history and a thorough physical examination. Those evaluations may be sufficient if your indigestion is mild and you're not experiencing certain symptoms, such as weight loss and repeated vomiting.

But if your indigestion began suddenly, and you are experiencing severe symptoms or are older than age 55, your doctor may recommend:

• Laboratory tests, to check for anemia or other metabolic disorders.
• Breath and stool tests, to check for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the bacterium associated with peptic ulcers, which can cause indigestion.
• Endoscopy, to check for abnormalities in your upper digestive tract, particularly in older people with more persistent symptoms. A tissue sample (biopsy) may be taken for analysis.
• Imaging tests (X-ray or CT scan), to check for intestinal obstruction or another issue.

 

Why is your physician asking you to take this seriously?

Bloated stomach or Dyspepsia caused by structural or biochemical disease. Thus this can be a symptom of

·        Peptic ulcer disease, Helicobacter pylori gastritis,

·        Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD),and Hiatus hernia

·        Gall bladder disease – inflammation, stone or cancer,

·        Pancreatic disease – infection or cancer,

·        Gastric or esophageal cancer,

·        Hepatocellular carcinoma or liver cancer,

·        Intestinal parasites (Giardia, Strongyloides),

·        Metabolic disturbances (hypercalcemia, hyperkalemia carbohydrate malabsorption),

·        Ischemic bowel disease,

·        Infiltrative diseases of the stomach (eg, Crohn disease, sarcoidosis)

·        Systemic disorders (diabetes mellitus, thyroid and parathyroid disorders, connective tissue disease)

·        Medications (including potassium supplements, digitalis, iron, theophylline, oral antibiotics [especially ampicillin and erythromycin], nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], glucocorticoids, niacin, gemfibrozil, narcotics, colchicine, quinidine, estrogens, levodopa)

·        Sometimes heaviness in the stomach area is also the clinical presentation of a type of heart attack – inferior wall myocardial infarction, which can be life threatening if ignored.

 

How to Prevent Stomach Bloating?

The following have been found to be the most effective at keeping stomach bloating away:

•         Stop smoking.

•         Avoiding the consumption of alcohol.

•         Avoiding swallowing air while drinking or eating.

•         Never eating more than your stomach can handle.

•         Adding natural diuretics to your diet – Watermelon, Asparagus, Cucumber, Lemon, Celery, Mint, Ginger and Pineapple. They all help by removing excess fluids from your body.

•         Adopting a healthy lifestyle and exercising on a regular basis

•         Avoiding food that can cause gas, such as artichokes, Brussels sprouts, and milk.

•         Treating any constipation issues.

•         Practicing yoga mudras that ease the digestive tract, such as the Vayu mudra, Apnasana and Paschimottasana.

 

 

 

 

 

Though a bloated feeling is a very common feeling, and most of the time it is nothing serious but if it persists, do not ignore it. See your doctor so that if there is anything serious, it can be attended early, when it is still curable.

 

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