REASONS BEHIND BLOATED STOMACH.

Stomach bloating is so common these days it’s been called an “epidemic”.

While a bloated stomach is certainly uncomfortable — even embarrassing when it comes along with gas or the need to run to the bathroom — it might be a bigger problem than you think. Stomach bloating can sometimes signify serious health problems. It’s one of the most common candida symptoms and leads to other issues like a digestive disorder, autoimmune reaction, allergy or even cancer in some.

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Bloating is the feeling of having built-up gas in your digestive system that makes your stomach protrude uncomfortably. Some people term it “looking pregnant” when their bloating becomes very bad. Having a bloated stomach is different from gaining actual fat mass around your stomach, since bloating is temporary and mostly caused by air becoming stuck around your abdomen, making it distend outward.

Luckily, in some cases stomach bloating isn’t anything to be alarmed about. It can usually be cleared up by making some simple changes to your diet and routine, although not always. Along with feeling full, gassy and having pain in your abdomen, you should check if your bloated stomach occurs simultaneously with other symptoms throughout the body. This can clue you in on what’s causing the problem and whether it might be serious enough to warrant a doctor’s visit.

When you’re feeling bloated, check for other symptoms, including:

·         A fever

·         Skin rashes or hives

·         Watery eyes, itchy throat and other signs of allergic reaction

·         Constipation or diarrhea

·         Vomiting or nausea

·         Blood in your urine or stool

·         Unintentional weight loss

·         Trouble going to the bathroom

·         Pain around your lymph nodes, including in your groin, throat or armpits

·         Fatigue

·         Irregular periods

·         Hemorrhoids

Bloating itself is usually a problem with digestion. Making it more confusing, many different things can affect gut health, the ability to metabolize food properly and our body’s way of naturally eliminating waste. Because so many different factors can contribute to stomach bloating — including some that seem totally unrelated, like sleep or stress.

For many people, the cause of excessive gas in the intestines boils down to: inadequate protein digestion (causing some foods to ferment), inability to break down sugar and carbohydrates fully (certain complex sugar compounds need the presence of enzymes to be digested fully, yet people can be lacking these), and imbalances in gut bacteria. In the digestive tract, there are trillions of healthy and unhealthy bacteria that compete, and when “bad bacteria” outweigh the good for one reason or another, an imbalance can lead to a bloated stomach and excessive gas.

POSSIBLE CAUSES OF BLOATING

 DIGESTIVE DISORDERS:

Most people dealing with various functional gastrointestinal disorders like IBS, ulcerative colitis and celiac disease have bloating, gas, distension and other symptoms.

 FLUID RETENTION ( Edema ):

Sometimes bodily fluids can be stored around the body, including near the abdomen or pelvis area, which causes excess bloating and temporary weight gain. You might also notice jewelry and clothes becoming tighter, extra swelling, and pain around joints or tightness in the skin. This can be due to a liver disease in some cases or rarely even from cancer. Check for other signs of liver failure or hepatitis, including yellowing of the skin (jaundice), changes in the white color of your eyes or pain in the abdomen.

DEHYDRATION:

Ever notice the day after you’ve been eating salty foods or drinking alcohol that you become dehydrated and bloated as a result? It might seem counterintuitive, but the more water you drink (or consume in water-heavy foods) and better you stay hydrated, the less bloating you’re likely to deal with. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances both halt digestion and make it hard to “stay regular.”

When your body tries to recover from you being dehydrated, it holds on to excess water to prevent the situation from happening again.

CONSTIPATION:

This might be the most obvious reason you have a bloated stomach. Constipation can cause stool to remain in the intestines, leaving you with a hard-feeling stomach, pain, discomfort and gas. The biggest reasons for constipation include eating too little fiber, not drinking enough water, being too sedentary/avoiding physical activity and stress.

FOOD ALLERGIES OR SENSITIVITIES:

Often, food allergies, intolerances (like lactose intolerance) are common reasons for gas and bloating. The foods that cause gas include dairy products, gluten-containing foods (most bread, pasta, rolls, cereals, etc.) and certain kinds of carbohydrates called FODMAPs. An elimination diet can help you pinpoint which foods might cause bloating (like apples or avocados, for example) because they’re not being properly broken down and digested.

SIB:

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is caused by high levels of abnormal bacteria living in the digestive tract, usually in the bowel (dysbacteriosis), where they can accumulate after taking antibiotics or due to inflammation and poor digestion. Normally, different strains of bacteria are in proper balance in the colon, which helps with absorption of essential nutrients, but when harmful bacteria invade and take over, damage of the stomach lining can occur along with numerous symptoms. Some foods are capable of causing SIBO symptoms and related sensitivities in the digestive tract, including FODMAPS in some cases that can ferment abnormally during digestion.

INFECTION:

You can become bloated and swollen if you’re dealing with an infection because this triggers inflammation levels to rise, caused by an elevated white blood cell count around the pelvic, urinary and gastrointestinal organs. Check for signs of a fever, redness and pain, and swollen lymph nodes, which usually accompany a serious infection.

BOWEL OBSTRUCTION:

Sometimes a severely bloated stomach — along with constipation, nausea and vomiting — is due to a bowel obstruction, which is caused by scar tissue or a tumor. When these grow and press against the bowel, the bowels become blocked and hold in fluid and stool. You’ll likely know this is what you’re dealing with since it’s usually very painful and stops you from going to the bathroom normally.

HORMONAL CHANGES:

PMS is known to cause a bloated stomach and digestive issues, since it makes you prone to constipation and fluid retention. This is common and not too much of a concern unless you notice other serious symptoms like an irregular menstrual cycle, fibroids or severe cramping. Having a bloated stomach before or during your period can differ depending on your cycle, and some women experience severe water retention for up to two weeks.

 CANCER:

While it’s not the cause of most people’s bloating, one sign of cancer in the colon or uterine is bloating. This is why it’s important to talk to a doctor if you’ve tried all other ways of reducing bloating and digestive issues but still can’t seem to pinpoint what’s causing your symptoms.