A bloated stomach is a common problem for many people. It is important to search for the reason behind this issue to treat the problem as quickly as possible. The feeling of stomach bloating is unpleasant and sometimes has a negative impact on once self-esteem.
Here is some condition doctor usually check with when a person feels bloated at high frequency
When a person is feeling bloated the doctor is usually looking for this usual conditions
- Overgrowth of intestinal yeast
- Irregularities in meal-times
- Resistance to insulin
- Gluten sensitivity
- Poor food combinations
- Intolerance or allergic to specific food
- Lack of enzymes which supports digestion
- Other causes like a bacterial infection or parasite
You can have a proper medical test to check the above issues or can just read below the prime causes of such health condition.
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Overgrowth of intestinal yeast
Intestinal yeast overgrow has become very common nowadays which is an outcome of the prolonged use of antibiotic. Many times people tend to use excessive antibiotics to treat tonsil or ear infection in childhood or else many teens go for antibiotics to treat acne. In female often excessive use of antibiotics is done to treat chronic urinary tract infections. Overuse of antibiotics is quite dangerous as it brings change in digestive flora and provides a room to yeast infection to spread in the intestinal area.
Yeast simulates the fermentation of food which leads to gassiness and you start feeling bloated. Other reasons behind the yeast growth are due to fatigue, binge eating disorder, fungal skin infection, brain fog or greater desire for carbs and sugar.
If you are suffering from this health condition then nothing to worry. This issue is curable and you can easily rebalance the intestinal flora by cleaning out the yeasts. You can use no-sugar diet, intake of probiotics or start taking supplements against yeast to restore the intestinal flora and get rid of bloating.
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Irregularities in meal-times
This might be the prime reason behind the bloating as many people have irregularities in their meal times. People eat whenever they get time. So, if you are eating too much before bedtime or spending long time without meal then be aware that all this is making your digestion slow.
You might have experienced this, that you often feel bloated when you skip your breakfast and jump up on a large lunch. The sudden intake of heavy lunch acts as a shock to your digestive system. It increases the blood sugar level along with the insulin level. The heavy lunch will make you feel bloated and you might have to drink a coffee to stay awake in the noon time.
For the proper functioning of our body, we need consistent and regular on-time meals. This will improve the metabolism and make your digestive system work better. So, eat a breakfast 1 hour after you wake up, have a mid-day lunch on time and take dinner before 7 p.m. You can also go for a mid-afternoon or mid-morning snacks if you often feel hungry at that time.
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Resistance to insulin
Pancreas in our body secretes insulin which a hormone due to glucose in the blood. The level of insulin increases after consumption of a meal.In a healthy adult, the insulin secretion activates the body’s cells in order to utilize the fats and sugar from the bloodstream. Many people suffer from insulin resistance due to damaged cells which do not respond on the signal of insulin. As the body cells stop responding the body tends to produce more insulin which in turn increases the toxic levels of glucose in the blood. This phenomenon is termed as high blood sugar levels.
Widespread symptoms of resistance to insulin are: rapid weight gain in just 2-3 years, strong desire for sweets and carbohydrates and feeling bloated and tired after meals.
If you have a family history of diabetes and you are experienced any of the above symptoms, then there is a great possibility that you might suffer from insulin resistance. You should process for a blood test to confirm the insulin resistance issues.
On the positive end, this issue can be controlled with the help of exercise. It is highly advisable not to eat carbohydrate and sugar food. You should consume more vegetables, proteins, fibers and healthy fats. The regular exercise is a must and sure to keep control this health condition.
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Gluten sensitivity
Gluten sensitivity, as well as celiac disease, has widely spread now and affecting many people nowadays. The reason behind the gluten sensitivity is the changes in wheat from past 50 years along with the regular consumption of grain products. The people sensitive to gluten face frequent issues like constipation, bloating, gassiness as well as diarrhea.
There are a test available to confirm if you are sensitive to gluten, many a times people who get negative results of gluten intolerance test also feel better by cutting gown the consumption of products with gluten. People who has a low level of vitamin B12 and does not have a vegetarian diet often suffer from gluten sensitivity.
If you want to get rid of bloating then first, you have to run the blood tests to confirm the intolerance of gluten. After that go for a diet free from gluten for 5 weeks. If you feel better during these 5 weeks and does not face the bloating issue then it is for sure that you are gluten sensitive. Thus, you should avoid the consumption of products with gluten. Go for foods like rice, quinoa, sweet potato, squash or millet which are gluten free and healthy to eat.
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Poor food combinations
Are you aware that the combination of food has an impact on your digestion system and affect the digestive process? A lot of us are not quite serious about this combination sensitivity. But practically indigestion and bloating can be a result of an inproper combination of food which has slow down the digestion process.
It is thumb rule to have proper digestion process that you should eat fruits alone and do not consume it with any other food. Also, for a fish lover, do avoid to eat fruit salad or a melon just after you enjoyed a fish.
It is also important to avoid the combination of carbohydrates with protein. It might seem impossible if you have a vegetarian diet. You can go on splitting your consumption of proteins and starches in different ways. Like you can have a fruit juice in breakfast and go for nuts in a mid-morning snack. Keep the menu of poultry, fish, meat with vegetables in the lunch and have a food rich in carbohydrate in dinner maybe a baked sweet potato along with grilled vegetables.
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Intolerance or allergic to specific food
The intolerance or food allergy many times does not have the instant response after intakes of allergic food like itching or swelling. The food allergy is closely related to bloating, the stress on the immune system due to the intake of intolerance food leads to inflammation which leads to intestinal tract irritation resulting in bloating. People generally have an intolerance of specific fruits (pineapples, citrus, bananas), gluten, dairy products, wheat, egg, nuts (almonds and peanuts), corn and many more.
A blood test can easily detect the food to which you are allergic and accordingly you can plan your own diet. People with the medical history of asthma, eczema or family history of autoimmune disease. The food allergy is also linked with skin allergies, problematic digestion system and lack of energy. Once you discard the food to which you cannot tolerate from your diet, you are likely to get rid of bloating in 4-6 weeks.
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Lack of enzymes which supports digestion
Enzyme which are secreted by pancreas plays an important role in digestion. The main function of enzymes is to break down the food in smaller parts so that it can easily get absorbed in the body. It helps to dissolve protein, carbohydrates, fats and lactose.
If your body is not producing enough enzymes required for proper digestion then it leads to irregular bowel movements, pain, bloating and indigestion. Lack of digestive enzymes leads to many issues such as
- Overgrowth of bacteria
- Food allergy which leads to low-grade inflammation in the intestinal tract.
- Chronic stress
- Low stomach
- Aging
Some people suffer from specific enzyme deficiency called lactose intolerance. In such cases, the insufficient lactase enzyme causes problems to digest dairy products. A breath test is recommended to confirm the lactose intolerance or else you can cut down the intake of dairy products for 2 weeks and resume it later. Watch out the difference in the digestion to confirm if you have a problem to digest the dairy products.
As a temporary solution on the issue, you can start intake of digestive enzymes. Also, avoid consumption of dairy products to keep the digestion go well. For the permanent solution of this issue check out the root cause of enzyme deficiency and start the treatment to make your body produce enough amount of the enzyme to support your digestive system.
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Other causes like bacterial infection or parasite
Don’t be scared! Many people carry pathogenic bacteria and parasite in their digestive tracts. The issue is similar to the yeast infection which hampers the digestion process. People who travel to Africa, Asia or South America are often have suffering from such issue.
When you eat outside, many times you pick up some nasty germs which imbalance the digestive system and you suffer from weight loss, fatigue, and diarrhea.
The digestive stool analysis and the test can provide a confirmation about the presence of bacteria or parasite in your body. Once the confirmation is done it is easy to treat the issue.
Overview
Finally to conclude there are many causes behind the bloating and which are treated very easily. Just make a note that it is not normal to feel bloated after a meal or if you have to unbutton your pants after dinner due to gassy feeling. Follow the tips and improve your digestive system on your own!