What Are the Common Bloating Causes? Is It Painful?

Common bloating causes include constipation. (Image via Unsplash/ Sean S)
Common bloating causes include constipation. (Image via Unsplash/Sean S)

It's important to understand bloating causes if you wish to avoid them. Bloating can be uncomfortable, not to mention aggravating, to have to loosen a belt buckle after a larger-than-normal lunch.

Bloating is the uncomfortable sensation of having a big belly. The sensation of having a balloon in one's stomach is one way some describe bloating, which frequently resolves itself.

Bloating, which is one of the most frequent complaints doctors hear, can have many causes, including overeating and food intolerance. You may experience the sensation of having a bloated balloon in your stomach, and on occasion, it might even be seen around your waist.


Most Common Bloating Causes

When the GI system fills with air or gas, bloating occurs. That may result from something as straightforward as the food you consume.

Gas, discomfort, and stomach pain are typical signs of bloating. Additionally, you could regularly burp, belch, or have belly rumbling or gurgling. More gas is produced by some foods than others. In addition, lactose intolerance may be to blame.

Other straightforward bloating causes include:

1) Constipation

IBS is also one of the most common bloating causes. (Image via Unsplash/Towfiqu Barbhuiya)
IBS is also one of the most common bloating causes. (Image via Unsplash/Towfiqu Barbhuiya)

It's one of the most common bloating causes. Due to the fact that one of the symptoms of constipation is having fewer bowel movements than usual, you may be suffering from it without realizing it. Even if you have regular bowel movements, you could still feel constipated.

Other constipation signs and symptoms include:

  • struggling to begin or complete a bowel movement
  • a stool that resembles pebbles and rocks
  • not feeling empty after a bowel movement

Abdominal pain and bloating may be exacerbated by constipation. The longer your stool remains in your colon, the longer it has to ferment due to bacteria, which causes increased gas and bloating.


2) Intestinal Bowel Syndrome

IBS sufferers may be particularly sensitive to gas, which can result in discomfort, cramps, and diarrhea.

Check out the best yoga poses for IBS


3) Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

Most healthy individuals have comparatively less bacteria in their small intestine, which is known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). People who have IBS with diarrhea, intestinal surgery, or both are more likely to have SIBO, which can result in bloating.


4) Gastroparesis

It results in delayed emptying of the stomach, which can lead to bloating, nausea, and even bowel obstruction.


5) Gynecological conditions

Bloating can occasionally be brought on by gynecological diseases, such as issues with your ovaries or uterus. Make sure you always get a pelvic check-up done every year.


Foods That Cause Bloating

Several foods are included in the list of bloating causes. (Image via Unsplash/Volodymyr Hryshchenko)
Several foods are included in the list of bloating causes. (Image via Unsplash/Volodymyr Hryshchenko)

The stomach is currently churning and dissolving the last food you consumed in an enzyme or acidic soup. It's a digestive process, and it usually works rather effectively.

However, certain foods have a tendency to stay in the tortuous digestive tract for an excessively extended time. Food that's left unattended starts to rot and ferment, which causes bloating.

Here’s a list of foods responsible for bloating:

1) Beans

It should come as no surprise that beans are the food that causes the most bloating. Numerous varieties of fiber-rich beans are rich in oligosaccharides, which are a form of sugar that doesn't break down easily.

That eventually results in fermentation and a ton of gas, some of which have been known to occasionally burst forth in a trumpet-like blast.


2) Dairy

Dairy products are also behind the bloating causes. (Image via Unsplash/Towfiqu Barbhuiya)
Dairy products are also behind the bloating causes. (Image via Unsplash/Towfiqu Barbhuiya)

Did you know that lactose, the primary carbohydrate found in dairy, eventually becomes indigestible for three out of every four people? Bloating and other serious digestive issues can result from lactose intolerance.

Dairy goods such as milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and others would be on the prohibited food list.


3) Apple

Apples are unquestionably a nutritious food, but they contain a lot of fructose, which can make you feel bloated.

Apples are also regarded as a high-FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) food and may cause bloating in some individuals. Sugars that the small intestine has trouble absorbing are known as FODMAPs.

Check out how many calories in an apple.


4) Cruciferous vegetables

Some of the healthiest foods available are cruciferous vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbage, and arugula. However, in excessive quantities, extra gas can accumulate and create bloating. Raffinose, a sugar found in several vegetables, can result in gas production.

Most of the time, temporary bloating is not a cause for alarm. However, you should notify your doctor if you have severe or persistent bloating causes, particularly if additional symptoms are present. It might be a more significant sign.

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