Common Reasons Behind Your Bloat

Bloating, which can cause distention of your abdomen, along with discomfort, gas, and even pain can be frustrating to deal with. Whether it’s acute or chronic, the first question is to wonder why this is happening. Here are some common reasons behind why you might be bloated, along with some tips for dealing with them.

The Most Common Cause – Constipation

While there are many different reasons you could be dealing with regular bloating, constipation tends to be the most common cause. When you eat, your belly is going to fill up, and it will distend slightly. This is very common, and will eventually settle when you go to sleep, or have a bowel movement. However, if you are constipated and are not going to the bathroom regularly, your belly can have a bloated appearance until you do relieve your bowels. 

If you are struggling with chronic constipation, assess your diet and make sure you’re getting enough fibre and drinking enough water.  These two factors are highly important for keeping things moving throughout your digestive tract. 

Other Potential Causes

In addition to constipation, you might also be bloated because of swallowing too much air, struggling with gut issues like gastritis or IBS, consuming carbonated beverages, or just eating a large meal. Some people find that they are more bloated on days when they drink a lot of carbonated water and soft drinks, while others are bloated from certain foods that tend to cause inflammation in the gut.

There are also some medical conditions that increase your risk for bloating, including:

IBS
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Gastritis or diverticulitis
Infections
Crohn’s disease
Inflammation

Figuring Out What is Causing Your Bloat

The hardest part about this is figuring out what is actually causing you to be bloated. The first step would be to keep a food journal and when you experience bloating and/or discomfort, you can look back on what you’ve eaten that day or in the last two days.  This will help you identify a pattern in what foods you’ve eaten recently prior to feeling bloated and you can try eliminating them and see if it makes a difference.  

If you can’t identify what foods are causing you issues, then it would be wise to find a nutritionist that can help you figure out the root cause of your digestive issues.

Also, look at your lifestyle and what foods you eat, as if you are eating a lot of inflammatory foods, have constipation, or drink nothing but carbonated beverages, that is likely the culprit.

Tips for Relieving Bloat

Sick and tired of being bloated all the time? Here are a few things that can help. 

Drink more plain water – Drink more water to relieve bloat, and make sure it is plain waiter without carbonation.

Get regular exercise – Walking is one of the best exercises to help relieve bloating, but there are also some yoga poses that can be great for this.

Try peppermint tea – Peppermint does wonders for bloating and the gut in general. Try drinking 1-2 cups of peppermint tea each day and see if it helps.

Address your medical conditions – Of course, if you think your bloating is from medical conditions like inflammation or IBS, you need to address those before your bloating will go down.

If you're ready to take your gut health seriously and minimize bloating and other intestinal discomfort, you'll want to check out my 6-Week Gut Fix Program.  This professionally designed program will help you transform your gut health and feel better than ever!