How to Decrease Bloating
Feeling bloated ranks pretty high on the list of the most uncomfortable feelings you can experience. When your stomach feels like a balloon that wants to pop, but can’t, you’re left feeling downright nasty.
If this happens to you frequently, you’re not alone. As many as 30% of people say they feel bloated regularly. It not only makes your stomach feel full, but it can also make it look bigger and make your clothes feel tight. Some people also have constipation and heartburn when they feel bloated. None of these are things you want to deal with whether it’s occasionally or all of the time.
We’re going to take a look at some of the common causes of feeling bloated as well as how you can make those feelings go away.
Why do I feel bloated?
When you’re bloated there are excess solids, liquids, or gases in your stomach that are making it uncomfortable and many times, painful.
The source of that bloated feeling is going to be different for everyone. Many times feeling bloated is due to the foods you’re eating. Some people experience bloating hours after they’ve eaten.
It could be a case of poor choices or maybe foods that your stomach can’t tolerate, but you don’t know about...yet. This can include foods that contain dairy and gluten among others.
Besides food triggers other causes can include:
Swallowing air from eating too fast
Using a straw
Chewing gum
Constipation
In some cases, feeling bloated could be due to an underlying medical condition. These can include:
Intestinal blockages
Stomach or intestine tumors
Stomach inflammation
Fluid in the abdomen
These are all conditions that your doctor may check for if you constantly feel bloated despite taking action to prevent it.
How can I decrease feeling bloated?
If you experience bloating, you want to get rid of that feeling fast. Here are eight things you can do to battle the bloat.
Eat less in one sitting
Eating a huge meal in one sitting can leave you feeling extremely bloated. Instead of piling it all in, try smaller portions. You can still taste everything, just not in heaping amounts.
Keep track of how you feel as you eat less. If it reduces bloating, then you know you need to change your eating habits.
Don’t swallow air or gas
Carbonated drinks can leave your stomach feeling gassy and bloated. If you tend to talk while you eat, you’re letting unwanted air in that can also make you feel bloated.
Ditch the soda and don’t talk while you eat and that may ease some of your bloating problems.
Eat the right foods
Fatty foods can slow the digestive system and make you feel bloated. Keep a food diary and see how you feel after eating certain types of foods. This can help you determine which foods you’ll want to avoid.
Cut down on salt
Eating too much salt can leave you feeling bloated and make you retain fluid. Easing up on your salt intake can help with bloating and reduce any swelling in the hands and feet.
Drink more water and get moving
You may think that drinking water will make you feel more bloated. But, if your source of bloating is constipation or if your bloating is causing constipation, drinking water can help move things along.
If you want a simple way to know how much water you should be drinking, click here to check out my daily water intake calculator.
Being physically active can also help in this department because it can be effective against constipation.
Strike a pose
Certain yoga poses can help to encourage gas to release from the GI tract and reduce bloating. Check out Child’s Pose and Happy Baby Pose, among others.
Be sure to check with your doctor first to make sure it’s safe for you to try yoga, especially if you’ve never done it before.
Stop chewing gum
If you love to chew gum but feel bloated a lot, you may want to stop. You can swallow a great deal of air from chewing gum. The same goes for sucking on hard candy.
If you stop these habits, see how your stomach feels. If your bloating goes away, you know this was the culprit.
Take a warm bath
The heat of the bath can help to ease an aching stomach. Relaxing can reduce stress on the abdomen and help the GI tract.
The Takeaway
No one wants to feel bloated, but it happens. When too much air or gas gets in your system, your belly pays the price. When it does, especially if it happens often, you’ll want to try things like eating right and keeping track of what you’re eating to see if any foods are the problem. Drinking more water and getting more exercise may also help.
If you try some or all of these ideas to decrease bloating and nothing helps, you’ll want to make an appointment with your doctor. They’ll be able to give you a thorough exam and determine if there’s something else going on so you can battle the bloat.