Bloating and Excess Gas
Bloating and excess gas is one of the most common reported gastrointestinal (GI) complaints. Although common, it should not be constant.
What is bloating?
Bloating is a condition caused by excess gas trapped in the digestive tract. A possible cause is an overgrowth of bacteria that ferments digested food, releasing gases. The body eases the bloating by releasing the excess gas either by belching or flatulence.
How much bloating is normal?
People who have digestive issues, or experience bloating, excess gas and discomfort for longer than a year should work with a qualified nutritionist or health professional to look for root causes.
Bloating and Excess Gas: Causes and Treatments
- Stress ... Eating while stressed, or on the run, prohibits digestion, leading to an uncomfortable bloated feeling. When stressed the body activates the sympathetic nervous system which enables the flight-or-fight mode to handle the perceived threat, and shuts off the digestive process.
Treatment Plan: If stress is the cause for bloating, take a few slow, deep breaths before each meal. Place your hands over your belly and take a deep breath in through your nostrils. Inhale slowly and feel your belly push against your hands. Exhale slowly and pull your belly in toward your spine. Repeat three to five times. Avoid phone, computer or watching tv during meals. - Food sensitivities and intolerances … Some people have difficulty digesting certain foods. Common culprits include dairy, gluten, eggs, peanuts, corn, beans and even raw vegetables.
Treatment Plan: To determine if food sensitivities or intolerances are the root cause for bloating, implement an elimination diet with the help of a nutritionist. Although food sensitivity tests are available, they are expensive and somewhat inaccurate. A well designed elimination diet is the best way to find the food intolerance. Food intolerances may be exacerbated by small intestinal bacteria overgrowth and other intestinal imbalances. - Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) … SIBO is defined as excessive bacteria in the small intestine. Excess bacteria eat digested food, creating a surplus of hydrogen and methane gases. These gases eventually build up in the intestines, leading to bloat. SIBO is diagnosed by a breath test.
Treatment Plan: Possible treatments include diet and lifestyle changes, gut healing supplements, motility agents, as well as herbal antimicrobials such as grapefruit seed extract, oregano oil, garlic, berberine, olive leaf extract, myrrh, pau d’arco. Antibiotics may be required if the problem is severe. - Dysbiosis … Bloating is a common symptom of dysbiosis, or an imbalanced gut microbiome. Dysbiosis is caused by frequent antibiotic intake, high sugar, alcohol and/or processed food diets, some medications, some diseases, etc. Lack of sleep and exercise exacerbate digestive distress and dysbiosis.
Treatment Plan: With dysbiosis, it is important to implement an anti-inflammatory diet, supplement with supplements that eliminate bad bacteria and promote good bacteria, as well as nutrients that heal the gut, and manage stress. - Gastroparesis … Gastroparesis is a condition in which the stomach can’t empty food at a normal pace causing bloating. Possible causes include autoimmune diseases, eating disorders, diabetes as well as other conditions.
Treatment Plan: It is important to work with a nutritionist to create an anti-inflmmatory, easy to digest diet plan together with lifestyle changes to minimize the amount of time food stays in the stomach. - Constipation … Constipation causes the stool to sit in the colon longer than usual, giving bacteria more time to ferment what’s in there which leads to excess gas and bloating.
Treatment Plan: If you’re frequently constipated and bloated, it is important to work with a nutritionist to determine the causes. Increasing fibre, drinking more fluids and increasing exercise are also important.
