Do you feel bloated? Does your abdomen get more and more distended throughout the day?
Maybe you even wake up with that bloated, distended feeling.
Bloat is uncomfortable! Your clothes feel too tight, and you might have a tight feeling in your tummy. It might even be painful and impact your daily life.
It happens when gas or air fill your digestive tract. It can be accompanied by burping and/or flatulence, but these aren’t always present.
Temporary bloating usually isn’t usually a concern, but when it’s ongoing it needs to be explored.
A Real Gas!
Gas forms when you eat food, and it gets broken down in the digestive tract. Your gut microbes are responsible for this gas formation.
Microbes in the digestive tract will ferment (they eat the food you eat too) carbohydrates. When they do this, gas is produced.
While this microbial gas formation is a normal occurrence after eating, it shouldn’t leave you feeling uncomfortable or like your clothes no longer fit comfortably.
When bloating is accompanied by distension, pain, diarrhea, constipation, reflux, or excessive burping or flatulence it isn’t enjoyable.
Not only is it not fun, but it’s a sign that something might potentially be wrong!
What’s Wrong?
There are many reasons why you can feel bloated, but bloating is a sign. It’s your body’s way of trying to communicate to you that something is wrong. Excessive gas is an indication that something is going on in your digestive tract that isn’t normal.
Some factors contributing to your bloating can include:
Hormone changes with the menstrual cycle
Histamine and mast cells may have a role in each of these factors.
Here’s what the research tells us:
Quit it, you old gasbag!
Ways to stop the bloat
Always consult with your doctor or medical team first if you have severe bloating. Bowel obstruction, Crohn’s, colitis, celiac, organ failure, and cancers can also be causes of chronic bloating. It is important to rule these out.
Get tested for SIBO and other possible GI infections like H. pylori or candida albicans with your functional or integrative practitioner. These microbial imbalances will require treatment.
Eat a low histamine, mast cell stabilizing diet. You can download our Shopping List to get started.
Bloat got you down, and wondering if there is a histamine or mast cell piece to the picture for yourself?
We have a class coming up we think you might dig. It's free and it's happening online. Join us from the comfort of home, the office or on your lunch break even on Thursday October 27th, at 12 noon Mountain Time (Alberta / Sante Fe / GMT -6).