Abdominal bloating: main causes

In the evening the abdomen swells, the belt presses, and it feels like there is a balloon inside. Bloating is very common, and the cause can be a glass of soda, irritable bowel syndrome, or premenstrual days. We explain what causes abdominal bloating and at what point a swollen abdomen is already a reason to see a doctor.

What abdominal bloating is

Bloating is a feeling of a full and uncomfortable abdomen. The signs are simple: the abdomen feels full or larger than usual, hurts or aches, rumbles and makes sounds, and more gas passes than usual.

In a healthy adult, there is about a liter of gas in the stomach and intestines, and 0.1–0.5 liters is expelled per day. With meteorism — excessive accumulation of gas — the volume of gas expelled reaches three or more liters. There are two sources: swallowed air and the breakdown of undigested food by bacteria in the colon.

And let us immediately debunk a myth: "a healthy person does not have gas, and if you are bloated, the intestines are clogged with toxins." Everyone has gas: most people pass it 13–21 times a day, and this is normal. The odor is not caused by toxins but by colon bacteria that release a small amount of sulfur-containing gases.

Which foods cause abdominal bloating

The most common cause is a lot of gas in the intestines. It is produced by certain foods and drinks (some vegetables, soda) and by the air we swallow while eating.

The classics: food with a large amount of carbohydrates, legumes, cabbage, apples, highly carbonated drinks. Separately — things that cause fermentation: black bread, kvass, beer, kombucha. Dairy products cause bloating in people with lactose intolerance.

A nuance: a food that causes bloating in one person passes unnoticed in another. Everyone finds their own list of triggers.

Intestinal diseases as a cause of bloating

If the issue is not food, we look for the cause in digestion. Common options are constipation, food intolerance, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome.

Meteorism can also be a sign of other conditions: dysbiosis, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (pancreatitis, enteritis, colitis, liver cirrhosis), acute intestinal infections, helminthiases. A separate matter is impaired passage of gas: intestinal obstruction, intestinal atony due to peritonitis. Aerophagia also occurs — increased swallowing of air while eating.

It feels like belching, hiccups, heaviness and distension, cramping pain that subsides after gas passes, nausea, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, decreased appetite. Sometimes diarrhea alternates with constipation.

Lower abdominal bloating in women: possible causes

In some women the abdomen bloats on certain days of the cycle — around menstruation.

There is also a concerning scenario. Bloating that does not go away may be a sign of a more serious disease, including ovarian cancer. Therefore, a swollen abdomen that does not go away is a reason to see a doctor.

Abdominal bloating in men

In men the causes are the same: gas from food and swallowed air, constipation, intolerance, intestinal diseases — no separate "male" cause of bloating has been described.

When bloating requires examination

Seeing a doctor is not only about severe pain. You should make an appointment if:

• bloating recurs regularly;
• dietary changes do not help, and the abdomen bloats again;
• bloating is combined with unintentional weight loss;
• bloating comes together with blood in the stool.

A separate category is symptoms that should not be delayed: bloating with vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, with abdominal pain, with high fever and chills, with swelling or a lump in the abdomen, with inability to urinate, have a bowel movement or pass gas, with burning behind the breastbone due to acid reflux.

Then the doctor investigates the cause and, if necessary, refers to a dietitian or for examinations.

Bloating by itself is not a reason to call an ambulance. You need to call 103 or 112 if the abdomen is bloated and at the same time: the abdominal pain is severe and came on suddenly; vomiting with blood has started or the vomit looks like coffee grounds; severe difficulty breathing has appeared — the person is gasping and cannot speak.

This article is for reference: it explains the causes and does not replace a doctor's consultation.

This content is for reference and does not replace a doctor's consultation. Medical disclaimer