Abdominal bloating occurs when the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is filled with air or gas. Most people describe bloating as feeling full, tight, or swollen in the abdomen. Your abdomen may also be swollen (distended), hard, and painful.

Bloating is often accompanied by:

• pain
• excessive gas
• frequent burping or belching
• abdominal rumbling or gurgles

Abdominal bloating can interfere with your ability to work and participate in social or recreational activities. People who do experience abdominal bloating use more sick days, visit the doctor more often and take more medications than other people.

What causes bloating?

Gas and air.

Gas is the most common cause of bloating, especially after eating. Gas builds up in the digestive tract when undigested food gets broken down and when you swallow air. Everyone swallows air when they eat or drink, but some people can swallow more than others, especially if they are:

• eating or drinking too fast
• chewing gum
• smoking
• wearing loose dentures

Burping and flatulence are two ways swallowed air leaves the body. Delayed emptying of the stomach in addition to gas accumulation can also cause bloating and abdominal distension.

Medical causes.

Other causes of bloating may be due to medical conditions. These include:

• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
• heartburn
• food intolerance
• weight gain
• hormonal flux (especially for women)
• eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa
• mental health factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, and more
• some medications

Treatments to prevent or relieve bloating.

• Make Lifestyle Changes

In many cases, the symptoms of abdominal bloating can be diminished or even prevented by adopting a few simple lifestyle changes such as losing weight, if you’re overweight.

• Reducing swallowing air.
• Avoid chewing gum. Chewing gum can cause you to swallow extra air, which in turn can lead to bloating.
• Limit your intake of carbonated drinks.
• Avoid “gassy” foods, such vegetables in the cabbage family, dried beans, and lentils.
• Eat slowly and avoid drinking through a straw.
• Use lactose-free dairy products (if you are lactose intolerant).

• Probiotics

May also help with repopulating healthy gut bacteria. Research is mixed on the effectiveness of probiotics. One review found that probiotics have a moderate effect, with a 70-percent agreement on its effect on bloating relief. You can find probiotics in kefir and Greek yogurt.

• Massages

Abdominal massages may also help reduce abdominal bloating.

• Medications

Talk to your doctor if lifestyle changes and dietary interventions don’t relieve abdominal bloating. If your doctor finds a medical cause for your bloating, they may recommend medical treatments. Treatments may require antibiotics, antispasmodics, or antidepressants, but it also depends on your condition. Warning signs: When to see a doctor Consult your doctor if bloating is accompanied by any of the following:

• severe or prolonged abdominal pain
• blood in the stools, or dark, tarry looking stools
• high fevers
• diarrhea
• worsening heartburn
• vomiting
• unexplained weight loss

People suffering from bloating should eat smaller meals and exercise regularly to improve the abdominal wall muscles and enhance gas clearance. A void foods that contain onion and garlic, wheat and rye, lactose products and stone fruit. People suffering from other conditions associated with bloating such as lactose intolerance and gluten sensitivity or coeliac disease will need more specific elimination diets.