Bloating
Bloating | |
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Specialty | Gastroenterology |
Symptoms | |
Duration | A few hours to days |
Causes |
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Risk factors | |
Prevention |
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Treatment |
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Frequency |
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Abdominal bloating (or simply bloating) is a short-term disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract.[1][2] Bloating is generally characterized by an excess buildup of gas, air or fluids in the stomach. A person may have feelings of tightness, pressure or fullness in the stomach; it may or may not be accompanied by a visibly distended abdomen.[3] Bloating can affect anyone of any age range and is usually self-diagnosed, in most cases does not require serious medical attention or treatment.[4][5] Although this term is usually used interchangeably with abdominal distension, these symptoms probably have different pathophysiological processes, which are not fully understood.[6]
The first step for the management is to find a treatment for the underlying causes that produce it through a detailed medical history and a physical examination. The discomfort can be alleviated by the use of certain drugs and dietary modifications.[4]
Bloating can also be caused by chronic conditions and in rare cases can be a reoccurring life-threatening problem.[7]
Symptoms and signs
The most common symptom associated with bloating is a sensation that the abdomen is full or distended. Rarely, bloating may be painful or cause shortness of breath.[citation needed]
Pains that are due to bloating will feel sharp and cause the stomach to
One symptom of gas that is not normally associated with it is the
Causes
There are many causes of bloating, including: diet, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, reflux, and constipation.[10][11][12][13] Specific medical conditions like Crohn's disease or bowel obstruction can also contribute to the amount of stomach bloating experienced.
Common causes of abdominal bloating are:
- Overeating
- Gastric distension[14]
- Lactose intolerance, fructose intolerance and other food intolerances[15]
- Premenstrual syndrome[16][17]
- Food allergy[18]
- Aerophagia (air swallowing, a nervous habit)[19]
- Irritable bowel syndrome[4]
- Celiac disease[20]
- Non-celiac gluten sensitivity[21]
- Partial bowel obstruction
- Gastric dumping syndromeor rapid gastric emptying
- Gas-producing foods
- Constipation[22]
- Visceral fat
- Splenic-flexure syndrome
- Menstruation, dysmenorrhea
- Polycystic ovary syndrome and ovarian cysts
- Alvarez' syndrome, bloating of unknown or psychogenic origin without excess gas in the digestive tract
- Massive infestation with intestinal parasites (e.g., Ascaris lumbricoides)
- Diverticulosis[23]
- Certain medications, such as phentermine
- Occurs in some due to hypersecretion and dehydration.
- Ovarian cancer[24][25]
Important but uncommon causes of abdominal bloating include:
- Large cancerous intra-abdominal
- parasitic infection[26]
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures, due to the artificial mouth-to-mouth insufflation of air.[27]
In animals, causes of abdominal bloating include:
- Gastric dilatation volvulus, a condition of dogs which occurs when gas is trapped inside the stomach and gastric torsion prevents it from escaping[28]
- Ruminal tympany, a condition of ruminant animals which occurs when gas cannot escape from the rumen.
All the factors mentioned contribute to bloated stomach abdominal pain.
Every person produces gases in their body during the digestion of food, such as methane, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. And some of them are released outside the body, sometimes in small quantities that one does not notice and sometimes in larger quantities that may affect the normal course of life.
Fiber
Most cases of stomach bloating are due to improper
Bowel gas
Gas in the gastrointestinal tract has only two sources. It is either swallowed air or is produced by bacteria that normally inhabit the intestines, primarily the colon.[30]
Flatulence, or farting, provides relief of much the same kind as burping, but involves the passage of gas from the body via the anus, not the mouth. Bacteria present in the intestinal tract cause gas that is expelled from the anus. They produce the gas as food is digested and moved from the small intestine. This gas builds up and causes swelling or bloating in the abdominal area before it is released.
Constipation
A common gastrointestinal problem is constipation—infrequent bowel movements, hard stools, or strain during the movements—which causes serious cases of bloating. Since most cases of constipation are temporary, simple lifestyle changes, such as getting more exercise and increasing one's intake of fiber, can contribute to alleviating constipation.[31] Some cases of constipation will continue to worsen and require unconventional methods to release the feces and reduce the amount of stomach bloating. Blood in the stool, intense pain in the abdomen, rectal pain, unexplained weight loss, and continued bloating and constipation not relieved by the above lifestyle changes should be reported to a doctor. Bloating consistently accompanies constipation, and they will not develop without an underlying cause.[22]
Heartburn and acid reflux
Painful burning sensations in the chest that are caused by gastroesophageal reflux is known as
Postmortem bloating occurs in cadavers, due to the formation of gases by bacterial action and putrefaction of the internal tissues of the abdomen and the inside of the intestines.[34]
Related conditions
Conditions that are related to bloating include constipation, lactose intolerance, and
Treatment
Diets
Promising evidence on the potential efficacy of the low-FODMAP diet in functional abdominal bloating is provided by the reduction of the bloating which has been observed in some studies on patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Regarding the gluten-free diet, there is insufficient scientific evidence to recommend it to reduce bloating and abdominal distension.[36] As regards the FODMAP diet, this should be provided by experts in nutrition to reduce the risks associated with elimination diets.[37]
Medications
There are many over-the-counter (OTC) medications that can be used to treat bloating. Food
See also
References
Notes
- ^ staff, familydoctor org editorial; Rice, Alex. "Bloating - Bloated Stomach - What Causes Bloating?". familydoctor.org. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
- ^ "Bloated Stomach: Causes, Tips to Reduce & When to be Concerned". Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
- ^ "Bloating: Causes and Prevention Tips". www.hopkinsmedicine.org. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
- ^ PMID 24199004.
- ^ Abdominal bloating, National Institutes of Health, Retrieved November 7, 2013
- PMID 22298969.
- ^ "Abdominal bloating: Causes, symptoms and remedies". www.medicalnewstoday.com. 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
- ^ Gas and Gas Pains Mayo Clinic. Retrieved on 2010-01-26
- ^ Abdominal Bloating MedLine Plus. Retrieved on 2010-01-26
- PMID 17040359.
- ^ "Lactose Intolerance". NIDDK. June 2014. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Acid Reflux (GER & GERD) in Adults". National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). 5 November 2015. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ "Constipation". The Lecturio Medical Concept Library. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ^ Brunicardi, Charles (2015). Schwartz's Principles of Surgery (10 ed.). McGraw-Hill. pp. ch 26.
- ^ "Lactose Intolerance". The Lecturio Medical Concept Library. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) fact sheet". Office on Women's Health. December 23, 2014. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
- from the original on 2008-05-13.
- ^ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (July 2012). "Food Allergy An Overview" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-05.
- S2CID 20991299.
- ^ "Symptoms & Causes of Celiac Disease". NIDDK. June 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- PMID 25245857.
- ^ a b "Constipation". The Lecturio Medical Concept Library. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- PMID 27156370.
- ^ "Ovarian Cancer Prevention". NCI. December 6, 2013. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ Seiden, Michael (2015). "Gynecologic Malignancies, Chapter 117". MGraw-Hill Medical. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
- ^ "Megacolon". The Lecturio Medical Concept Library. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)". The Lecturio Medical Concept Library. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ Bloat in Dogs: Causes, Risks and Treatment Pack of Pets. Retrieved on 2018-02-05
- ^ Fiber And Increased Gas MedicineNet. Retrieved on 2010-01-19
- ^ What Causes Flatulence, bloating[permanent dead link] thesananews.com Retrieved on 2021-09-27
- ^ Constipation Definition Mayo Clinic Retrieved on 2010-01-19
- ^ a b "Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease". The Lecturio Medical Concept Library. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Esophageal Cancer". The Lecturio Medical Concept Library. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- PMID 30969563. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ Belching Bloating and Flatulence American College of Gastroenterology. Retrieved on 2010-01-26
- ^ Pessarelli, T., Sorge, A., Elli, L., & Costantino, A. The Gluten-free Diet and the Low-FODMAP Diet in the Management of Functional Abdominal Bloating and Distension. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2680.
- ^ Pessarelli, T., Sorge, A., Elli, L., & Costantino, A. The Gluten-free Diet and the Low-FODMAP Diet in the Management of Functional Abdominal Bloating and Distension. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2680.
Bibliography
- Partly based on Abdominal bloating. MedlinePlus (US public domain Medical Encyclopedia). Update Date: 10 November 2004. Updated by: Christian Stone, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Ahmed Shazly.
- Van Vorous, Heather. Eating for IBS. 2000. ISBN 1-56924-600-9. Excerpted with author's permission at Help for Irritable Bowel Syndrome(see IBS Diet Section)
- (2021, January 16) Lower back pain and bloated tummy: causes and best treatments - Everything to Know about Back Muscles.
- [1]: Bloating: Causes and Prevention Tips
- [2].