Hard belly: all the possible causes and the most effective remedies
Often behind the discomfort of a hard and swollen stomach there are inflammatory diseases of the intestine that we do not know exist. Most people tend to play down, pointing to the cause of a binge or other factors. But in reality having a swollen and tense abdomen is never good and you need to intervene. We talk about it in this article, but first here's a video with some foods that counteract a swollen belly.
The main symptoms of a hard and swollen belly
The hard belly and abdominal swelling in general involve individuals more and more often, who find themselves having to face a discomfort that is also unsightly. Often associated with other symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, flatulence and abdominal pain, a swollen belly should not be confused with excess abdominal fat. As we said, the causes can be multiple and if they are not pathological, a change in eating habits is enough to easily solve the problem.
What are the main symptoms to notice that something is wrong?
- Abdomen hard and tight
- Flatulence
- Abdominal cramps
- Spasms
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
See also
Hard belly: the most common causes
- Accumulation of gas
Ingestion of air during meals can significantly contribute to a swollen belly. This happens above all because we often eat in a hurry, chewing little and gulping down the almost whole food directly into the stomach. Some foods such as legumes, alcohol, cheeses, foods rich in fat or sugars and carbonated drinks, accentuate the phenomenon dramatically.
- Bad digestion
When we eat very caloric and high-fat foods, we must always consider that these are harmful to the body, which cannot easily dispose of them. As a result, digestion is slowed down and in some cases blocked, causing a hard and swollen stomach.
- Stress
Stress and hectic daily life can also be the cause of abdominal bloating. When we say "you somatize too much" we mean just that: the stress is "unloaded" in the belly.
- Serious illness
Some serious diseases such as ovarian and colon cancer, or appendicitis, can cause a swollen stomach.
- Menstrual cycle or menopause
Premenstrual syndrome and menopause can have abdominal swelling among the undesirable effects, but in this case it is a temporary phenomenon that lasts a maximum of a couple of days.
- Physique
In some subjects it is precisely the physical constitution that already foresees a kind of swelling in the belly area, which obviously is accentuated for the causes we mentioned earlier.
- Malnutrition
Some people may appear very thin, but have a prominent belly: this phenomenon called the malnutrition, it is caused by an insufficient supply of nutrients and proteins. Nutrition plays a very important role and often a few small changes are enough to immediately see the benefits.
- Calculations
The stones that can form in the kidneys, bile, gallbladder have among the symptoms a hard and swollen belly. If you suffer from this problem, you should report it to your doctor.
- Thyroid problems
The thyroid brings a whole series of dysfunctions in the body and among the alarm bells that indicate an incorrect functioning, there is precisely the swollen belly.
- Imbalance of the bacterial flora
Sometimes a bacterial proliferation above the norm can cause intestinal imbalances, acidity and ailments such as a hard belly.
- Food intolerance
A hard stomach could be the result of some food intolerance developed but not yet diagnosed. In these cases, swelling often occurs together with flatulence and cramps.
- Unbalanced diet
In general, an unbalanced diet, rich in fats and sugars, high-calorie foods or simply combinations of unhealthy foods, can cause bloating and abdominal pain.
Hard belly and inflammatory bowel disease
Among the inflammatory diseases of the intestine, there are two in particular that affect the last section of the intestinal tube, trivially mistaken for colitis, in reality they must be treated immediately. We're talking about Crohn's disease and ulcerative reciculitis.
- Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease can theoretically affect the entire digestive system, including the stomach, but it is more likely to affect only the intestine, causing severe abdominal pain, tension, bloating with cramps and constipation. To cure it, you need to focus on a correct diet and take medications under strict medical supervision.
- Ulcerative colitis
Recticulitis is a "chronic inflammation that affects the colorectal, or the final tract of the intestine." The bacterial flora is altered, the internal mucosa is inflamed and has small wounds that can bleed. Symptoms include:
- difficulty in evacuation
- emission of blood and / or mucus with stool
- formation of gas then bloating and flatulence
- abdominal pain
- weight loss and fever
Some people are more predisposed than others to ulcerative reciculitis, but in any case the cure will be with specific biological drugs, diet and supplements including probiotics. In severe cases, the doctor may prescribe cortisone-based anti-inflammatories to be taken for short periods.
Hard belly linked to food intolerances
Food intolerances are more and more frequent and often it takes a long time before they are diagnosed. Today we will explore two of the most common that cause stiff stomachs and bloating: lactose intolerance and gluten intolerance.
Lactose intolerance
Lactose is milk sugar and is indigestible for many people especially when lactase, an enzyme capable of assimilating it, is not present. In these cases, it will be enough to eliminate foods that contain lactose from the diet to solve the problem of a hard stomach. In many cases, after a period of total abstinence from these foods, they can gradually be reintroduced with the help of artificial enzyme tablets to buy at the pharmacy.
Gluten intolerance
Gluten intolerance is different from celiac disease, which, on the other hand, is a disease already present from birth or can develop during childhood. The body is unable to assimilate gluten, a protein found in all types of cereals. This disorder is not curable, but all gluten-based foods must be eliminated from the diet. Among the symptoms, in addition to a hard stomach, there may be a deficit in the absorption of the main nutrients, due to the state of chronic inflammation of the intestine, weight loss, anemia.
Some subjects, even if they are not celiac, may be intolerant to gluten and therefore suffer from stomach and intestinal discomfort and problems especially if there are many foods in their diet such as cereals, biscuits, rusks, crackers etc ... In these cases a consultation with the nutritionist is necessary.
Belly hard as a result of chronic constipation
Constipation can be defined as a person who evacuates less than 2 or 3 times a week, with hard and dry stools, difficulty in expelling them, a hard stomach. Also in this case, nutrition plays a fundamental role: foods that are too refined, rich in fat and low in fiber, low intake of liquids in the body, make the body unable to digest and therefore expel digestive waste with everyone. the resulting inconveniences. If you notice that you have a hard and swollen stomach, surely one of the first things to do is to modify the diet, also eliminating chronic constipation.
Hard stomach: when the reason is stress
If you are going through a period of stress and are anxious, remember that the stomach and intestines somatise: here comes the belly hard and swollen like a drum. On these occasions it is easy to suffer from gastrointestinal disorders, which if of short duration are not particularly deleterious, if they continue instead, the pathology becomes chronic.
What can be done?
First you should slow down the hectic pace of life, take a vacation, eat better, calmly and not in a hurry, sleep at least 8h a night, do physical activity, learn to relax the mind with techniques such as yoga, meditation, autogenic training.
