Bloated stomach - a very unpleasant feeling
A bloated stomach causes not only discomfort and pain but also embarrassment and a feeling that nothing is right for us. This is because a bloated stomach prevents us from feeling good in our body. Sometimes we think we eat little and well but we are wrong because there are apparently healthy foods that contribute not a little to swelling our abdomen. Discover the right foods to show off a really flat dish!
The main causes of abdominal bloating
The causes are many: consumption of carbonated drinks, too much alcohol, too seasoned and spiced foods, fruit after a meal, hasty chewing, bad habit of talking while eating, swallowing air. Eating incorrectly promotes aerophagia and excessive production of gas in the intestine. Sometimes these symptoms do not go away spontaneously and if there are also pains in the stomach, it can be a gastrointestinal disease. One can think of a gastroplegia, caused by cold strokes, by taking cold drinks or by a muscle trauma that blocks the movement of the stomach; or problems with digestion or alterations of the pylorus due to gastritis, peptic ulcer or neoplasms. If this event is recurring, it could indicate food intolerances or a stomach neuropathy secondary to diabetes. Intestinal parasites, impaired metabolism, use of certain drugs, irregular nutrition, and tension due to emotionality and stress can also cause these disorders. If the discomfort and swelling are considerable, it can be gastrectasia (especially after surgery), which can be combined with other pathologies, such as gallbladder stones, pancreatitis, appendicitis, inflammation. Abdominal swelling can affect both the upper abdomen and all its quadrants; if it is associated with nausea, pain, aerophagia it can be defined as dyspesia; if the symptoms also include diarrhea or constipation and meteorism it can be defined as spastic colitis or irritable bowel syndrome. Both of these pathologies are very common. The specialist will take into account the fact that they can also be symptoms of more serious problems such as pancreatic, stomach and colon neoplasms and therefore deepen the diagnostic investigations.
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Other triggers of abdominal bloating. Clinical findings.
The majority of patients suffering from this problem suffer from functional dyspesia, with discomfort in the upper quadrants of the abdomen. Gluten intolerance or celiac disease and other causes of poor absorption of food can manifest these symptoms. Even a noticeable contraction of the abdominal muscles can cause swelling. And so are stress and anxiety, and for women, pregnancy or the days leading up to menstruation. In patients in their 50s in the presence of signs, such as anemia, weight loss, swallowing disorders, vomiting, GI bleeding, it is necessary to carry out further diagnostic tests, especially if they often use anti-inflammatory or life-saving fluidifying and anticoagulant drugs. If patients over 45 do not have alarming symptoms, they can be treated with appropriate therapy. If good results are obtained, there is no need for further clinical investigations. In the opposite case, if the therapy has no positive effects or if the symptoms return as soon as it is suspended, it is advisable to carry out an endoscopy, a serological, fecal examination or a urea breath test.
Diet and lifestyle to combat this disorder
An accumulation of gas and gastrointestinal bloating are due to states of anxiety, depression, insomnia, smoking aerophagia, frequent use of chewing gum and candies or food intolerances and alterations in the bacterial flora. This unpleasant phenomenon mainly affects women due to the periodic alterations of female hormones. Much depends on the foods you consume. For example, legumes, complex carbohydrates, yeast for bread, pizza or beer, cabbage, broccoli, onions, aubergines, peppers, garlic, apples, plums favor fermentation and the production of intestinal gas with consequent abdominal bloating and bloating. Beans, cabbage, milk and derivatives, mushrooms, molluscs, watermelons must also be reduced, which for many cause heartburn, digestive problems, gas accumulation and flatulence. Even very complex sauces, too sugary drinks, smoothies, sweets, spirits, tea and coffee favor the formation of air in the belly. However, we must not completely give up certain foods that are important for the nourishment and well-being of the organism, but consume them adequately. Here are our advice: avoid precooked products, consume them in small quantities, do not overdo the seasoning, cook them in healthy way (steamed, with non-stick pan, on the griddle, in the oven), rarely eats fried foods, chews slowly and drinks during a meal, consumes digestible foods such as white meat and fish or those that have diuretic properties, such as cucumbers and asparagus. if you are tense / or nervous or if you are in a hurry; take a lunch break without cell phones and TV and without interruptions, as it is highly healthy regardless of the meal you are having. The environment must also be relaxing and pleasant, not noisy and airy: after the meal, walk a little for about ten minutes, instead of taking the usual coffee which slows down digestion.Avoid meals that are too heavy and abundant, but also greasy or spicy appetizers and snacks, which often hinder digestion. Consume the foods of a day in 5 times between meals and snacks, to get all the necessary nourishment, without straining the stomach, so as not to feel weighed down, as happens after two too large meals. Fennel, ginger and celery, eaten raw or as herbal teas, prevent abdominal swelling, as well as artichokes that help digest easily, stimulating the biliary tract, Sore point: avoid sweets, ice creams with many fats and sugars, which raise the blood sugar and cholesterol negatively affect metabolism and cause meteorism and swelling. Chewing gum increases the air in the stomach and consequently the abdominal swelling.
Remedies for abdominal bloating: herbal teas, supplements, prebiotics and probiotics
Whole foods reduce constipation and improve bowel functioning; however, they can be difficult to digest. It is good to take them initially in moderate quantities, increasing the dose gradually if well tolerated. Eating by paying attention to these dietary tips is also good for those suffering from spastic colitis, whose symptoms are stimulated by the foods eaten and also by psychoemotional components. Herbal teas based on fennel are widely used preparations; in fact, they moderate the bacterial fermentation that causes gas accumulation and therefore prevent the problem of abdominal swelling. For this purpose, the benefit of lemon balm, chamomile and mint is also remarkable, which even when the swelling derives from anxiety and stress relieve it thanks to their calming and antispasmodic properties, as well as coriander, a digestive also known in ancient times. . Supplements also facilitate the return of a balance in the gastrointestinal system: they contain plant extracts such as dandelion, cumin, fennel, coriander, mallow, lemon balm, very useful for digestion, for the absorption of intestinal gas and therefore to decrease the swelling of the abdomen. Among the most suitable products there are preparations based on plant extracts with strong digestive and calming properties (dandelion, cumin, mint, fennel, lemon balm and mallow) to be associated with carminative agents, known for their anti-swelling properties, thanks to their ability to absorb excess intestinal gas. Lactic ferments are ideal for rebalancing the intestinal bacterial flora and preventing abdominal swelling together with oligosaccharides. The intestinal bacterial flora, thanks to bacteria and yeasts, performs a very important job for the human body: it absorbs proteins, fats and carbohydrates to strengthen the body, helps digestion, maintains a good functioning of the intestine, facilitates the absorption of trace minerals , produces essential vitamins such as B and K, strengthens the immune system.
If you feel tension in the abdomen and there is constipation and flatulence, it is possible that the bacterial flora is altered either by bacterial and viral attacks or by the effects of the use of antibiotics, by a decisive change in diet, by metabolism imbalances or for intolerances to some food. Changes in climate and meal times also affect bowel regularity. To restore the intestinal bacterial flora, the Mediterranean diet is very effective. As a prevention, as carriers of intestinal function stimulants, prebiotics and probiotic supplements can be used. Prebiotics are substances found in food. They can be found in wholemeal flour, barley, spelled, buckwheat, green leafy vegetables, garlic, onion, beans and asparagus, and are used by the intestinal flora for the proliferation of good bacteria. Probiotics, such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, are also found in fermented foods such as whole white yogurt, acidophilic milk and live ricotta; they strengthen the immune functions and regenerate the intestinal bacterial flora. It is good to integrate the intake of prebiotics and probiotics during the alternation of the seasons, when climate changes require a strengthening of the immune system; moreover, when we undergo antibiotic treatments, which, to eradicate infections, weaken our body, and when we have spastic colitis for Helicobacter Pylori or Escherichia Coli.
