Don’t let bloating have an outsized impact on your life!Treating this common concern at its source

Question 1

What is bloating?

Answer

Symptoms of bloating can vary significantly from person to person. That feeling of tightness, pressure, and fullness in the abdominal area can be slightly uncomfortable to severely painful. You may experience noticeable distension or swelling of the belly, too. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 10% and 25% of otherwise healthy individuals have bloating occasionally. Around 10% describe their symptoms as regular or recurrent, and up to 75% of people say their symptoms are “moderate” to severe in nature. Depending on the underlying cause of your distress, bloating may be cyclical.

Question 2

Why does my stomach become bloated?

Answer

A bloated stomach is caused by excess gas in the intestine. While a natural byproduct of digestion, too much gas in your intestines signals that something is wrong with the process of your body breaking down food. Intestinal gas is primarily made by bacteria in the gut that digest carbohydrates. This means that the carbohydrates were not naturally absorbed earlier in the process. There are many reasons why excess carbohydrates may reach and interact with gut bacteria. You may simply be eating too fast. Or, you may have an undiagnosed food intolerance or gastrointestinal disease. For this reason, you may experience bloating after eating. Other potential causes include:

A build-up of digestive contents, such as constipation
Issues with how content passes through the digestive tract (motility disorders)
Inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s that cause bowel damage
Hormone fluctuations during menstrual cycles and also when entering perimenopause

If bloating never goes away, gets worse, and is accompanied by fever and vomiting, it may be associated with fluid build-up in the abdominal cavity. Ascites is typically caused by serious underlying conditions, such as liver disease. Therefore, it is important to have any concerning symptoms evaluated to rule out potentially serious diseases that require immediate attention.

Question 3

What digestive conditions are associated with bloating?

Answer

Some people have problems digesting particular carbs/sugars, such as those found in wheat and beans. Food intolerances or difficulty breaking down carbs are generally called “carbohydrate malabsorption.” SIBO, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, is a disorder characterized by an excessive presence of bacteria from the colon in the small intestine. The wrong types of bacteria may overrun the “good” bacteria and lead to problems with how you digest food. Other potential digestive culprits include functional digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome. For unknown reasons, your body may struggle with digestion, and IBS patients often experience other “classic” symptoms beyond gas and bloating, such as constipation, bleeding, anemia, nausea, and diarrhea.

Question 4

What tests do you perform when someone has unexplained bloating?

Answer

We are experienced and take a particularly thorough approach to screening for SIBO. This involves using a “breath test” to evaluate for levels of hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide that are exhaled as a result of surplus bacteria. Our providers may also recommend an elimination diet to identify sensitivities to certain types of foods/food ingredients. Stool testing and lab work are an important part of our comprehensive screening. Depending on what we find from this extensive testing, we may provide nutritional support, botanical medicine, lifestyle guidance, and even hormone treatment, as there are so many potential sources of bloating.

This common concern doesn’t have to rule your life. If you are interested in more information about our approach to bloating treatment, request an appointment today! Call (917) 477-3538 to speak with a team member at the NY Center for Integrative Health in Manhattan.