“Why do I have a distended tummy after every meal?”
I am suffering from severe bloating and have a distended stomach every time I eat my meals. I avoid any vegetables that could cause gas, still this problem occurs. What could be the possible reason?
4 Answers
Bloating can be a difficult problem. We don't understand it well, but there are several possible causes:
1. Certain foods that we don't digest well can draw fluid into the small bowel lumen causing distention and bloating. Fluid, not gas, is causing the bloating.
2. Upper GI dysmotility causes poor handling of foods ingested causing bloating.
3. Recent research has shown that some patients actually involuntarily contract their diaphragm and relax the abdominal wall muscles resulting in significant bloating and increased abdominal girth.
#1 is the easiest to treat - try the Low FODMAP diet to eliminate carbs that can poorly digested. You can see a GI doc to get more specifics on this diet or try it on your own first.
#2 would need GI evaluation for possible prescription therapy.
#3 is still being researched and treatments with biofeedback are experimental.
Hope this helps.
1. Certain foods that we don't digest well can draw fluid into the small bowel lumen causing distention and bloating. Fluid, not gas, is causing the bloating.
2. Upper GI dysmotility causes poor handling of foods ingested causing bloating.
3. Recent research has shown that some patients actually involuntarily contract their diaphragm and relax the abdominal wall muscles resulting in significant bloating and increased abdominal girth.
#1 is the easiest to treat - try the Low FODMAP diet to eliminate carbs that can poorly digested. You can see a GI doc to get more specifics on this diet or try it on your own first.
#2 would need GI evaluation for possible prescription therapy.
#3 is still being researched and treatments with biofeedback are experimental.
Hope this helps.
Bloating is not that uncommon after eating. Things need to be scrutinized including motility problem, diabetes, no the systemic diseases. If that is done, then you need to be sure there's no pathologies in the upper G.I. tract. Ultimately, you may need to go on a little gas diet. But that’s after certain things have been excluded.
Avoid gluten lactose and raffinose sucrose products. Use a probiotic daily, avoid packaged foods and all sugars, chocolate, and pop drinks.
It is possible that gas formation is simply a part of the digestive process. However, if your symptoms cause discomfort or pain even after avoiding certain vegetables, then you should consult a physician to rule out any serious conditions.
