How to reduce bloating – Eight easy ways

How to reduce bloating – Eight easy ways

All of us have experienced bloating during our lifetime at least once. There are a few ways that can help to decrease the sensation of bloating fairly quickly and others, like lifestyle changes, that can even prevent it from happening again.

Abdominal bloating is described as the sensation of a full and tight stomach. This condition alters the physical appearance of a person by making the belly look larger and is caused by two main factors: fluid retention and possible buildup of gas in the GI (gastrointestinal) tract.

How to eliminate bloating fast 

To guarantee a quick success against bloating, it is important to determine the underlying cause. Usually, it happens right after someone has eaten and it resolves itself. Nevertheless, you can also speed it up. Here are some common causes of bloating:

• Bad nutrition
• Alternating hormone levels
• Digestive problems

There are many options to choose from when it comes to relieving your bloating at home. Here are some that might give you some ease:

Walking

A walk at normal speed can proceed to activate your GI tract and increase the bowel movement, which further helps to release your excess gas and stool build up.

Yoga

Any kind of physical activity (as long as it is not a strenuous one) is good for your health and especially for your GI tract. Practicing yoga contracts and relaxes certain muscle groups in alternating order. This benefits the bowel and can get you a quick ease regarding your bloated stomach.[1]

Massage

Massaging the abdominal area is known to increase bowel movement. It is especially suggested that the massage follows the path of the large intestine to further increase its curative powers. To make sure you are doing it right, follow the steps below:

1. Search for your right hip bone and place your hands right above it.
2. Move your hands slowly up towards the lower end of your ribcage doing circular movements.
3. Make a 90° turn to your left and proceed till you reach the lower left end of your ribcage.
4. Now go straight down until you reach your left hip bone.

Repeat these steps as often as you like, as long as you feel it’s helping you. Should you feel any type of pain or discomfort, terminate the massage.

Essential oils

Watch out! This product can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. Depending on the formulation, it might be toxic or can have a crossreaction with medications you are receiving for other conditions. Please contact your physician first before using essential oils.

Nevertheless, recent studies show that these compounds are able to reduce pain and bloating in the abdominal region.

Bloating – Long-term solutions

A quick and easy fix is not always what people are looking for, since having to deal with it every day does not make the situation any better. That’s why we want to let you know that there are other kinds of solutions out there. Solutions that can help you in the long run.

Changes in your diet

Increasing your consumption of fiber may help prevent the feeling of bloating and constipation. It is evident that most Americans do not consume enough fiber in their daily diet and only 5% reach the recommended intake.

Nevertheless, it is important to remember that increasing your fiber intake too rapidly and by a large quantity, can have negative effects on your well-being. People are strictly discouraged from consuming more than 70g of fiber per day, hence it can lead to undesired effects.

Drink water instead of soda

Avoid all kinds of carbonated and sugary beverages. This can lead to gas building up in your stomach and thus exacerbate your gastrointestinal problems. Especially those with artificial sweeteners.

Eat at certain hours

Most people get bloated right after ingesting large quantities of food. You can act accordingly and, instead of having 3 large meals a day, you can choose to have more, but smaller meals. This decreases the workload on your GI tract and simultaneously decreases the probability of feeling bloated.

Supplementation with probiotics

Every person has its own microbiome in the gut and intestines. Our microbiome is responsible for digesting every inch of food we take in.  Supplementing these with probiotics, which are widely available, is a step in the right direction to improve your digestive system. 

The problem with salt

As tasty as it is, it is quite the opposite of healthy. Salt, or better known as sodium in scientific circles, makes your body retain large quantities of water. Therefore, it makes you more easily bloated.

Not all supplements are recommended

Supplements were created to balance something your body lacks the ability to produce by itself. No matter if it can not produce it at all, such as insulin in diabetic patients or just not in the right amount. Supplementing iron, for example, can cause the build up of stool in your GI tract, which can lead to further problems when it’s time to defecate.

When should you visit a physician?

Even though serious medical conditions are not commonly associated with bloating, there are a few like heart failure, kidney problems, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) and liver disease that can cause abdominal swelling.

If you have experienced bloating for a long period of time (days/weeks), it may be indicative of a more serious underlying health problem for which you should seek help from a professional.

Here is a list of associated symptoms which could help you decide whether to seek medical attention or not:

• Problems when eating
• Involuntary changes in weight
• Loose stool
• High or low body temperature
• Abdominal cramps
• Changes in the coloration of your stool

If bloating occurs alongside one or more of these symptoms, consider visiting your doctor to further discuss the situation and to get proper evaluation from an expert in this field.