Abdominal bloating: what’s causing that tight, puffy belly — and how to fix it
Feeling full, gassy, or like your stomach’s swollen after a meal? Abdominal bloating is common, but it’s annoying. The reason can be simple — swallowed air, gas from food, or slow digestion — or something that needs a test, like IBS, lactose intolerance, or SIBO. Here are clear, useful steps you can try right away and what to watch for if it keeps happening.
Quick fixes you can try now
Start with how you eat. Eating fast, talking while chewing, or using straws makes you swallow air. Slow down, take smaller bites, and sit upright while you eat. Cut back on fizzy drinks, chewing gum, and hard candies — they all add gas.
Look at what’s on your plate. Beans, lentils, cabbage, onions, apples, stone fruits, and sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol) are common gas-makers. Try a short trial of a low-FODMAP approach for two weeks: avoid the main offenders and see if bloating improves. If it does, reintroduce foods one at a time to spot triggers.
If you’re constipated, that makes bloating worse. Increasing water, moving more, and adding fiber slowly can help. For short-term constipation, an over-the-counter osmotic laxative like polyethylene glycol often works well — check with a pharmacist or doctor first.
Simple moves help, too. A 10–20 minute walk after eating can move gas along. Try gentle belly massage (clockwise direction) or yoga poses that release trapped air, like knees-to-chest.
OTC options: simethicone can ease the feeling of trapped gas for some people. Enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules also help some folks with gas and bloating, especially if IBS is involved. Probiotics may help too — multi-strain products with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus sometimes reduce bloating, but results vary.
When bloating needs a doctor
If bloating is new, gets worse, or comes with weight loss, blood in stool, persistent severe pain, fever, repeated vomiting, or a swollen belly that feels hard, see a doctor right away. Your provider may check for celiac disease, run stool tests, order blood work, or suggest breath testing for SIBO. Imaging or specialist referral can come next if needed.
Keep a simple food and symptom diary for two weeks before your visit: note what you ate, timing, and how you felt. That makes diagnosis faster and more accurate.
Bloating isn’t fun, but most cases respond to small changes: slow eating, less gas-forming foods, more movement, and targeted over-the-counter aids. If fixes don’t help or red flags appear, get evaluated — early answers make treatment quicker and easier.
