How to Stop Bloating: A Few Proven Ways

By Susan Dickson

How to Stop Bloating: A Few Proven Ways thegearhunt.com

Everyone has suffered from a bloated stomach at some point in their lives. The feeling is miserable and makes you feel like your stomach is as huge as a house. Most of the time, bloating or that too full feeling as many of us call it, is simply from eating too much, but there are times when bloating isn’t caused by eating too much or even what you ate. While bloating is something that you don’t usually have to be seriously concerned with, if it persists, then it could be time to make an appointment with your primary health care provider to see if there is an underlying problem.

That is why in this blog, we are going to go into bloating, what causes it, a few tips to stop it, reasons and causes for it, and even when it could be becoming a serious issue and you need to seek professional help. It’s important to note that bloating usually happens when gas builds up in the intestines and stomach. If it happens directly after you are done eating, it will probably go away on its own, but there are ways to speed up that process, so you aren’t miserable for hours to come. If you have suffered from bloating and it isn’t going away or it happens way too often for comfort, you need to visit your doctor to see if there is another problem.

If you are ready to learn more about bloating and how you can stop it, follow us into this blog on bloating, everything you should know, and even a few ways to stop it. Ready? Set? Go!

Causes of Bloating Revealed

Believe it or not, there are 21 common causes for feeling bloated to date, not to say there won’t be more in the future. We will go into a few of the most common causes now before we get into trying to stop the bloating in its tracks.

Increased Intestinal Gas

The foods you eat can quickly contribute to increased intestinal gas and that bloated feeling that won’t go away. There are other causes of gas as well, those are listed below.

Swallowing air, which can come from drinking through a straw or even chewing gum
Eating too much
Eating too fast

Eating fatty foods
Eating foods such as beans, foods with a lot of fiber, and some veggies that cause gas to build up in the intestinal tract
Being lactose intolerant

Having an intestinal disorder
Gluten intolerance, also known as celiac disease

Other Common Reasons You Could be Bloated

Being pregnant
Having indigestion
PMS

Menstrual cycle
Drinking a bunch of sodas or other beverages that are carbonated
Constipation

Smoking
Having food allergies
Having an H Pylori Infection

Gallstones
A hiatal hernia
Liver disease

Gastroparesis
Salt
Too many carbs

Overeating
Eating way too fast
Gaining weight

Fructose

These are a few of the most common causes of bloating, though some are much more serious than others. Now, that we know what the causes are, we can move onto the next section of our blog, which is a few of the proven ways to stop bloating, reduce the discomfort, and maybe even help to prevent it from happening again.

Top Ways to Reduce or Stop Bloating Revealed

There are many home remedies out there that can help to stop bloating so that you don’t have to resort to over the counter or prescription drugs. We will go into those first in this section.

Take a Walk

If you had a hard time putting down the fork and pushing away from the table at dinner tonight and you’re suffering for it with that super bloated feeling, taking a walk around the neighborhood might just help. Physical activity, even walking, can get the bowels moving more quickly and relieve that bloated, full feeling.

Try a Few Yoga Poses

Yoga is said to help you physically, emotionally, and mentally. There are certain yoga poses that put the muscles of the stomach in a position to relieve pressure and gas. Try this to relieve the bloating of overeating or eating too fast.

Suck on Peppermint Capsules

Peppermint capsules work by allowing the abdominal muscles to relax, which relieves the bloating as well. These are often recommended for people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome but have been known to work for bloating as well.

Try Gas Relief Products

If the natural methods aren’t doing the trick for you, try one of the over the counter gas relief products on the market today. You can usually find them in brick and mortar stores and online.

Take a Long, Warm Bath

Getting into a warm bath and soaking for a while will loosen the abdominal muscles and can help to relieve the bloating. It also reduces your stress levels, which will help with the bloating as well.

Visit Your Primary Health Care Provider for Prescription Medications

Many times when all of the above ways don’t work, it’s time to visit your primary health care provider so that he can prescribe you a prescription med to help with the bloating and the pain from the bloating as well. While most people aren’t comfortable with taking prescription meds for bloating, sometimes it’s the only solution.

Ways to Prevent Bloating

Lay Off the Salt

If you are looking to prevent that bloated stomach from returning, laying off the salt for a bit is a good start. A few foods to avoid are listed below. While most of us don’t like the idea of skipping the salt in our diet, we don’t like the pants that feel like they are crushing you all of a sudden or the rock that seems to have settled in our bellies from the feeling either.

Cured meat
Frozen foods
Canned foods

Processed snacks
Some condiments are loaded with salt
Bread

And of course, that salt shaker that you can’t put down

Slow it Down

Another way to prevent the bloated feeling, to begin with, is by slowing down when you eat. It has been proven that eating too fast causes the gas to build up in your stomach causing bloating. Remember, eating should be savored, it’s not a race, so slow down and enjoy your food instead.

Drink Water, Instead of Carbonated Beverages

If you want to prevent the bloating from setting in, it’s best to skip the carbonated beverages and the booze as well. This is not to say that you can’t have a few sodas or a drink sometimes, just don’t make them your primary beverage. Instead, make water the main beverage in your diet.

You Can Still Have Your Coffee or Tea

The caffeine in that coffee and tea you love actually has a diuretic effect, which means that you go to the bathroom more often. They have also been known to have anti-inflammatory properties, which of course is good for your digestive tract. A couple of cups a day of either is a good thing, just don’t overdo it, because you could end up with the caffeine jitters, and that’s something no one wants to have to deal with.

Don’t Eat as Many Foods that Are Hard to Digest

There are some foods that are just difficult to digest, which can lead to bloating and gastrointestinal problems as well. Even broccoli and Brussels sprouts, though good for you, can be hard to digest. You don’t have to give them up forever, just for a few days, until the bloating is gone.

There are quite a few other ways that you can fight and prevent bloating from striking you. We have a list for you below, that you can look into.

Add potassium to your diet

Eat foods with a diuretic effect
Try a few superfoods
Sooth your belly with fennel, ginger, or peppermint

Fight the inflammation with other foods, such as berries and dark chocolate
Keep eating your dairy products

These are just a few of the ways that you can stop and prevent the bloating that comes with everything from overeating to eating too fast. However, there are some times where none of these help and it could be time to see a doctor to find out if there is indeed an underlying cause to your problem. This leads into the next section of our blog on the signs that your bloated stomach could be something more serious.

Signs That Your Bloating Could Be from an Underlying Issue

While bloating is usually nothing but a sign of overeating, some type of food intolerance or a gut issue, there are times when the bloating is actually a sign of a more serious problem. If the bloating is prolonged, constantly reoccurs, or is accompanied by other symptoms, it is time to see your primary care provider for a consultation. There are a few signs that you should look for. We will go into them in this next section of our blog.

Weight Loss

If you are steadily losing weight with your bloating, it could be the symptom of an underlying problem. This should be evaluated by your doctor, especially if the weight loss isn’t intended and part of a weight loss plan.

Your Bathroom Habits have Changed

Bathroom changes that aren’t normal, such as blood in your stool, frequent bathroom trips, and diarrhea that happens all of the time, when combined with bloating warrant a trip to your doctor for a checkup, pronto.

You’re Constantly Fatigued

Being fatigued more than usual when combined with constant bloating can be a sign that something serious is wrong and needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

Your Appetite has Changed

If combined with your bloating, you find that your appetite has changed, meaning you don’t eat as much as you used too, you should make an appointment with your doctor for a checkup, just to be on the same side.

Your Bloating is Continual

If you have bloating that never seems to go away and never resolves itself at all, it’s time to make an appointment with your primary care provider as well.

Causes of Severe Bloating

There are a few causes of severe bloating, though these might not be your problem if your bloating isn’t going away, you need to be checked over.

Crohn’s Disease
PID, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Dirvicultitis
Liver disease
Stomach cancer

Pancreatic cancer
Colon cancer
Uterine cancer

Ovarian cancer

These are some of the top causes for severe bloating that doesn’t go away. If you have any of these symptoms, please get help somewhere.

This brings us to our section on foods to avoid to avoid bloating. Read on below for a list.

Foods to Avoid to Prevent Bloating

Beans
Lentils
Carbonated drinks

Wheat
Broccoli
Onions

Rye
Barley
Apples

Garlic
Beer

These are a few of the foods that you need to avoid to prevent bloating. This isn’t to say that you can never have these foods again, but not having them for a couple of weeks can help you to feel like yourself once again.

Whether you are using home remedies, over the counter medications, or a prescription from your doctor, making sure that you get help for your bloating is half the battle and will make you feel much better about yourself physically, mentally and emotionally as well.

This concludes our blog on how to stop bloating. We talked about the causes of bloating, what you can do to treat and prevent it, as well as the top signs that you need to go to your primary care provider to see if perhaps your problem is more serious than a little bloating from overeating. Bloating is miserable, but luckily there are ways to combat it!