Bloated

Bloated

A bloated stomach is a common ailment that is fairly harmless - but quite embarrassing and sometimes painful. Air pollution does not have to be so difficult to overcome. As a rule, it just requires a little more awareness of how and what you eat.

Why do I have such a bloated stomach?

- Mainly air in the stomach originates from bacteria in the large intestine. The bacteria break down undigested carbohydrates and gas is formed in the process, explains pharmacist Audun Nilsen.

Sometimes it's not what you eat that's the cause, but how you eat. A good part of the gas in our intestinal system is actually air we have swallowed. Do you talk a lot while chewing, do you eat quickly, do you use straws? All of these things can cause you to swallow air at the same time.

Other causes of flatulence can be:

• Carbonated drink. Are you one of those who have acquired a carbonation machine? Then it may have a connection with a more bloated stomach.

• Foods with a lot of fiber. You've probably heard that cabbage, beans and peas can cause annoying noises. But did you know that the same applies to broccoli, onions, lentils, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts?

• Apples and pears can also cause flatulence.

• Drops and chewing gum. When you chew gum or suck on drops, you also swallow a lot of air at the same time.

• Artificial sweeteners ending in –ol (eg sorbitol, mannitol and maltitol).

• Smoking. Read more about the consequences of smoking here.

• Intolerance to foods, such as lactose intolerance or Celiac disease.

• Constipation.

• Antibiotics.

How to get rid of a bloated stomach?

Audun recommends cutting out vegetables or the food you think you react to for a period of time, then introducing one food type at a time to the diet, at intervals of one week. In this way, you can try to uncover which types of food are the culprits.

In addition, you can try this:

• Eat your food slowly, with your mouth closed

• Consume plenty of water

• Probiotics (lactic acid bacteria) can improve digestion. Consumed as yoghurt/milk products, or dietary supplements that you can find at the pharmacy.

• At the pharmacy you can also find products for air pain.

• Cut down on the use of drops and chewing gum

• Reduce your intake of carbonated drinks and foods sweetened with artificial sweeteners

• Move after meals, it can make the bowels work better

• Have regular meals as much as possible, and give yourself time to empty your bowels properly. Then you reduce the risk of constipation and other intestinal problems

• Stress less

• And if you didn't have enough reasons to stop smoking before; here is one more reason. You can of course get help to quit smoking at the pharmacy.

Could a bloated stomach be a symptom of something serious?

It is usually not dangerous to be a little bloated, and the condition is usually temporary. But if you are very often bothered, have a lot of pain and nausea, bleeding, weight loss or fever, Audun believes that you should contact a doctor.

- In rare cases, flatulence can be a symptom of underlying diseases, he says. - It can, for example, be part of the disease picture of irritable bowel syndrome. Rarely, it can be one of several signs of a more serious condition, for example diverticulitis (inflammation of pouches on the intestine) or chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.