After eating, heaviness in the stomach and bloating causes

A feeling like bloating in the stomach can be a symptom of various pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. The internal organs of the gastrointestinal tract are interconnected; if one of them malfunctions, the entire system ceases to function normally. As a consequence of such deviations, unpleasant, uncomfortable sensations arise in different areas of the abdomen.

What does it indicate and who experiences it?

Distension that occurs in the upper abdomen may be a symptom of the development of a serious illness. In addition, it may indicate the presence of pathology of internal organs located in the abdominal cavity.

Flatulence often occurs with the following diseases and pathologies:

• Intestinal dysbiosis.
• Irritable bowel syndrome.
• The presence of a malignant neoplasm.
• Intestinal obstruction.
• Chronic pancreatitis.
• Lactose intolerance.
• Stenosis of the pylorus of the stomach.
• Peptic ulcer disease.
• Cholecystitis.
• Gastritis.
• Passage of a kidney stone.

Bloating and bloating can be a symptom of a rare disease called celiac disease. This disease is accompanied by incomplete breakdown of gluten and the formation of toxic substances that damage the intestinal walls. Treatment is carried out using a special gluten-free diet and taking enzymatic medications prescribed by a doctor.

Frequent pain and bloating in the abdomen may be associated with problems of the reproductive organs. For example, some women experience these symptoms during menstruation and ovulation. The intensity of their manifestation is different for everyone.

Abdominal distension can occur at any age in anyone. Since this may serve as a signal about the development of the disease, if this phenomenon persists for a long time, you should immediately consult a doctor and undergo the required diagnostic tests.

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Heaviness in the abdomen is a symptom of disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract or other pathological processes in the body. Periodic heaviness in the abdomen is not considered a pathology, while a chronic symptom of this nature requires consultation with a doctor and subsequent treatment. Unauthorized use of medications to eliminate this symptom can lead not only to complications, but also to a blurred clinical picture, which is fraught with consequences.

Main reasons

Among the main causes of abdominal distension and bloating:

• Poor nutrition, excess fatty foods and sweets in the daily diet.
• The presence of scars on the intestines and stomach.
• Impaired functioning of the muscles of the digestive tract.
• Bad habits, in particular smoking.
• Wrong and unhealthy lifestyle.
• Obesity.

Abdominal distension can be caused by taking certain foods, such as:

• Legumes. They contain enzymes that are not digested in the intestines, but are broken down by bacteria.
• Apricots, cabbage, carrots and prunes, which contain starch that promotes gas formation.
• Sweeteners.
• Milk. Gas formation occurs when the body does not absorb lactose.
• Cereals rich in fiber, which can cause excessive gas formation.

https://youtu.be/G_jfCsBSrgA

Preventive measures

And if you follow preventive measures, you can completely avoid digestive troubles. To do this you need:

• Be careful about the composition of your diet;
• do not overeat;
• monitor the expiration date of food products;
• do not drink sweet drinks/cold water during meals;
• at least once a week, unload the intestines, spending a day called fasting;
• do not eat at night;
• to refuse from bad habits;
• avoid a negative emotional state.

https://youtu.be/5uVMW8F7DUQ

Causes of abdominal distension in healthy people

Distension inside the abdomen appears in both sick and healthy people. Gas formation can occur not only as a symptom of a certain illness, but also for other reasons. A feeling of bloating in healthy people may occur when:

• Abuse of carbonated drinks.
• Excessive swallowing of air while eating.
• Taking soda, which neutralizes the acidic environment of the stomach and causes increased gas formation.
• Abuse of sweets and baked goods.
• Excess fiber and starch in the body. Most often, gas formation occurs when eating large quantities of potatoes, legumes and rye bread.

In most cases, bloating appears after holidays accompanied by a large meal. It lasts no more than two days and often goes away on its own, but still causes discomfort.

How to treat flatulence

The phenomenon of flatulence should not be tolerated. Sometimes dietary adjustments will help get rid of bloating in the upper abdomen. To do this, you should follow these recommendations:

• avoid overeating;
• reduce consumption of fatty and high-calorie foods;
• avoid eating too quickly and snacking on the go;
• reduce the amount of carbohydrate-containing dishes;
• do not eat fruits with other foods;
• Instead of milk, eat fermented milk dishes.

To combat flatulence, you can take activated carbon tablets. For the purpose of prevention, you can take 1 gram daily. Espumisan also helps get rid of unpleasant symptoms.

Important! Anyone who experiences increased gas formation in the upper part of the stomach should be examined. This will allow you to detect or exclude dangerous gastrointestinal pathologies.

Folk remedies also help get rid of flatulence. They can be used along with drug therapy. The following remedies help get rid of bloating:

1. A drink made from mint, chamomile and St. John's wort. It should be taken 3 times a day after meals.
2. Adding caraway seeds, dill, fennel, parsley to food.
3. Drinking lemon balm tea.
4. Plantain tea is effective if you add a teaspoon of honey (per glass of drink). For a glass of water you need to take a tablespoon of crushed raw materials.
5. In folk medicine, cabbage juice is used: you should drink half a glass of it after meals.

https://youtu.be/gutpInEpDO8

If bloating appears in the upper part of the stomach, you should consult a doctor. Timely treatment will avoid dangerous complications and guarantee a full recovery.

Symptoms

Abdominal distension may be accompanied by:

• Feeling of fullness in the stomach.
• Bloating from the inside.
• Painful sensations.
• Swelling.
• Discomfort and unpleasant heaviness in the stomach.
• Intestinal colic.
• Abnormal stool.
• Periodic nausea.

The above symptoms do not necessarily appear at the same time. As a rule, abdominal distension is accompanied by one or two of them.

Often, bloating can contribute to abdominal swelling. In this case, you need to visit a doctor who will prescribe a course of necessary medications.

Self-treatment

Since bloating and abdominal discomfort are often associated with an unbalanced and unhealthy diet, in order to get rid of them, you must first normalize your daily diet:

1. Avoid overeating.
2. Reduce consumption of fatty and high-calorie foods. The fact is that it takes much longer to digest fats than to process carbohydrates or proteins. As a result, the stomach remains full for a longer period of time.
3. Eat more slowly, as fast food intake is accompanied by excessive swallowing of air.
4. Reduce the consumption of foods that contribute to the fermentation process in the body. Such products include potatoes, legumes, brown bread and baked goods.
5. Do not take fruits with other foods. They should be consumed 2 hours after a meal or 1 hour before a meal.
6. Milk should be replaced with fermented milk products.

The most common treatment for bloating is taking activated charcoal, which can be purchased without a prescription at any pharmacy. It should be taken 1 g three times a day.

Physical exercises that help normalize intestinal functions have a good effect. These include squats and leg raises. Exercises are best done in the morning. Swimming, jogging and race walking are also recommended.

If normalizing your diet and exercise do not give the desired results, you can buy medications at the pharmacy that contain alpha-D-galactosidase. This is a special enzyme that helps break down indigestible sugars found in vegetables, fruits and grains. Such drugs are sold without a prescription in the form of tablets and capsules.

Eat a diet high in fiber intake

If your stomach occasionally hurts, take a look at your daily diet. As mentioned above, drink more water. Next, make sure you consume enough fiber - it reduces the time food spends in the gastrointestinal tract of your stomach, thereby speeding up metabolism and the digestion process.

If your stomach is not working on a constant flow, then the food accumulated in it can cause pain. Eat foods high in fiber to help your stomach digest food faster - nuts, citrus fruits, vegetables. This advice will also help if you suffer from constipation or diarrhea. Eating fiber will help you regulate your digestive system properly.

Diagnosis and treatment by an experienced doctor

If bloating and abdominal discomfort are associated with a serious illness, you should not self-medicate. The fact is that eliminating symptoms cannot get rid of the disease itself that caused their appearance.

The doctor will conduct an external examination and interview the patient, which will allow him to determine further actions.

The cause of discomfort and heaviness in the stomach can be determined by palpation. The doctor carefully feels first the left side of the abdomen, and then the right, where the vital organs are located. If any seals are detected, you should pay attention to the following points:

• Nature of formation: cystic or dense.
• Shape: smooth or uneven edges.
• Mobility of the formation during breathing.
• The presence of painful sensations when palpating.

Listening to the intestines provides detailed information:

• The presence of high-pitched whistling sounds may indicate an early stage of intestinal obstruction.
• A dull, fluctuating noise indicates fluid accumulation in the intestines.

Rectal palpation provides detailed information about the condition of the intestines. The doctor feels the rectum, as well as the organs and tissues of the pelvis. Thanks to this, it is possible to identify the development of an infectious disease and detect neoplasms.

To determine the cause of flatulence, a qualified doctor can also refer the patient for diagnosis and examination. One of the main instrumental diagnostic methods used in examining the intestines is x-ray.

X-ray examinations are carried out in two positions: lying and standing. Thanks to them, purulent inflammations, colitis and hepatoma can be detected in time.

Often, during the diagnostic process, the doctor gives the patient a referral for ultrasound and computed tomography. These are one of the most informative methods that provide a detailed clinical picture of the condition of the internal organs.

Fortunately, abdominal distension and discomfort are rarely caused by any serious medical condition. In most cases, to eliminate symptoms, you just need to normalize your diet.

Diagnostic procedures

To eliminate bloating, heaviness in the abdomen, as well as sensations of pain and fullness in the stomach, it is necessary to first conduct a series of diagnostic studies for the presence of pathological factors in the development of such discomfort. To do this you will need:

• draw blood/urine for laboratory testing;
• do stool tests for the presence of worm/protozoan eggs;
• conduct biochemical studies;
• carry out a coprogram (examine feces physically, chemically, microscopically);
• conduct ultrasound examinations in the following areas: gallbladder, liver, pancreas;
• conduct a computed tomography scan;
• examine the gastrointestinal tract using functional imaging (scintigraphy);
• do a stool test to detect occult blood;
• conduct an X-ray examination of the gallbladder and ducts called cholegraphy;
• determine the presence of Helicobacter;
• carry out probing to collect gastric juice for the purpose of examining it;
• examine the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract by biopsy;
• conduct fibroesophagogastroduodenoscopy (FEGDS) of the upper gastrointestinal tract;
• perform laparoscopy as a surgical method without using a large incision for diagnostic purposes.

Before prescribing any diagnostic method, the doctor first of all interviews the patient and examines him using palpation (feeling)/auscultation (listening to sounds).

Self-diagnosis

If excessive gas formation and bloating are not accompanied by pain, you can independently carry out the following steps to determine the causes of these phenomena:

• Lie on your stomach and relax your muscles.
• Place your palms in the area where the discomfort is located.
• Feel the abdomen, while listening to the sensations that arise.
• Pay attention to the presence of swelling, its asymmetry and expansion under the ribs.
• In addition, you need to pay attention to what you ate before your stomach began to swell.

If during self-examination and palpation you feel lumps, you should immediately consult a doctor. These may be metastases formed as a result of the development of a cancerous tumor.

Prevention of flatulence

The main cause of bloating is poor diet.

If flatulence is observed regularly, the patient experiences pain, nausea and other alarming symptoms, you should contact a specialist to determine the cause of the pathology.

Experts give the following recommendations for preventing increased gas formation:

• When eating, dishes should be chewed thoroughly, generously moistening the ingredients with saliva, this way you can facilitate the process of digesting food in the stomach;
• after eating, you can take a walk in the fresh air, without making sudden movements, this stimulates the production of enzymes and activates intestinal motility, this method is effective for losing weight, since it does not allow you to sit at the table and eat an extra portion;
• herbal teas and infusions improve well-being, strengthen the body's defenses, speed up metabolism, preventing the formation of gases inside the abdomen;
• eat only warm foods.

Flatulence can be prevented by special exercises. A small set of exercises will help prevent bloating:

1. Lie on a horizontal hard surface, bend your knees, place your feet flat on the floor. Use your fingers to make circular movements clockwise, retreating 7 - 10 cm from the navel. If necessary, you can apply a little force during movement.
2. Remaining in a horizontal position, press with two fingers on a point located 5 cm below the navel. Pressure cannot last more than 5 seconds.
3. Tension and relaxation of the abdominal muscles activates intestinal peristalsis, promoting the natural release of gases.

You should be careful when performing this exercise, as prolonged muscle tension may cause you to become dizzy.

Changing your diet will help get rid of symptoms such as bloating.

Eating lean meat and fish, boiled and baked vegetables, and steamed dishes will not only relieve the unpleasant symptom, but also promote weight loss and improve the general condition of the body.

Fried, fatty and spicy foods, fast food, confectionery and baked goods must be avoided. In addition, alcohol is completely excluded from consumption.

It should be remembered that bloating can be a symptom of a serious pathology.

Therefore, if flatulence is observed regularly, it is necessary to undergo a full examination to establish the cause of increased gas formation.

Only a qualified doctor can prescribe treatment.

Proper nutrition and an active lifestyle will help avoid the appearance of unpleasant symptoms.

Since one of the causes of flatulence is the activity of helminths, bacteria and viruses, compliance with the rules of personal hygiene remains an important point.