Causes
There are many causes of bloating, including: diet, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, reflux, and constipation, to name a few.
Specific medical conditions like Crohn's Disease or bowel obstruction can also contribute to the amount of stomach bloating experienced.
Gas and bloating is a sign that food is not being digested correctly by the body. An inadequate intake of water will cause excessive stomach bloating. Water benefits the body by aiding with digestion because it supports a majority of the body's daily functions. Fatty foods cause a formation of fat cells to develop throughout the body and contribute to bloating as well. A build up of fat cells slows down the body's ability to empty the stomach. Dairy products also contribute to excessive cramps, gas, and bloating. Persons who are intolerant to lactose products experience this effect more than others. Once these foods are digested, the bloating will fade.
Common causes of abdominal bloating are:
- Overeating
- Gastric distension
- Lactose intolerance, fructose intolerance and other food intolerances
- Food allergy
- Aerophagia (air swallowing, a nervous habit)
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Partial bowel obstruction
- Gastric dumping syndrome or rapid gastric emptying
- Gas-producing foods
- Constipation
- Visceral fat
- Splenic-flexure syndrome
- Menstruation, dysmenorrhea
- Polycystic ovary syndrome and ovarian cysts
- Alvarez' syndrome, hysterical or neurotic abdominal bloating without excess of gas in the digestive tract
- Massive infestation with intestinal parasites, such as worms (e.g., Ascaris lumbricoides)
- Diverticulosis
- Celiac Disease
- Certain Medications such as Phentermine
- Occurs in some due to Salivary hypersecretion and dehydration.
- Intestinal worms.
Important, but uncommon causes of abdominal bloating, include large intra-abdominal tumors, such as those arising from ovarian, liver, uterus and stomach cancer; and megacolon, an abnormal dilation of the colon, due to some diseases, such as Chagas disease, a parasitic infection. Gaseous bloating may be a consequence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures, due to the artificial mouth-to-mouth insufflation of air. In some animals, like cats, dogs and cattle, gastric dilatation-volvulus, or bloat also occurs when gas is trapped inside the stomach and a gastric torsion or volvulus prevents it from escaping.
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