Have you ever felt so inflated after a meal that you’d do just about anything to find relief? A swollen, bloated abdomen can make your whole body feel heavy and weigh down your mood. While there are many smart strategies for preventing bloating, sometimes it happens, and you just want to feel better fast.
What causes bloating?
You might have noticed that your midsection is blowing up more often. Among the reasons that bloating occurs, one important factor is age. “Seniors are predisposed to digestive issues due to diet, lack of activity and insufficient digestive enzymes,” explains Sherry Torkos, author of The Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. “Drugs that cause side effects of slowing gastric motility further exacerbate this,” she adds.
Uncomfortable bloat could come from several issues, or a combination of them, including a lack of fiber in your diet, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a food intolerance or small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or a serious condition such as colon cancer. Assuming you’ve gotten the clear from a colonoscopy — recommended starting at age 45 — it is likely that your symptoms come from constipation, one of the main reasons many people experience gas and bloating.
There are also many foods that can trigger bloating. Dairy products, broccoli, beans, lentils and other high-fiber foods, artificial sweeteners and carbonated drinks are just a few examples.
To learn about 11 ways to help relieve bloating, from AARP, CLICK HERE.
