A large number of people know about such a problem as bloating observed after eating. Most often, a similar symptom is observed in pregnant women or in someone who has already crossed the 30-year threshold. Why does the stomach swell after eating? As a rule, this happens after a festive feast or the use of incompatible products. But sometimes this phenomenon is a symptom of a disease.
Let's try to figure out why the stomach is bloating after eating, and how to get rid of this unpleasant phenomenon.
Main symptoms
A very unpleasant, but at the same time widespread phenomenon, in which, after eating, the stomach swells, in a scientific language is called "flatulence." By it is meant the accumulation and retention of gases in the intestinal region. A similar process is the reason for a person's feeling of fullness of the abdomen with a simultaneous increase in its size. At the same time, one can often observe rumbling, accompanied by passages of flutulence - the pathological release of formed digestive gases. Sometimes a person begins to complain of aching dull pain, the localization of which is difficult to determine. Sometimes such uncomfortable sensations are cramping in nature, calming down after the act of defecation or the process of discharge of gases.
An unpleasant increase in the abdomen in size occurs with severe flatulence. In such cases, there is a violation of the separation of gases. There is an alternation of delays and gas evolution, which is accompanied by an unpleasant odor due to the presence of impurities of indole, skatol and hydrogen sulfide.
In cases where the cause of a bloated abdomen is a violation of the digestive tract, a person complains of nausea and burping air, an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth, diarrhea or constipation, as well as a decrease in appetite. There are disturbances from the nervous system. A person suffers from insomnia, becomes irritable and broken, loses working capacity. Extraintestinal symptoms may occur. This is a burning sensation in the esophagus, tachycardia, as well as pain in the heart with impaired rhythm.
Often bloating occurs in newborns, as well as in children up to a year of life. Its manifestation is intestinal colic. During feeding, the baby is nervous, and after a short period of time after it begins to scream and squeeze the legs to the stomach.
Development mechanism
Gases in the intestines are always present. And this is a physiological norm for the human body. The formation of gases is facilitated by air, which penetrates the digestive tract at the same time as food. A certain amount of gas is released during the digestion of products. They also form when natural bicarbonates act on gastric and pancreatic juice in order to neutralize the latter. A small percentage of gases enter the bloodstream from the intestines.
However, a deviation from the norm is also possible. In this case, gas begins to accumulate in the stomach or intestines. Outwardly, it becomes like a foam of bubbles, covered with a thin layer of fairly viscous mucus. Due to the fact that the intestinal walls are abundantly covered with such a foam, it becomes difficult to break down food, digest it, and also absorb nutrients into the blood.
Consider the main causes of such a condition in which the stomach swells after eating.
Poor nutrition
Why does the stomach swell after eating? In many cases, the onset of this symptom contributes to malnutrition. It is possible that a person has consumed too much food or included certain foods in his diet that caused flatulence. If the stomach is bloating after eating, what should I do? If you want to eat a lot, go to a fractional meal. This will fix the problem. In addition, it will be necessary to eliminate foods that enhance gas formation from the diet. Their list includes those whose composition is characterized by an abundance of fiber. Because of this, gases are formed in the body. Carbohydrates, once in the digestive system, are very easily absorbed by it. In this case, the body starts the fermentation process. It becomes the cause of increased volumes of the abdomen and heaviness in the stomach. That is why beans and apples, eggs and brown bread, kvass, and cabbage should be consumed less.
What makes the stomach bloat after eating? The causes of this exogenous symptom are quite an impressive list, and listing all of them is quite difficult. Consider only the most common of them:
- Inclusion in the menu of products which are badly combined with each other. When they enter the digestive system, they begin to negatively affect the activity of intestinal bacteria. The result of this is the occurrence of bloating.
- Carbonated drinks. When used, an artificial increase in the volume of carbon dioxide occurs. The number of bubbles at the same time contributes to an increase in its concentration, which is several times higher than normal. As a result, a person who has consumed such a drink begins to swell his stomach.
- The use of soda as a means to eliminate heartburn. When sodium bicarbonate reacts with the acid in the stomach, a chemical reaction occurs. It leads to the formation of a large volume of carbon dioxide, which contributes to the formation of a swollen abdomen.
- Overeating before bedtime. At night, the human body rests, and its digestion process slows down. A plentiful meal before going to bed leads to the appearance of large pieces in the intestine. This becomes the cause of yeast or putrefactive fermentation. As a result of such processes, flatulence develops and the stomach swells.
- The presence in the diet of fatty foods in large quantities. Addiction to such dishes negatively affects the body. They slow down the process of digesting food, and also increase the load on organs such as the pancreas and liver. Why does the stomach swell after eating? It is not the gases when eating fatty foods that cause this symptom, but the difficulty in the digestion process.
- Diet. Complaints about the fact that the stomach was greatly inflated after eating can also be heard from the person who dramatically changed his diet. This happens, as a rule, when switching to plant products. Especially strong change in diet affects digestion when you include only raw food in the menu.
- Talking with food. Conducting a conversation while eating leads to swallowing excess air.
- Violation of diet. The body does not digest food well if it is taken at different times. An increase in the size of the abdomen at the same time causes insufficient hydrochloric acid secretion, as well as digestive enzymes necessary for the normal functioning of the digestive tract.
Pathological causes
And if you constantly inflate your stomach after eating, regardless of the foods you eat? In this case, the cause of this is not food at all, but the presence of a disease. Consider the most common of them.
IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome
The presence of this problem often becomes the reason that a person bloats his stomach after eating. Based on the most approximate estimates of specialists, almost 15% of the population of European countries suffer from TFR, and in total for about three months during the year. This ailment is observed mainly in people aged 25 to 40 years, who experience significant emotional stress and are often subjected to stress. If the stomach swells after eating, the causes may be exacerbations of IBS, provoked by an irregular and erratic diet, which is dominated by spicy and fatty foods, as well as products that promote gas formation.
Also, this syndrome sometimes indicates the presence of serious pathologies in the body. Among them:
- benign and malignant tumors;
- ulcerative colitis;
- hormonal disruptions;
- diabetes;
- intestinal infections, which resulted in dysbiosis.
In the presence of TFR, the patient complains of indigestion and nausea, dyspepsia and abdominal pain, bloating and the appearance of belching with air. A similar condition complicates diarrhea or constipation. You can fix it with proper nutrition.
Constipation
Why is my stomach constantly bloating after eating? The causes of this condition are often constipation. They are caused by atony, radiculitis, colitis, inflammation in the sciatic nerve, enterocolitis, pathologies of the pancreas and liver, malnutrition and emotional overload.
In this condition, it becomes very difficult to empty the intestines. It holds up a lot of feces, which for a long time continue to be processed by the body. This leads to the formation of an excessive volume of gas, which contributes to the fact that the stomach swells after eating. Methods of treating such a condition in such cases are to eliminate constipation. If the intestines begin to empty in a timely manner, bloating will not bother a person.
Lactose intolerance
Why does a stomach bloat after eating? One of the reasons for this condition is the inability of the body to digest lactose (sugar) found in dairy products. This happens due to the lack of a certain enzyme - lactase, which serves to digest this carbohydrate.
In addition to bloating, a person experiences cramps, nausea, and diarrhea. If, for this reason, the stomach swells after eating, then the treatment will consist in eating a limited amount of dairy products. There will be no uncomfortable conditions.
Pancreatitis
With this disease, a mild inflammatory process occurs, gradually destroying the pancreas. This ailment arises as a result of gastrointestinal tract pathologies, including enteritis, cholecystitis and gastritis, as well as against the background of congenital anomalies of the biliary tract.
A recurrence of chronic pancreatitis is accompanied by acute pain in the right hypochondrium. In addition, in the abdominal region above the navel, colic occurs that spread to the neck, shoulder blade, right shoulder and back. Symptoms of pancreatitis are also dyspeptic disorders, which are expressed in the form of bloating, rumbling, belching and nausea. Often with this disease, the patient complains of loose stools, which provokes a lack of digestive enzymes produced by the body to digest carbohydrates, proteins and fats. That is why exacerbation of pancreatitis is observed after eating fatty and fried foods, as well as smoked foods in combination with alcoholic beverages.
The cause of increased gas production as a result of exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis may also be stress. The occurrence of uncomfortable conditions is the inclusion of unwanted products in the menu. They are considered as such if they have a pronounced bitter or sour taste. By this criterion, some varieties of apples, cherries, radishes, onions, garlic, seasonings, etc. can be included in this list.
What can be done if, for these reasons, the stomach swells after eating? Both treatment and the use of specific drugs should be advised by a specialist. But to minimize the likelihood of an exacerbation of the disease, you will need to follow a diet that provides for the inclusion in the diet of foods with a high content of easily digestible protein, minerals and vitamins, as well as limiting the use of fats. In addition, the patient will need to review his diet. He needs to eat food often and in small volumes, adhering to the same time.
There is a list of such products that are not allowed for pancreatitis. Among them:
- Alcohol. Alcohol-containing drinks contribute to the occurrence of a spasm of the excretory ducts of the pancreas, which causes malfunctions in its functioning.
- Sour foods. Their use increases the secretion of digestive enzymes of the pancreas.
Patients with pancreatitis are not allowed carbonated drinks, as well as liquids with caffeine. Not recommended are products in which coarse plant fiber is present (turnip, radish, cabbage). At the time of exacerbation of pancreatitis, the patient will have to refrain from consuming milk and salt, pure sugar, jam and honey. And those who do not want to get sick should give up smoking, which increases the risk of developing pancreatic pathology by 2-3 times.
Gastritis
Digestion is often observed in case of inflammation of the gastric mucosa. The fact is that it is quite difficult for a sick organ to fully digest the food that enters it. As a result, unprocessed food passes into the intestines. This contributes to the development of decomposition and fermentation processes. They are causes causing pathology.
Inflates the stomach after eating and does not exhaust gas - these are the complaints that can be heard from patients suffering from gastritis. To prevent this condition, they are advised to take food fractionally and use in their diet only those products that are easily absorbed by the body and at the same time do not contribute to irritation of the gastric mucosa. All food should be boiled and well chopped. The dishes served on the table must not be cold or hot. Subject to these rules, gastritis will pass faster.
Gallstones
With small sizes, these formations are not able to cause any discomfort. However, large enough gallstones block the ducts, causing fever, jaundice, abdominal pain and bloating. What to do in this situation? If it is for this reason that the stomach swells after eating, there are not so many ways to eliminate the pathology. Surgery is required to remove the gallbladder. During the rehabilitation period, the body must be given the opportunity to adapt to new conditions. For this, the patient should switch to dietary food, excluding spicy and fatty foods from the diet.
Stones in the kidneys
The presence of stones in the urinary tract contributes to the appearance of severe pain in the lower back and side. The nature of the discomfort in this case is undulating. Urine in the presence of kidney stones becomes cloudy, brown or pink. She smells bad. Symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, chills, fever, and bloating occur.
It should be borne in mind that the presence of kidney stones causes a constant threat to the development of inflammatory processes, because sand, passing through the ureters, scratches them.
What should I do if, for these reasons, my stomach swells after eating? Treatment for this case should be prescribed by a doctor. Drug therapy includes taking drugs that dissolve stones. At the same time, the patient is prescribed and funds that have emollient, reparative, as well as enveloping properties, which will prevent the development of the inflammatory process. You will also need to comply with the drinking regime, which involves the use of water in a volume of at least two liters throughout the day.
Parasite
The presence of worms in the digestive tract has a negative effect on the digestive process. The worms located in the intestines form a large lump. It makes it difficult to empty it. The result of the accumulation of a large amount of feces is bloating.
Additional symptoms of the presence of parasites in the digestive tract are:
- nausea;
- periodic vomiting;
- uneven increase in the size of the abdomen;
- irritability;
- lack or increase in appetite;
- constipation, and with severe intoxication - diarrhea.
Elimination of the causes of this pathological condition requires the use of antiparasitic drugs.
Pregnancy
During this period, many transformations take place in the body of the expectant mother. One of them is an increase in the abdomen. In the early stages, it is not caused by weight gain, but by hormonal changes. Moreover, this process, if it proceeds normally, is not accompanied by uncomfortable sensations.
During pregnancy, the body produces increased production of the hormone progesterone. It is necessary to prepare the mammary glands for feeding and embryo growth. In the first trimester, this hormone has a relaxing effect on the smooth muscles of the intestines. Digestion slows down somewhat. Because of this, the stomach bloats after eating during pregnancy. After all, food remains in the digestive tract longer than it should, which enhances gas formation.
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What to do if a pregnant woman, for physiological reasons, inflates her stomach after eating? Ways to eliminate bloating and completely rid a woman of such an uncomfortable state include, among other things, circular massage of the abdomen, which must be performed clockwise. It is recommended in the early stages. In addition, you will need to adjust the diet.
As an effective home remedy, traditional medicine advises taking one or two drops of caraway seeds with sugar while eating. Combined with fried potatoes, it will become an excellent defoamer. With the help of cumin, cramps are relieved and pain symptoms are eliminated.