It's not all about the food baby.
If you were one of the many people who took one look at last week and could totally relate, then you might want to read the below.
Because - while we're all acutely aware that it's largely that causes bloating - we chatted to Dr Ayesha Akbar, Consultant Gastroenterologist at , to
see if there are any other reasons many of us end up looking like we're
sporting a five-months-pregnant belly at the end of a day.
And it turns out, there are...
1. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
"Inflammatory
Bowel Disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gut, and
includes Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis," explains Dr Akbar. If
you've noticed symptoms such as diarrhoea, blood in the stool, tummy
pains or weight loss, it could be due to IBD, so it's worth going to get
this checked out. IBD it can cause bloating, too, thanks to scarring
tissue caused by previous surgery and gas trapped in your bowels.
Hey, nobody said this was going to be glamorous.
2. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
"Our
digestive systems are made up of a complicated system of nerves,"
explains Dr Akbar. "IBS is caused by a loss of coordination within this
system and the way the bowel works." While IBS sufferers have
nothing structurally wrong (it all looks ok down there), they
have something functionally wrong. Like "constipation and/or diarrhoea, bloating and abdominal pain," says our medical expert.
3. Dehydration
We're
always told to drink our two litres daily but who knew it could ward
off the bloat, too? "Drinking lots of water can potentially reduce the
likelihood of bloating because dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
can halt digestion," explains Dr Akbar. She goes on: "When your body
attempts to counter-balance the effects of being dehydrated, it holds on
to excess water." Cue: a big round belly.
4. Lack of Sleep
It
turns out not getting enough kip at night doesn't just make us grumpy
the next day, but it can play havoc with our digestive systems,
too."With lack of sleep, our bodies release a stress hormone called
cortisol," says Dr Akbar. "Cortisol can disturb our digestive system to
cause things like bloating and constipation." Nice. Real nice.
5. Hormonal changes
"Premenstrual
syndrome (PMS) can lead to a bloated stomach, as it makes you prone to
constipation and fluid retention," notes Dr Akbar. But it can occur at
any stage before, during, or after the menstrual cycle, and for some
women it doesn't have an effect at all. "In the early days of a women's
cycle, oestrogen levels rise while the uterine lining thickens. This can
lead to bloating, which can become stronger as ovulation occurs and
more fluids and blood build up. Usually, the bloating goes away when the
excess fluid and blood is shed when the woman has her period," explains
the St Marks' medical expert.
6. Food Allergies or Sensitivities
Food
allergies, sensitives or intolerances can lead to bloating; the problem
is, it's just so damn hard to detect which foods are causing the
problem. But as a heads up, "the two most common forms of food that lead
to bloating are dairy products and foods containing gluten," says Dr
Akbar. "Even people who are not officially diagnosed as being 'gluten
allergic' (coeliac disease) can often experience sensitivity to these
foods and can experience constipation and bloating." And she also notes
that other foods which frequently induce a bout of the bloat are apples
and avocados, so you might have to bump those down your list of
favourite foods.
7. Constipation
"Constipation
may be the most obvious reason as to why you have a bloated stomach,"
notes Dr Akbar. "Constipation can lead to stool remaining in the
intestines, therefore giving you a hard-feeling stomach, pain,
discomfort and gas." Lovely stuff. But why do we become constipated in
the first place? It could be with eating too little fibre, not drinking
enough water, a lack of physical exercise, side effects of medication,
or stress-related, explains the doctor.
8. Eating Too Fast
Raise
your hand if you're guilty of THIS when you've got a delicious plate of
food in front of you. "If we eat too quickly, it is possible that we
inhale a lot of air. Therefore, we end up with large volumes of
gas sitting in our stomach that can manifest as bloating," says Dr
Akbar. Who knew?
9. Stress
There's been extensive discussion around the link between IBS and stress, and it's all to do with how many nerves the guts contain. "The guts are very richly innervated, and stress can lead to a prolonged stimulation of the bowel. Even if not related to IBS, stress can put pressure on your stomach, leading to bloating," says Dr Akbar
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