Bloating Sucks, and These Tips for Relief Can Help
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Bloating and uncomfortable belly distention are two of the most commonly reported symptoms to gastrointestinal doctors, according to the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Bloating encompasses a variety of inconvenient feelings, including trapped gas, abdominal pressure, and a feeling of fullness, whereas distention is an increase in abdominal protrusion. The two often co-exist, and unfortunately, no one treatment has been universally, consistently successful. So, if you’re looking to specifically get rid of bloating (which doesn’t always mean getting rid of gas), it’s going to require some trial-and-error that considers your lifestyle, health, and diet. With that being said, there are some tried-and-true remedies worth giving a shot when the post-meal balloon feeling hits.
How to get rid of bloating
Become aware of, and avoid, trigger foods
“Oftentimes people can avoid most problems by decreasing or eliminating one or two foods or ingredients,” says Erin Hendriks M.D., board-certified physician and functional medicine practitioner at Salvo Health. Keeping a food journal and documenting how you feel after meals may help you identify what makes you feel gross. A 2020 study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, for example, found that a high salt and high fiber diet increased risk of bloating in both men and women.
Move around
Moving keeps things, well, moving. “Try getting some gentle movement such as going for a walk or yoga,” says Hendriks. Exercise can help trapped gas release, and a 2021 study on 94 individuals confirmed this.
Drink peppermint tea or pop a peppermint capsule
“Peppermint, whether taken as an enteric coated capsule or as a tea, can be used as needed and works very well to relieve abdominal cramping and bloating,” says Hendriks. A meta-review and analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology found it to specifically be helpful in treating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), bloating included.
Eat smaller portions, slower
If you tend to swallow a lot of air while eating (which is more likely if you eat fast), it may cause abdominal distention and feelings of bloating, also known as aerophagia. While burping is usually what clears that excess air, slowing down bites may help keep it all from happening in the first place.
Implement a probiotic
Probiotics are microorganisms that help keep your gut microbiome healthy and balanced, keeping you regular and ideally, less bloated. In a 2018 systematic review on probiotics as management of lower gastrointestinal symptoms, they were found to help reduce bloating and distention, and improve bowel movement frequency.
Increase your fiber and water intake
Bloating is a symptom of constipation, in which case lots of water and fiber are necessary to push food through your GI tract. (Yes, too much fiber can make you gassy, as previously mentioned research shows, but your body needs enough to keep you regular.)
Reduce gluten
Those with a gluten intolerance, and more severely, celiac disease, often experience bloating after eating it, per the Cleveland Clinic. That makes gluten a crucial ingredient to pay attention to in monitoring trigger foods, and it may be worth reducing in your diet as you try to find what works for you.
Try gas medicine
In a pinch, gas medication like Gas-X can help relieve pressure and release pent-up gas with a main ingredient called simethicone, which encourages tiny gas bubbles to merge together so you can expel them easier and find relief.
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