Even in healthy people, digestion problems sometimes occur. For example, such a trouble as bloating, can be an unpleasant consequence of malnutrition or overeating. But in newborns, increased gas production is a normal phenomenon.
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Bloating, what is it and why does it occur?
Abdominal bloating is caused by excessive stretching of the abdominal cavity due to excessive accumulation in the intestine of gases, food masses and fluids. A simple example is the rapid consumption of large quantities of beer.
Because of the accumulation of dense masses or gases, a person experiences a feeling of heaviness, raspiraniya in the stomach, sometimes - pain and carvings in the stomach, and also suffers from hiccoughs, belching or heartburn.
Inflammation in newborn babies
Everyone who has small children has heard about intestinal colic in newborns. Due to imperfections in the intestine and transient dysbiosis, newborns hardly digest and absorb even breast milk if the nursing mother does not follow the diet.
The accumulation of gases and cramping pains in infants occur frequently due to the small volume of the abdominal cavity and insufficient active digestion of food. Such colic in the age of 0 to 3-6 months is considered physiological and does not require treatment, and to save the baby from them you need to carefully monitor its diet:
Breastfeeding mother must exclude from her nutrition any "harmful" foods, and with artificial feeding -carefully choose a mixture.
Another cause of increased gas production in infants is the ingestion of air when sucking, if the child does not take the breast or bottle correctly, cries and distracts during feeding, the likelihood that, together with food, gases will enter the stomach, which will then cause bloating andintestinal colic.
To avoid such trouble, pediatricians recommend that after each feeding, wear the child vertically - "a bar", stroking the back, until the gases come out in the form of eructations.
Abdominal bloating in pregnant women
The accumulation of gases and bloating often occur during the bearing of the baby.
Hormonal changes in the first half of pregnancy and the pressure of the growing uterus in the second, disrupt the digestive process, and pregnant women suffer from increased gas formation, heartburn, belching or constipation.
The only way to ease the condition of a woman during this period is a fractional diet, diet compliance, and the rejection of products that cause increased gas production.
The abdomen is swollen after eating
If the feeling of heaviness and the feeling of "bloating" of the abdomen arose soon after eating, then most likely, it is to blame for the food eaten.
Increased gas formation can cause legumes, some vegetables and fruits, whole grains, canned juices and drinks, carbonated drinks and much more.
Also, abdominal distension is characteristic of people who like to talk over food - they swallow too much air together with food, and it does not have time to leave the intestine in a natural way.
Excessive consumption of whole milk or dairy products can also cause digestive disturbances, this is due to age-related changes in the enzyme system: the production of lactose, necessary for the cleavage of cow's milk protein, decreases, and the body simply can not digest it.
All the above causes of bloating are not pathological, they occur periodically, are not accompanied by strong pain or other symptoms of dyspepsia: nausea, vomiting or dilution of the stool. Such swelling of the abdomen passes by itself and the patient immediately feels relieved when emptying the intestine. If this does not happen and the abdomen remains swollen for several days or more, the cause of swelling may be various diseases.
Bloating as a symptom of other ailments
Bloating is a pathological condition that often is one of the symptoms of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or internal organs.
Diseases of the digestive system
Most commonly, bloating, flatulence, nausea and abdominal pain appear due to inflammatory diseases of the digestive system: enteritis, colitis, cholecystitis or pancreatitis:
| No. | Disease | Explanations |
| 1 | Pancreatitis | Inflammation of the pancreas leads toreducing the secretion of digestive enzymes, because of this, the food is not completely digested and the patient has a feeling of heaviness, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting after any meal, especially after eating fats or fried foods or alcohol. |
| 2 | Enteritis or colitis | Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the small or large intestine may be due to an infectious disease or other causes. In this case, food falling into the intestines, even more irritating the inflamed mucosa, and digestion and absorption of food is very difficult. In a patient, in addition to bloating and pain in the intestines, there is also a disorder of the stool and discharge of blood and mucus from the rectum. |
| 3 | Irritable Bowel Syndrome | This disease has not yet been fully understood and the causes of its occurrence are unknown. Because of the increased sensitivity of nerve endings in the intestinal mucosa, passage of the food lump causes irritation, which leads to spasms and food retardation. Fecal masses and gases accumulate in the intestine, there is a feeling of heaviness, bursting, which does not go away even after the bowel has been emptied. |
| 4 | Appendicitis | Sudden abdominal bloating, accompanied by severe pain in the right upper quadrant, nausea, vomiting and fever, may be a symptom of inflammation of the appendix. In this case, the patient, in addition to the above features, there is a tension in the muscles of the abdomen and soreness in palpation in the appendix area - on the right side of the abdomen, just above the pelvic bones. |
| 5 | Tumors or ulcers in the intestine | Constantly swollen abdomen, severe local soreness, general deterioration of the body and impurities of blood and mucus in the stool indicate a serious pathological process in the body. If the patient also has weakness, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or bleeding from the rectum, seek medical help as soon as possible. |
Intestinal obstruction
Disturbance of the content movement through the intestine can occur due to various reasons, but any intestinal obstruction is accompanied by abdominal pain, swelling and lack of stool or difficulty.
| No. | Disease | Explanations |
| 1 | Intestinal lumen obstruction by foreign body | In young children, intestinal obstruction can develop due to food unsuitable for age, a poorly digested food lump obstructs the lumen of the intestine, and because of insufficiently active peristalsis, the intestine does notcan "push" it further. Sometimes intestinal obstruction arises from the ingress of a bundle of parasites - ascarids or tumors. |
| 2 | Intestinal loops compression | The intestinal loops can be pinched, twisted or squashed. Most often, this condition is due to the genetic characteristics of the body, malformations or postoperative complications, as a result not only the passage of food through the intestine is violated, but also the blood supply in a separate area, which causes very severe pain in the abdomen. |
| 3 | Dynamic obstruction of | Increasing or lowering the tone of the intestinal musculature can cause spasms or, conversely, complete paralysis of the intestine. With spasms, the lumen of the intestine is greatly narrowed and the food can not pass further, and in case of paralysis - the walls of the intestine expand, and a kind of "bag" is formed, filled with calves. Such abnormalities occur with a nerve-paralyzing disease, CNS lesions, poisoning with toxic substances or drugs, as well as with massive helminthic invasion - due to the release of parasites of a large number of paralytic toxins. |
With any intestinal obstruction, the patient's condition gradually worsens, bloating and pains are accompanied by nausea and vomiting with intestinal contents( vomiting with the smell of stools), the abdomen greatly increases in volume, becomes hard, painful to the touch, the patient feels a strong weakness, it fallsblood pressure and heart rate.
Dysbacteriosis
Despite the fact that this diagnosis in our country is traditionally considered "childish" from the violation of normal intestinal microflora, many people of any age suffer.
The causes of dysbacteriosis most often become uncontrolled or prolonged use of antibiotics or a chronic disease of the digestive system.
When there is dysbacteriosis in the intestine, there are not enough useful bacteria to digest food, as a result, food stagnates, the decay and fermentation processes occur in the intestines, and the patient has a constant feeling of malaise, heaviness in the abdomen and increased fatigue.
In this disease, the main symptoms are mild. The patient's condition does not suffer much, but because of a shortage of nutrients and the ingress of a large number of toxins absorbed from the half-decomposed food in the intestine, he has a marked deterioration in immunity, weakness, decreased efficiency, headaches, frequent relapses of other diseases, skin rashesand problems with stools.
For young children suffering from dysbiosis, are characterized by permanent constipation, pale skin, frequent ARD, developmental lag and a sharp increase in the abdominal cavity - the belly always looks bloated.
Enzyme deficiency
This type of pathology usually occurs in childhood - the child does not have any enzyme responsible for the cleavage of a particular substance.
As a result, when eating this product, the patient has abdominal pain, swelling and increased gas production.
In adults, lactose intolerance is most often observed - a protein of cow's milk, which develops with age.
Diseases of other internal organs
Sometimes bloating does not occur because of an increase in the size of the intestine or the accumulation of gases in it, but because of the pathology of a number of located organs. So the disruption of the cardiovascular system or the liver causes the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity - ascites. Because of this, the stomach of the patient greatly increases in size, it has "abdominal dropsy", the pressure inside the abdominal cavity increases, shortness of breath, heartburn and quickening of breathing.
Local soreness and abdominal enlargement in a particular area may occur due to a tumor or inflammation of the liver, spleen or ovaries. In this case, there are no other signs of digestion: increased gas production, stool, heartburn, nausea, and bloating does not depend on food intake.
Bloating: How to cope at home
If bloating occurs periodically and does not cause any particular anxiety, you can cope with it yourself - changing your lifestyle and diet.
| No. | What to do | Explanations |
| 1 | Proper nutrition | You can get rid of bloating with diet and good nutrition. If the abdomen is swollen after eating, you should try to refrain from eating that day and arrange a discharge of the stomach for the next day: drink as much liquid and eat only digestible meals in minimum quantities. After this, switch to the right food - eat at least 4 times a day, in small portions, avoiding fatty, fried foods, canned foods, carbonated drinks and sweets. And to improve digestion and the work of the intestine, you need to try to eat as much as possible fruits and vegetables - a source of fiber and nutrients. |
| 2 | Power mode | There is need at a specific time, in a relaxed atmosphere and slowly. Perhaps this will require getting up earlier or taking breaks in work, but there is no other way to cope with digestive problems. It is also very important to eat a full breakfast, and other meals to spend in silence - without a TV or computer. |
| 3 | Physical activity | In order for the intestines to digest food properly, physical activity is necessary, the more time you spend without movement, the higher the risk of developing dynamic intestinal obstruction. |
| 4 | Admission of sorbents | It is possible to cope with flatulence and pain in the intestines with the help of ordinary activated charcoal, it is enough to take several tablets( from 5 to 10, at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight), previously shredded, with a small amount of water and after a fewhours will come with relief. You can also drink smecta, espumizan, gastal and other similar preparations. |
Such popular recipes help to cope with bloating:
- dill water - 1 tablespoon of dry dill seeds pour 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 1-2 hours, strain and take 1/4 cup 2-3 times a day;
- decoction of parsley - 20 grams of the fruit of the plant pour 1 glass of warm water, hold for about 30 minutes, cool. Strain and consume 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day;
- decoction of wormwood - 1 teaspoon dried herbs pour 1 cup boiling water, insist 30 minutes, strain, cool and take 1 tablespoon 3 times daily before meals.
Bloating is not a disease, but only a symptom of a disease, so to get rid of the problem forever, you need to find its cause, and this can not be done without the help of a specialist.
Article Source: edition of the website publication http: //onwomen.ru/ vzdutie-zhivota.html
