Why an inflated belly in women: causes and possible diseases, as if inflated what is it, what does bloating look like?

Each of us at least once in our life faced the question: why a puffy belly? Sometimes this state of his is accompanied by the hardness of the peritoneum and painful sensations that make a comfortable existence impossible. And the rhythm of life of a modern person requires constant being in working order.

Draw conclusions about what disease develops inside the patient's body, based on only this single the symptom will not be taken by any doctor, however, without fail, he will be sent for further examination. In that material, we will try to figure out what an inflated stomach signals and where to go for help.

Bloating: general points

It must be said that the feeling of a distended belly is a phenomenon perceived by every person from the position of his subjective view. The nuances associated with this sensation can vary depending on many factors. However, a substantial number of patients, when describing their own state, reproduce the following:

• they feel fullness inside the abdomen;
• feel as if they were "puffed up" with air;
• experiencing cramps or unpleasant pressure.

Sometimes such a state is not fraught with danger, and is a single manifestation, which after some time passes on its own, or gradually fades away after taking the appropriate medical situation funds.

At the same time, bloating and hardening of the abdomen can be a signal from our digestive system, indicating the development of various pathological processes.

Sometimes, a feeling of a hard and full abdomen is manifested in a patient with the following problems:

• being overweight;
• psychological problems.

After gaining a few more pounds, these patients imagine that their abdomen is unnaturally full, but in fact it is just subcutaneous fat and a stomach full of food. In this case, a gastroenterologist (specialist in the digestive system) will not be able to provide the help that a person needs, and will be forced to send him to:

• a nutritionist to draw up the correct diet and diet;
• psychologist, to eliminate internal conditions that interfere with the process of losing weight.

In short, just listing the symptoms will not be enough to understand what kind of problem caused you to feel bloated. It is recommended to consult a doctor and undergo a series of various laboratory and instrumental examinations.

Video - Bloating: Causes and Treatment

Distended belly in healthy people

Unfortunately, even excellent health cannot protect you from walking with an inflated belly. This happens to each of us at least several times in our lives. The reason for this is the accumulation of gas inside the intestines.

This phenomenon was named as follows: flatulence. Excessively accumulated gases in the longest of our organs not only rush out randomly, but, being produced quite intensively, painfully press on the walls of the receptacle.

The reasons for the formation of flatulence can be very different. Let's take a look at some of them.

Rapid food intake or aerophagia. When a person has a small amount of time for a meal (for example, in the morning, being late for work), he tries to eat the food on the plate as quickly as fashionably. Simultaneously with the intense and frequent swallowing of food, it also captures air, which then the esophagus descends into the stomach, and eventually passes into the intestines, accumulating inside and causing an attack flatulence.

Drinking a lot of carbonated water Is another possible reason for getting painful swelling. The bubbles that tickle our mouth pleasantly while absorbing drinks help us create the illusion of removing thirst more effectively. It is in view of this circumstance that most people prefer to use artificially gassed water. Today it is difficult to find even still mineral water on store shelves, as people prefer a more effervescent version of the drink.

The following should be noted:

• the benefits of mineral water saturated with gases are several times lower than that of non-carbonated;
• all that huge amount of gases that filled the bottles, as it is absorbed, moves into your intestines, where it creates a real hurricane.

However, you don't have to worry. If the reason for your bloated belly really lies in the accumulation of excess air, you do not need to worry, because:

• part of it will come out along with belching through the esophagus;
• gases from the intestine will either gradually come out naturally, or will be absorbed into the intestinal walls;
• from such a swelling, an antifoam tablet quickly helps.

Another reason for the appearance of gases inside the intestines is their release during eating foods that cause fermentation. These include foods made up of coarse plant fiber, as well as other elements of our daily diet, for example:

• vegetables (such as cabbage);
• greens;
• Rye bread;
• potato;
• white flour products;
• legumes (beans, peas), etc.

In addition, a favorable environment for the formation and accumulation of natural gases is created by:

• alcoholic drinks;
• carbonated water (as we said above);
• sugar substitutes;
• sweets;
• other products.

The list of foods fermenting in the stomach is quite extensive. People suffering from irritable bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal diseases should be especially wary of their use. In addition, it affects the formation of gas after eating:

• individual sensitivity;
• food allergies.

If you do not suffer from diseases, are not allergic, and have no special relationship to any dishes or their individual components, we advise you to relax.

The next reason that can provoke the accumulation of gas inside the intestine, in a sense associated with diseases of the digestive system, resulting in heartburn. To extinguish excess acidity and get rid of discomfort, many people, instead of specialized medications, prefer to use "cocktails" of soda and water. This folk remedy helps really effectively, however, it quite aggressively affects the gastrointestinal tract, and at the same time forms gases in the intestines.

Distended belly for various diseases

It happens that increased gas production and bloating are the result of much more serious reasons than the banal use of the wrong products. In this section of the material, we present you the most common ones.

Reason # 1. If the organs that secrete enzymes are abnormal, bloating may develop. This phenomenon is called "fermentopathy". If it is present, the body is not able to properly process and assimilate the substances entering it. For example, this kind of enzyme deficiency is very common, in which it is difficult to separate lactose into its constituent elements:

• glucose;
• fructose.

The desired digestive extract is produced by the small intestine. If its work is disrupted, all dairy products that enter the human digestive system are not absorbed properly.

The milk sugar contained in them, without going through the stages of processing, is immediately sent to the large intestine, due to the local microflora of which it is processed. This is what causes the increased formation of gases in this case, as well as their painful pressure on the intestinal wall.

More often than not, people who are aware of their lactose-related fermentopathy try to avoid dairy products and dishes that contain them, because they know: a puffy belly for them provided.

Reason # 2. The second pathological condition in which a large amount of gases is produced in the body is an imbalance between:

• beneficial bacteria;
• harmful microorganisms.

It must be said that this is a temporary phenomenon that subsequently arises under the influence of various factors that served as a favorable reason for the growth of pathogenic microflora, for example:

• due to taking antibiotics;
• other drugs that negatively affect the intestines.

However, despite the fact that the sensations you will experience are not pleasant, be sure that the body will find the strength to recover on its own in a short time. Help him eat healthy and clean food, and soon forget about bloating.

Reason number 3. Pancreatitis is, unfortunately, a very often diagnosed disease today. The most dangerous process is hidden under the named term - inflammation of the human pancreas, producing digestive enzymes supplied to the small intestine for digestion food. Everything is logical here: a malfunction of the gland leads to a decrease in the activity of its secretion, which means that there are not enough enzymes to digest the incoming food. As a result, the undigested mass sinks further into the large intestine, where, as a result, it simply continues to rot, releasing, which is natural, gases.

You can cope with this disease:

• if you go to the hospital in time;
• start taking medications prescribed by your doctor;
• radically change the diet;
• develop a diet.

Until the underlying pathology is eliminated, attempts to eliminate the annoying symptom (bloating) will have only a short-term effect.

With pancreatitis, it is important to eat right. For examples of a daily diet, see our article.

Reason number 4. IBS, or irritable bowel symptom, is another factor that triggers bloating. This disease is accompanied by impaired intestinal motility, as a result of which a person:

• constantly feels pain in the abdomen;
• suffers from flatulence;
• experiences frequent dyspeptic disorders;
• feels frequent urge to defecate.

It is impossible to eliminate the desired pathology, as such, simply because the true nature of its occurrence has not yet been determined. It is believed that the reasons for the development of IBS are related to:

• with mental strain;
• constant physical fatigue.

It often happens that both of these phenomena are interrelated. So, for example, a person gets tired at work, exhausted completely, while receiving a small salary and does not receive satisfaction. As a result, enormous stress accumulates, which is reflected in the work of the longest organ of the body.

The treatment recommended for IBS is as follows:

• visiting a psychologist;
• rationing of loads;
• elimination of symptoms (pain, diarrhea or constipation, bloating, etc.) with medication.

Reason number 5. Bowel obstruction can also affect the build-up of gas. This pathological condition is usually caused by the following factors:

• fecal stopper;
• polyp;
• tumor, etc.

As a result of the accumulation of natural gas and feces to the intestines, which cannot escape, the stomach is noticeably inflated. If you do not remove the contents of the intestine in time, the most unpleasant consequences are possible, associated not only with the further accumulation of gas, but also:

• the formation of tumors (or proliferation, if any);
• general poisoning of the body;
• rupture of the intestine due to excessive fullness, etc.

The diseases listed above are far from the entire list of reasons as a result of which your belly can pout, however, they are the ones that most often bother patients who go to medical institutions for all over the world.

Who to contact for help

If bloating is a problem that bothers you quite often, you need to pull yourself together and go to a hospital for consultation with a doctor treating the gastrointestinal tract of the human body - gastroenterologist.

Based on your complaints, the doctor will make an assumption regarding your developing pathology, and will prescribe a series of examinations carried out in a laboratory and using medical equipment. Their list will include the following procedures:

• study of feces for microflora;
• analysis of biological fluids (bile, stomach acid);
• ultrasound examination of organs;
• a colonoscopy (looking at the intestines with an endoscope) may also be needed.

Whatever problem is identified, doctors will prescribe adequate treatment for it, and at the same time will help you:

• adjust the daily menu;
• build a meal regimen.

So, products that form gases or that have a negative effect on the intestines in a certain pathology will be excluded from the diet. Most likely, physical activity will also be recommended, thanks to which the body is strengthened and saturated with the energy necessary to combat the disease.

Let's sum up

The anxiety created by an inflated belly has more than aesthetic implications. The intense manifestation of bloating leads to severe discomfort: quite tangible pain and the inability to lead a normal life. Elementary, you cannot sit in the office, risking every second to spoil the air not only for yourself, but also for your colleagues.

Consider the main groups of reasons, in view of the manifestation of which the abdomen becomes swollen, in the following table.

Table 1. Causes of bloating

Power problems	Pathology
1. Wrong diet. 2. The rush to eat. 3. Violation of the food intake. 4. The presence of food waste in the daily menu.	1. Fermentopathy. 2. Disruption of the digestive tract. 3. IBS. 4. The growth of pathogenic microflora. 5. Other reasons for various etiologies.

Let's say right away: proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are the best prevention from a bloated belly, since if you do not have hereditary pathologies, these two components will save the intestines from the development of pathological processes, and therefore from filling gases.

If you find unpleasant symptoms, or their frequency, consult a doctor. By self-medication, you run the risk of aggravating the situation, and turning innocent gas formation into a real problem.