Bloated Abdomen

That heavy feeling that refuses to go away

A sensation of abdomen feeling full and tight is something everyone might experience now and then and definitely after a heavy meal. But if that occurs in spite and happens often or the bloating persists one would like to know the cause and if it nee ds to be brought to the notice of a physician.

There are two contents of abdominal bloating i.e. gas or fluid. If it is water the collection is called as ascites. But the more common of the reasons is collection of air or gas.

l To begin with nervous swallowing of air called as aerophagia and over eating are the common causes of bloating.

l It could be due to intolerance to certain foods.

l It could also happen due to conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Consequently there is bloating of lower abdomen.

l Constipation is one of the common causes .

l Malabsorption is a condition in which a particular nutrient is not absorbed by the digestive system as there are not enough cofactors which can assimilate into the system and when this has to pass undigested it results in this condition too.

l Fibre is an essential ingredient of diet which helps in proper absorption of nutrients but since it takes a longer time to digest it results in formation of gas and thereby bloating. But that is the last reason why one should slow down on eating fibre since it is only a matter of time digestion makes note of it and adjusts itself.

l Intestinal parasites cause loss of nutrients and there is bloating.

l If it is a young woman during her periods it could be due to dysmenorrhoea or commonly called as painful menses.

l If a woman has always been suffering with paucity of hormones there is formation of cysts in the ovaries and the consequent increase can cause pain and bloating.

l Not the least is accumulation of fat which can cause distension.

l Accumulation of fluids can occur if the abdominal organs are inflamed like the case of hepatitis, inflammation of the lining of the ovaries etc. Only ablood test related to these organs will confirm the prognosis.

 

Homoeopathic medicine has good remedies to relieve bloating while treating the cause. If it is as simple as food intolerance remedies like Lac can, Ars alb are known to improve tolerance; China, Calc phos relieve by malabsorption by improving assimilation; the irritability of bowel in IBS is reduced with remedies like Sulph, Mag carb etc.; infestation of worms is cleared by Cina and when it is the inflammation of the abdominal organs treatment is more directed towards that with remedies like Nux vom, Phos, iris etc. It is usually when colicky pain of the abdomen and rising fever is associated with bloating that it a cause for concern and some redressal needs to be done immediately.