Most people have experienced abdominal bloating before. It's that uncomfortable feeling when your stomach feels like it's an inflated balloon. It's not fun! The good news is that there are natural remedies that can help reduce intestinal gas and bloating.

In this article, we'll explore the reasons behind stomach bloating, how to prevent it, and some natural remedies that could help with that uncomfortable feeling. We'll also look at some of the more serious reasons behind digestive issues that cause gas and bloating, and when to see a healthcare provider.

What Causes Abdominal Bloating?

There are many reasons behind a bloated stomach. It happens when excess gas builds up in the intestines or stomach and is usually caused by digestive issues and diet, hormonal changes, or more serious conditions.

Issues With the Digestive System and Diet

If you are constipated, it can cause a bloated stomach. When excess gas builds up, it will intensify the bloating and make you feel even more uncomfortable.

If you have eaten too much fiber, have a food intolerance or allergy to foods that contain gluten or lactose, or if you're sensitive to certain foods it could cause bloating when your digestive system struggles to break it down. Too much salt or sugar, or carbonated beverages can also cause gas to form in the abdominal cavity or small intestine.

Hormonal Changes

Women may experience bloating before or during their periods. This may be caused by fluctuating hormones and water retention, but could also be because of something more serious. If you have other symptoms of hormonal changes as well as bloating, and it doesn't resolve quickly, it's important to seek medical attention.

Serious Medical Conditions

If you have a bloated stomach and it's not caused by digestive issues, eating habits, or hormonal issues, you may have a more serious medical condition. If you feel that this is possible, it's important to talk to your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Until then, you can try some of the home remedies below that may give your bloated belly a break!

Tips to Relieve Abdominal Bloating Naturally

If you regularly feel bloated and experience stomach pain and discomfort from it, it's best to talk to your doctor to get to the bottom of it. It may be the only way to find long-term relief. But if you're looking for home remedies that will give you fast relief, here are a few options you can try.

#1. Take a Walk

Physical activity is one of the best natural remedies for stomach bloating. It improves poor digestion and can help to regulate your bowel movements which will help to release excess gas. Even a brisk walk around the block could give you some relief.

#2. Stretch it Out With Yoga Poses

Yoga is not only an excellent mind-body therapy. Certain poses can help reduce bloating because they encourage the release of excess gas from the GI tract. There's even a pose called the wind-relieving pose! Try some of these poses to ease your bloating.

#3. Abdominal Massage

Children are comforted by having their tummies rubbed if it's sore, and there's a good reason for that! Massaging your stomach can aid digestion by getting the bowels moving. The massage has to follow the path of the large intestine, here's how you do that:

• Place your hands just above the right hip bone.

• Rub in a circular motion and apply light pressure.

• Move your hands up toward the right side of the ribcage as you rub.

• Rub right across the upper abdominal area as you move towards the left rib cage.

• Move slowly down to the left hip bone.

• Repeat until you feel some relief from the stomach bloating.

If the massage causes any abdominal pain, stop it immediately.

#4. Ease the Digestive Tract With Peppermint

Peppermint oil and peppermint tea can help reduce stomach bloating and are widely marketed as a treatment for digestive problems. Peppermint relaxes the intestinal muscles to allow more effective gastric emptying. Once the gas and stool move through the system, you should feel relief.

You can get peppermint oil capsules or peppermint tea over the counter at drug stores or online, or you can enjoy a refreshing cup of Tummy Tea, which contains fresh peppermint leaves and other ingredients that are combined to support your digestive system and help relieve stomach bloating.

#5. Have a Relaxing Soak in a Warm Bath

The warmth of the bath can help relieve the stomach pain and help you to relax. Stress and tension make uncomfortable physical ailments even worse. If you unwind and reduce your stress levels, your GI tract could function more effectively which can help reduce bloating.

How to Prevent a Bloated Stomach

Quick remedies and fixes can help reduce bloating when it happens. However, if you regularly feel bloated and uncomfortable it's best to make a few lifestyle changes to prevent bloating in the long term. Here are some tips you can try:

#1. Increase Dietary Fiber Gradually

When you include more fiber in your diet, it will help prevent bloating and constipation, unless you increase your fiber intake too quickly or take too much in. Instead of giving gas relief, it could cause even more bloating. The trick is to start slowly and increase your fiber intake a little at a time over several weeks to allow your body to adjust to this important digestive aid.

#2. Stop Drinking Sodas

Carbonated beverages contain gas that can build up in the stomach Just like the carbon dioxide makes sodas fizzy, it causes bubbling and bloating in the stomach. The high sugar content in some carbonated drinks can cause abdominal bloating. And even if you go sugar-free, the artificial sweeteners can also cause gas and bloating.

Try to get into the habit of having water or herbal tea instead of drinking soda. It can help eliminate these problems and may even help to treat constipation.

#3. Avoid Chewing Gum

Just like soda, gum can cause bloating and gas pain. Swallowing air while chewing is almost unavoidable - we don't even realize we do it! The high levels of sugar or other sweeteners contained in gum can also cause more gas.

#4. Get Regular Exercise

Exercise can reduce bloating because it makes bowel movements more regular. It also releases sodium through the body through sweating which helps relieve water retention, which can also cause bloating. Remember to drink plenty of water before and after you exercise. If you don't stay hydrated, it could make constipation worse.

#5. Change Your Eating Habits

Eat smaller meals

It's common to experience bloating when you've had a big meal. To avoid this, try eating smaller meals throughout the day. It helps to get the digestive system working more effectively.

Eat slowly

If you swallow food too quickly, it can bring air into your digestive tract which can cause bloating and gas. Eating slowly will help you avoid swallowing air during meals.

Avoid straws

We all know that plastic straws are bad for the environment, but even other straws can be bad for digestion. Drinking from a straw can also make us swallow air and feel bloated.

Introduce probiotics to your diet

Probiotics bring good bacteria into your intestines. It helps you to regulate the colon bacteria that can produce gas and cause you to feel bloated. Probiotic foods like kefir, kombucha, tempeh, and yogurt all contain probiotics and are a delicious way to help you get these good bacteria into your diet.

Include diuretic foods in your diet

Foods like lemons, ginger, apple cider vinegar, celery, oats, and tomatoes help the body get rid of unwanted fluids reducing water retention.

Reduce Your Salt Intake

Excess sodium causes water retention which can cause you to feel swollen and bloated in your abdomen and other parts of your body. It's also not healthy to ingest too much sodium! It can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Try a Low-FODMAP Diet

FODMAP foods are foods that contain a type of carbohydrate. When you are sensitive to FODMAP foods, they can cause uncomfortable digestive problems like bloating, constipation, and abdominal pain. A low-FODMAP diet might relieve bloating and is also known to relieve IBS symptoms.

Start a Food Diary

Bloating is a common symptom of lactose and gluten intolerance, so you may need to avoid dairy products or products containing gluten. But it's not always easy to know if you are intolerant to certain foods, and intolerances can lead to excessive gas in your digestive tract.

If you keep track of what you eat in a diary for a few weeks, it can help you to figure out if dairy products are the culprit, or if it's FODMAP foods or perhaps gluten. It may even be something you'd never expect.

#10. Look at Your Medications and Supplements

Supplements like iron can cause constipation and digestive poor digestion which can cause bloating. On the other hand, supplements like potassium reduce bloating. Certain medications have side effects that can cause a bloated stomach.

If you keep a food diary, make note of your supplement and medication intake as well. If you notice that talk to your healthcare professional to suggest alternatives that are gentler on your digestive tract and can reduce bloating and intestinal gas.

When to Seek Medical Attention

If you've tried some of the natural remedies to get your digestive tract on track, but you're not feeling any relief, it could be a medical condition that's causing the bloating. A bloated stomach is one of the main symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Other medical conditions can also cause gas and a bloated stomach, for example:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

• Diverticulitis

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

• Gynecological problems like ovarian cysts and endometriosis

• Celiac disease

• Liver disease

If you experience bloating with other symptoms like severe pain, unexplained weight loss, diarrhea, or you have a relative with a history of colon cancer or gastrointestinal disease, you should seek medical attention urgently. There are tests like X-rays, ultrasound scans, blood tests, and colonoscopies that can help determine the reasons why you have a bloated belly. It's important to know what the underlying cause is so you can explore treatments.

It's important to discuss your stomach problems that don't go away with your healthcare provider because you could have a serious medical condition and may need urgent attention.

So, What's Next?

A bloated stomach is uncomfortable and usually comes with abdominal pain. If you regularly experience abdominal bloating or produce more gas than usual, it's best to talk to your healthcare provider.

If you only have the occasional bloated belly, it's probably nothing to worry about, and you can treat it with natural remedies like abdominal massage, avoiding gas-producing foods, carbonated drinks, and FODMAP foods. The Symbi Tummy Tea is made with high-quality, all-natural ingredients, and is an excellent remedy for a bloated belly.