为什么你的肚子如此之胀?
Whether it's about of holiday tummy, heartburn after a heavy meal, or just occasionally feeling bloated, digestive trouble is one of the top five reasons we visit our GP. Figures show 70 per cent of people suffer regularly from belly woes, with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), acid reflux and plain old constipation three of the most common causes. Not many of us are comfortable with talking about our bowel issues, whether it's food baby related or something more serious which delays us getting help. It can help to know what is the cause of your bloating - though remember nothing replaces a GP's advice. Here are the common causes behind why you have a bloated stomach. What are the symptoms of a bloated stomach? 1. Irritable bowel syndrome Could be the cause if: You've been bloated on and off for a long time and have also experienced symptoms including pain, constipation and/or -bouts of diarrhoea. A common bowel condition, IBS is a functional disorder, which means there's nothing wrong with the structure of the bowel itself, but the way the gut works is abnormal. Peter Whorwell, professor of -medicine and -gastroenterology at the University of Manchester, says: "We think the gut is over-sensitive in IBS sufferers so its normal -processes cause the symptoms." Bloating is one of the most disruptive side effects of IBS. Some women go up a couple of dress sizes and even need different clothes -depending on whether or not they are -bloated. For many, it tends to worsen towards the evening, so it can disrupt your social life. There's no cure for IBS, but you can -manage the symptoms. "Cutting out cereal fibre eases symptoms by between 30% and 40% in the majority of -sufferers," says Professor Whorwell. This means avoiding -wholemeal bread, oats, muesli, digestive biscuits, cereal bars and all breakfast cereals other than Rice Krispies, but white bread, cakes, cream crackers and most biscuits are fine. Try doing this for three months to see if it helps. Probiotics may also ease symptoms - Holland and Barrett stock these chewable probiotic tablets. |