Bloating 101 YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE
Bloating happens when your gastrointestinal tract — your digestive system running from your mouth down to your anus — fills with air or gas. If you’re among the 30 per cent of people who sometimes feel bloated after a meal or whose trouser buttons pop apart by the end of the day, you’ll know just how uncomfortable and frustrating this is.
For most people, the occasional belly tightness or build-up of gas is normal, albeit unwelcome. But for one in seven, bloating and digestive issues can be severe and frequent enough to affect their quality of life.
Why am I bloated?
A number of factors can lead to bloating. These include eating or drinking too fast so you also gulp down air. Chewing gum can have a similar effect. Stress, anxiety and/or depression can upset digestive processes. And food intolerances, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease are further causes.
Unless you’re a 10-year-old boy, digestion, gas and bowel movements probably don’t top the list of your favourite topics of conversation, so how do you know what's normal and when you need to take action?
Am I normal?
When it comes to bowel movements there is no ‘normal’ frequency. You might be the type of person to go once a day, or three times a day. The main point to remember is that the action should be free of discomfort or pain, without needing to strain or feeling like you
