A bloated stomach is a common digestive complaint in Singapore, with symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to severe pain.
Causes of bloating
Bloating happens when the GI tract becomes filled with air or gas. This can be caused by something as simple as the food you eat. For example, it is known that fatty and oily food slows down the movement of the gut and leads to bloating.
Another common cause of bloating is constipation. And despite regular bowel movements, you might not realize that you are actually constipated. Chances are, you've had bloating for a while now that it's getting quite uncomfortable.
Aside from constipation, other causes of bloating include:
Gut sensitivity and intestinal conditions (eg. IBS: Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Chron's disease)
Intestinal bacterial overgrowth
Stress and Anxiety
Food sensitivities and intolerances
Eating habits (overeating, fast eater)
In our decade of working with clients, bloating is one the most common issue we see at TNC. Our No Bloat supplement takes the fear out of eating to help you break down your food so that it can be easily absorbed.
No Bloat helps with the proper digestion of food, and helps you to absorb the nutrients from what you are eating.
But if you are experiencing persistent bloating and persistent stomach pain, it is time to seek help.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the digestive system. It causes symptoms like stomach cramps, diarrhoea and constipation. With IBS, many people who have it feel gassy and notice that their abdomen is bloated.
Other Signs and Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) include:
While abdominal pain is the most common symptom and a key factor in diagnosis, other Signs and Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) include food intolerance as well as fatigue and difficulty sleeping.
IBS can develop after a severe bout of gastroenteritis caused by bacteria or a virus. IBS might also be associated with bacterial overgrowth.
Psychological stress is also known to cause bowel dysfunction. People exposed to stressful events, especially in childhood, tend to have more symptoms of IBS.
At TNC, we see a lot of clients with digestive problems. The gut and brain have a direct connection called the vagus nerve, which makes sure everything runs smoothly. Stress directly affects this and can result in numerous issues that can lead to bloating, constipation and IBS.
You can develop IBS at any age, but it's most common for symptoms to start between the ages of 20 and 30.
Managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Food Sensitivity Test
Get to know your body. Getting accurate information about your own individual biology helps you focus on physiological function as a marker of health, rather than the symptom or condition itself.
Understand what exactly your food sensitivities are by getting them tested. Food sensitivities cause a level of inflammation in the body and because of its delayed and built-up response, may not be as obvious as you'd think.
Doing a food sensitivity test is often the first step to help you clean out your diet and the starting point of healing your gut.
Recording your meals
Under The Nutrition Clinic guided membership programme, clients will also be asked to record their meals. This helps you understand and identify trigger foods that may not be kind to your gut. Essentially, clients learn how to improve their choices and diets and eat foods that fuel them, and not foods that cause an imbalance in the gut.
Eliminating trigger foods
Foods that commonly trigger and worsen IBS symptoms include cereals containing gluten and gas-producing foods such as beans and lentils. Coffee and spicy foods can also worsen IBS symptoms when reflux is an issue.
Interested to know about how we can help you personalize your nutrition improve your health and wellbeing for the long run? Schedule a call with our care manager or viewer Schedule a call with our care manager or learn more here.