Burping and stomach bloating: what to know

Eating quickly, fizzy drinks, chewing gum, and constipation can increase air or gas. Food intolerance, lactose intolerance, coeliac disease, and irritable bowel syndrome may cause bloating after particular foods, sometimes with cramps or altered bowel habits. Giardiasis can follow contaminated water or food and may cause diarrhoea, cramps, and gas. Helicobacter pylori infection can irritate the upper digestive tract. A symptom pattern is useful, but it cannot confirm a cause by itself.

Slow down meals, chew thoroughly, and reduce fizzy drinks. Keep a diary of portions, dairy and wheat exposure, bowel movements, pain, and timing rather than removing many foods at once. Gentle movement and treating constipation may help. A nutrition counsellor can help you test dietary changes without losing needed nutrients. Avoid restrictive diets without professional guidance.

Arrange an appointment if bloating is frequent, worsening, or associated with weight loss, persistent diarrhoea or constipation, blood in stool, vomiting, fever, or difficulty eating. Seek urgent help for sudden severe pain, a swollen rigid abdomen, repeated vomiting, fainting, or inability to pass stool or gas.

Ask whether your diary suggests intolerance, whether coeliac or infection testing is appropriate, and how to manage constipation or reflux. Explain any family history and all supplements or medicines.