What should you know about constant bloating and stomach discomfort?

Bloating and discomfort can occur with constipation, swallowed air, reflux, or changes in how the gut moves. Food Intolerance and Lactose Intolerance may cause symptoms after particular foods. Irritable Bowel Syndrome can cause recurring discomfort with bloating and altered bowel habits.

Coeliac Disease may affect digestion after gluten exposure. Giardiasis can cause prolonged digestive symptoms, especially diarrhoea, while Helicobacter Pylori Infection may be linked with upper-stomach pain, nausea, or indigestion. These are possible causes, not a diagnosis from symptoms alone.

Write down where the discomfort sits, whether it follows meals, and whether stool changes, nausea, or reflux accompany it. Eat slowly, choose manageable portions, drink enough fluid, and move gently if that feels comfortable. Avoid taking frequent pain medicines or removing many foods without discussing the plan with a clinician.

Arrange an appointment if the discomfort persists, repeatedly returns, affects sleep or eating, or is not explained by a brief dietary change. A clinician can examine your abdomen and decide whether tests, treatment, or Nutrition Counselling would be useful.

Seek urgent help for intense or rapidly worsening pain, repeated vomiting, a rigid or very swollen abdomen, inability to pass stool or gas, black or bloody stool, fainting, or breathing difficulty. Prompt review is also needed for fever, ongoing diarrhoea, unexplained weight loss, or symptoms that steadily become more severe.

Ask whether the discomfort fits constipation, reflux, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or a food-related problem. Should you be tested for Coeliac Disease or Helicobacter Pylori Infection? Which medicines, foods, or symptoms should you record before the next visit?