What should you know about excessive stomach bloating?

Bloating can follow eating quickly, swallowing air, constipation or foods that ferment in the bowel. Food Intolerance and Lactose Intolerance may cause symptoms after particular foods. Irritable Bowel Syndrome can combine bloating with abdominal pain and changes in bowel habit. Coeliac Disease may cause digestive symptoms after gluten exposure. Giardiasis can follow contaminated food or water and may include diarrhoea. Helicobacter Pylori Infection is another possible cause when upper-abdominal discomfort, nausea or early fullness accompany bloating. A symptom diary can help show patterns, but self-diagnosis is unreliable.

Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, drink water and take gentle walks. Review constipation, fizzy drinks, chewing gum and foods that repeatedly trigger discomfort. Avoid removing major food groups without professional guidance, especially before testing for Coeliac Disease. A clinician or Nutrition Counselling service can help plan a balanced trial and protect against unnecessary restriction. Keep a record of meals, bowel changes, pain and timing.

Seek urgent care for severe or sudden abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, a hard swollen abdomen, inability to pass stool or gas, faintness, or blood in stool. Arrange a medical review for persistent bloating, unexplained weight loss, ongoing diarrhoea, anaemia symptoms, fever, or a new change in bowel habit. Assessment may include an abdominal examination and selected tests.

Could constipation, intolerance or another digestive condition explain this pattern? Which tests should come first? Is a supervised food trial appropriate for me?