Remedies for stomach bloating and discomfort

Bloating is a feeling of fullness or visible abdominal swelling, often caused by swallowed air, gas production, constipation, or changes in digestion. It may accompany Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Food Intolerance, or Lactose Intolerance. Persistent symptoms with diarrhoea, weight loss, or poor nutrition need assessment because conditions such as Coeliac Disease, Giardiasis, or Helicobacter Pylori Infection may need specific testing and treatment. The symptom itself does not identify one cause.

Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and choose smaller meals if large portions worsen pressure. Keep a food and symptom diary rather than removing many foods at once. Reduce fizzy drinks and notice whether beans, onions, dairy, or other foods repeatedly trigger symptoms. Gentle walking can support bowel movement; regular fluids and gradual fibre changes may help constipation. Avoid repeated restrictive diets without guidance. Nutrition Counselling can help you test a suspected trigger while maintaining a balanced intake. A pharmacist or clinician can advise whether an over-the-counter product is appropriate for your symptoms.

Book a review if bloating keeps returning, lasts despite sensible changes, or affects eating and daily activities. Seek urgent care for severe or rapidly increasing pain, a swollen hard abdomen, repeated vomiting, blood in the stool, black stool, fainting, fever with marked illness, or inability to pass stool or gas. Unplanned weight loss or persistent diarrhoea also deserves timely assessment.

Which symptoms make testing for intolerance, infection, or coeliac disease appropriate? Should I change fibre or dairy intake? What pattern should I record before our appointment?