Swollen belly, the cause is often poor nutrition: when a specific evaluation is needed

The abdominal swelling it is a symptom as common as it is annoying, which mainly affects women but does not spare men either. In addition to causing an unsightly increase in abdominal circumference, visible especially in the hours after meals, abdominal swelling is associated with a sensation of fullness, tension and sometimes pain.

What are the most common causes of a swollen belly?

«The causes may be different, but nutrition is of crucial importance – he said Alessandro Repici, director of the Gastroenterology department of the Humanitas Clinical Institute and professor of Gastroenterology of Humanitas University —. Unbalanced diets, excess of foods rich in fermentable sugars and bad eating habitslike one chewing too quickly, can promote disorders. The main factors that contribute to swelling are represented by gas production intestinal during digestive processes, the content of water and mineral salts in the intestine, the state of the bacterial flora as well as motility and visceral sensitivity. All these factors can in turn be influenced by diet, stress and unhealthy lifestyle habits. Abdominal swelling may be related toalteration of the bacterial flora intestinal, following taking antibiotics used to treat an infectious disease. In these cases, the swollen belly is a transitory phenomenon, however sometimes the discomfort is persistent and struggles to resolve. In this hypothesis, abdominal swelling could be a sign of conditions that require specific evaluation, such as lactose intolerance, celiac disease, slowed down canalization or irritable bowel syndrome.”

How can abdominal swelling be combated?

“A Proper nutrition it is always fundamental in the management of abdominal swelling. For this purpose, a balanced diet is recommended, which includes a reduction in the consumption of “gasogenic” foods and increased fluid intake. Furthermore, it is important to try to chew more slowly and reduce the effect of stress on the intestine, for example through diaphragmatic breathing techniques.”