What is bloating & how can we prevent it

What is bloating? - Ever felt too full and uncomfortable, but you weren’t sure exactly why? It's likely you were bloated.

Full or big stomach - There are a number of symptoms of bloating, but the main one is feeling like your stomach is fuller or bigger than usual.

Painful or noisy tummy - You may also experience tummy pain or discomfort, or your stomach may rumble or make more noises than it usually does.

The causes - Finally, if you are bloated you may find that you are more gassy than normal. So, there you have the symptoms, but what exactly causes bloating?

Excess gas - The most common reason that we experience bloating is having too much gas in our gut. This is often caused by certain food and drinks.

Digestive problems - There are also problems with digestion that can cause bloating.

Exercise - The first tip would be to exercise regularly, to improve your digestion and prevent bloating.

Keep your mouth shut - Next up is a chewing tip: be sure to chew with your mouth shut.

Drink water and eat plenty of fiber - In terms of what you consume, it is important to drink plenty of water and eat plenty of foods that are high in fiber if you are prone to constipation.

What to avoid - So now you have some behaviors that are good to adopt if you want to beat bloating. But what about things that you shouldn’t do?

Fizzy drinks and caffeine - It is important not to drink a lot of fizzy drinks or drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol (such as wine, coffee, or tea).

Certain foods - Additionally, you should try to avoid eating foods that are known to cause gas, such as cabbage, beans, or dairy.

Eating late at night - In terms of when you should be eating, it is best to avoid eating late at night. It is also important not to slouch when you are eating or drinking.

What to do - If you do find yourself super uncomfortable due to bloating, there are things your pharmacist can do to help.

Medicines - For example, you can ask your pharmacist about laxatives to ease constipation, or even medicines like Buscopan to treat the bloating itself.