Understanding Bloating: Is Your Gut Trying to Tell You Something?

Have you been feeling bloated lately, even when you haven't eaten a large meal? Bloating is more than just discomfort - it can be a sign that there’s an underlying gastrointestinal or hormonal imbalance that needs addressing. In this article, we‘re going to explore the common symptoms and triggers of bloating, so that you can understand what your body is signalling to you, and take the first step towards fixing the root cause and feeling your most confident self!

The Silent Symptoms of Bloating

Bloating is often described as a feeling of fullness, tightness, or swelling in the abdomen. Sometimes there will be visible distension (aka your belly is visibly enlarged and you find yourself saying ‘I look pregnant!?’) and sometimes the abdomen area will be hard and painful to touch. You might wake up with bloating, or you might wake up feeling fine but as the day goes on you notice your bloating gets progressively worse. Often people who experience bloating have to deal with ongoing frustration, low mood and self-esteem issues which affects their ability to work and participate in social activities.

Whichever way you experience bloating, know that you aren’t alone – bloating is super common! But just because it is common doesn't mean it's normal. When it becomes a daily problem, it signifies that there are underlying issues within the body that we need to correct.

Common Triggers of Bloating

The most common causes of bloating are:

• Digestive Insufficiencies: Issues like inadequate stomach acid or low enzyme production can prevent proper digestion, leading to bloating.

• Food Allergies or Intolerances: Certain foods, such as dairy and wheat, can trigger bloating in some individuals.

• Large Intestine Dysbiosis: Imbalances in the gut microbiome can lead to altered gut motility, increased gas production, carbohydrate malabsorption and visceral hypersensitivity.

• SIBO: This is a condition in which there is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine, which can cause bloating along with nutrient deficiencies, mental health changes or brain fog, gassiness, skin conditions and bowel motion changes.

• Gut inflammation: Conditions such as IBD are inflammatory conditions which can contribute to bloating.

• Dysfunctional gut motility: Slow transit time of bowel contents and constipation can cause bloating via increased gas production and/or obstruction of gas transport out of the body.

• HPA axis dysregulation: When the body’s nervous system is in sympathetic dominance, it can lead to reduced blood flow to the digestive organs, resulting in digestive insufficiencies and reduced gut motility.

• Hormonal Changes & Imbalances: Fluctuations in hormones, especially in the days leading up to your period, can contribute to water retention. If you have oestrogen dominance or a condition like Endometriosis, these can cause or aggravate bloating.

If you’re ready to get to the root cause of your bloating, head to our appointments page to sign up for our waitlist, where you can get access to heavily discounted student consultations with our head naturopath Lauren! x

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