Coping with... BLOATING

The discomfort, sometimes associated with wind, can be common at Christmas.

Bloating has many causes, few of which are serious, but which lead to a feeling of fullness, discomfort and excess wind, sometimes accompanied by burping or passing wind. Many are related to gut issues, although fluid retention may be another factor.

The causes

Simply regularly overeating, or even having a single very large meal, both of which we all may do over festive periods, can lead to the feeling that your tummy is overstretched and uncomfortable, and your clothing feels tight. This can then lead to burping and indigestion as the pressure in the abdomen increases, pushing stomach contents back up the gullet, or the need to pass wind and open your bowels more often to relieve the pressure below.

When we eat, we also swallow air eating small amounts slowly helps reduce this, while rushing food makes you gulp more air. In the gut, the digestion of some food makes more gas – beans, onions and leafy veg, such as cabbage and broccoli, are well-known culprits but other foods may affect you individually. Food insensitivities such as coeliac disease (gluten sensitivity) or lactose intolerance can cause more gas.