14 Possible Reasons Why You’re So Damn Bloated

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There’s no mistaking bloating—you know, that pressure-filled feeling in your gut that’s akin to swallowing a bowling ball. Most of us deal with it from time to time, and it’s usually NBD. “Transient bloating on occasion can be totally normal,” Elena Ivanina, DO, a gastroenterologist with Northwell Health Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and founder of GutLove, tells SELF.

Still, it can also be super uncomfortable, so you’d probably rather avoid it—and that starts with figuring out what’s actually behind it. There are a bunch of common causes of bloating that could be the culprit, ranging from what you eat to certain health conditions to simply sitting too much. Here are some possible reasons why you feel so damn bloated and what you can do to prevent the puffiness.

1. You’re eating a bunch of fiber-filled foods…

Plenty of times, a bloated stomach just comes down to what’s on the menu. Namely, fiber-rich foods like beans, lentils, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, whole grains, onions, and apples. When the bacteria in your GI tract get to work on breaking down the fiber from your bean burrito or kale and quinoa salad, they create gas as a byproduct, according to Danielle VenHuizen, MS, RDN, a Seattle-based dietitian who focuses on gut health and the founder of Food/Sense Nutrition Counseling. And all that gas can build up and make you bloat.

Again, this is pretty normal, especially if you don’t eat a ton of fiber on the regular. The good news is that your digestive system gets more efficient at breaking down dietary fiber when it’s used to doing it. So eating more of it can help you curb your bloating in the long run, VenHuizen tells SELF. Just be sure to increase your fiber intake slowly (say, by a couple grams per week—which might look like adding some flaxseeds to your breakfast or a serving of legume-based pasta at dinner) so you don’t get overly gassy or crampy.

2. …or snacks packed with sugar substitutes.

Foods containing artificial sweeteners (particularly sugar alcohols, like sorbitol, mannitol, and glycerol) can also dial up the gas in your GI tract and lead to bloating. As SELF reported previously, your body can’t fully absorb and digest them, so they end up hanging out in your gut, where gas-producing bacteria feed on them. These sugar alcohols are common ingredients in things like sugar-free ice cream, chewing gum, protein shakes or bars—hence, the ever-pleasant “protein farts.”

3. You live for fizzy beverages.

Ditto for carbonated drinks, like sodas or some of the sparking stuff, since all the gas-producing bubbles in your bev go straight to your gut, Ven Huizen says. And if you couple the carbonation with sugar substitutes—say, like you’d get in a perfectly crisp Diet Coke—you might boost the bloat even more. Cue that uncomfortably full feeling. (Plus a burp or two.)

4. A food intolerance could be at play.

If you’re experiencing other GI symptoms like cramping or diarrhea along with bloating after eating something, it might mean you have food intolerance, VenHuizen says. You might develop this if your GI tract lacks the enzymes needed to digest a certain type of carbohydrate or naturally occurring sugar: Think lactose (the sugar found in milk and other dairy products) or fructose (a sugar found in fruit and honey).

If you think you have a food sensitivity like lactose intolerance, start by tracking your symptoms in a food diary for at least a few weeks. You’ll want to jot down your meals and snacks, along with how you’re feeling, throughout the day. “It’s the most helpful tool there is to understand your gut issues, including bloating,” Dr. Ivanina says. That log will be valuable info to share with your doctor or a registered dietitian, who can then guide you through an elimination diet, if needed, to see if cutting out the offending food makes you feel better. (It’s super crucial to do this under the supervision of a pro to make sure you’re interpreting any patterns correctly, and aren’t taking out foods you don’t need to.)

5. You haven’t pooped in a couple days.

In that case, constipation, which is typically defined as pooping three or fewer times per week or having hard, lumpy, or difficult-to-pass stools, could be to blame. “When stool sits around for longer than it should, it can cause gas-producing bacteria to build up and cause bloating,” Supriya Rao, MD, a gastroenterologist with Tufts Medicine in Boston, tells SELF.

Constipation can happen for tons of different reasons. Sometimes occasional bouts come down to not eating enough fiber, not drinking enough water, or being sedentary. But if it occurs regularly, it could stem from an underlying medical problem like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or an underactive thyroid, so it’s worth getting it checked out if you’re consistently straining to go.

6. You enjoyed a really big and delicious meal.

That nine-course tasting menu? Scrumptious, sure, but also very likely the reason why you’re bloated the next morning. Your stomach has a certain amount of digestive enzymes that work to break down your food. So when you eat more than they can handle, some of the food can leave your stomach before they’ve gotten to work on it. “This partially digested food travels further down the GI tract, where your colonic bacteria have a field day with it,” VenHuizen explains. The result: lots of gas as the larger food bits get fermented, and a bloated stomach until you poop everything out.

7. Or you scarfed everything down way too fast.

Similarly, shoveling food down quickly can also mess with the digestive process. “Often the stomach hasn’t had enough time to produce the digestive juices needed to properly break down your food,” VenHuizen says. So again, the partially digested food leads to a ton of gas. Eating at lightning speed also causes you to swallow more air than usual, which can end up in your stomach and trigger the bloat.

8. You’ve been sitting for hours on end.

If you’ve ever suddenly had the urge to poop when you’re out for a run, you’re well aware that physical activity can get things going down there. “Movement stimulates gut motility, from moving gas to moving stool,” Dr. Ivanina says. But the opposite is also true: Sitting around for long stretches keeps waste in your colon for longer, where it’s fermented by bacteria that release, yep, tons of bloat-causing gas as a byproduct.

9. Things are feeling really stressful lately.

Your stomach probably isn’t going to start puffing out the exact second you get that sweat-inducing email from your boss. But unchecked tension can affect your GI function over time, which could lead to noticeable symptoms like bloating. “When your body releases stress hormones, you shift into fight-or-flight mode, which impairs functions like digestion and motility,” Dr. Ivanina explains. As a result, food and waste move through your GI tract more slowly, so there’s more time for it to ferment and cause gas that can make you bloated.

10. A long trip on an airplane may have done you in.

You’ve probably felt bloated when traveling, especially after you’ve been on a plane for hours. Experts haven’t really spent a lot of time observing the gassiness of folks at 30,000 feet, but one tiny military study from the 1960s did find that subjects’ abdominal gas pretty much quadrupled when they were at cruising altitude. And more gas = more bloating. The buildup is likely due to air pressure changes that occur during flight, Dr. Rao explains. Pair that with hours of sitting and maybe having a free seltzer or two, and you’ve got a recipe for a bloated stomach before you hit the tarmac.

9. It’s PMS time.

For tons of folks, that pre-period bloating is real. The full feeling that occurs before you bleed happens partly because of water retention. Shifts in hormones like estrogen and progesterone in the days leading up to your period cause your body to hang onto more fluids, so you feel puffier all over. At the same time, those hormonal changes may also slow the passage of poop through your GI tract, causing more gas to build up in your gut and other unpleasant digestive issues like constipation too. Nice.

10. You’re potentially dealing with IBS.

IBS is a GI disorder that causes a cluster of symptoms like frequent abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and/or constipation. Experts don’t fully understand what’s behind the bloating, in particular, but factors like genetics, stress, and even eating certain foods are likely culprits. One common offender? FODMAPs, a group of carbs that some people have a really hard time digesting.

FODMAPs are found in a huge variety of foods, including many nutritious ones like fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, and dairy products. The good news is that most people are only triggered by certain FODMAPs, not all of them, VenHuizen points out. (Phew.) The best way to pinpoint your particular sensitivities: Work with a registered dietitian who can guide you through an elimination diet, in which you temporarily cut out all FODMAPs and gradually reintroduce them to see which ones you may need to limit or avoid for good. (Again, you really need to work with a pro for this, since they can make sure you’re choosing wisely.)

11. Or another not-so-fun acronym: SIBO.

SIBO, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, happens when you’ve got high amounts of colonic bacteria in your small intestine. “You have a bunch of different bacteria in your gut that overflows into your small intestine, where they’re not supposed to be,” Dr. Rao explains. That can cause chronic bloating and gas along with abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, uncomfortable fullness after eating, and unintentional weight loss.

Many people with IBS also have SIBO, research shows. It can also affect folks who have conditions that cause slower than normal gut motility (such as undermanaged diabetes, hypothyroidism, or nervous system disorders like multiple sclerosis), which means it takes longer for food and waste to move through your digestive system. Having an altered GI anatomy (like if you’ve had a gastric bypass) or narcotic pain medications can slow gut motility too, Dr. Rao says.

12. You might have celiac disease.

Celiac disease is a digestive disorder that triggers symptoms like gas, bloating, stomach pain, and diarrhea when a person consumes gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Unlike a food intolerance, celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, meaning a person’s immune system mistakenly perceives gluten as a foreign invader. When that happens, protective cells attack GI tissue, which can cause lasting damage.

Your doctor can figure out if you have celiac disease with a blood test and a tissue biopsy (a small piece of tissue from your GI tract will be removed and sent to a lab). If you’re diagnosed, a gluten-free diet will keep your symptoms in check. Again, it’s best to do that under the guidance of a registered dietitian, who can help you learn which foods to avoid and what to eat instead so you can still get the nutrition you need.

13. Your pelvic floor isn’t quite in sync.

If you have pelvic floor dysfunction, you’ll have trouble coordinating your pelvic floor muscles, which support the bottom of your pelvis, bladder, and bowel. The condition, which is more common in people older than 40 or who’ve given birth, makes it harder to poop and often leads to chronic constipation. And having stool back up in your colon can lead to gas and bloating, says Dr. Rao. Treatments like pelvic floor therapy can help you learn to use those muscles correctly, which can make it easier to poop and in turn, curb your bloating.

14. It could be a sign of inflammatory bowel disease.

Sometimes chronic bloating or cramping that’s accompanied by other severe symptoms like frequent diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding or bloody poop, heavy fatigue, or unintentional weight loss is a sign of inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. Both are chronic conditions that affect the GI tract, and while they’re serious, they can be managed with the right medications.

Since there are so many causes of bloating, when should you actually worry about it?

A little bloating after a big meal, a long flight, or a couple crazy days at work is usually no big deal. Normal bloating should only last a couple hours and feel fairly mild—“not like your pants are busting open,” Dr. Rao says.

But since bloating can sometimes be a sign of an underlying medical condition, you should let your doctor know if it’s a daily thing, if it’s interfering with your ability to go about your day comfortably, or if it’s accompanied by severe symptoms like chronic constipation, bloody diarrhea or rectal bleeding, or unintended weight changes, Dr. Rao recommends. Together, you can figure out what’s causing the problem and figure out a plan to help you find relief.

Related:

• A Quick ‘Fart Walk’ Might Be Just What You Need to End You Day

• How to Get Rid of Gas Pain If You’re Feeling Crampy, Bloated, and Desperate for Relief

• Why Does My Poop Smell So Bad?

Originally Appeared on SELF