The stomach is part of the digestive system. It can sometimes be swollen after a meal, when waking up, or even permanently… What are the causes of a swollen stomach? How to deflate it?
stomach follows the esophagus with which it communicates through the esophagogastric junction (or cardia). It continues through the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine) to which it is connected by the pylorus. It is a hollow, pouch-like organ that averages 25 cm long and 11 cm wide. It is divided into three parts:
- The fundusupper part domed;
- The body of the stomachfood receiving area;
- the lair (also called antrum), lower part in which the churning of the food bolus takes place.
The feeling of bloated belly can appear at several times of the day. Although this phenomenon is most of the time not serious, it happens that a disease underlying is responsible. When to worry about a bloated belly?
What are the symptoms of a swollen belly?
“For most patients, as soon as one has pain above the navel, the stomach is responsible. But in practice, when the belly is bloated, it is rarely due to an enlarged stomach, explains Dr. Renaud Chiche, visceral and digestive surgeon. Generally, the increase in abdominal circumference is related to the intestines: constipation, bloating, too much gas… and not with the stomach“. For example, when we eat, food is directed from our mouth to the stomach. The air ingested during eating is then transformed into intestinal gas. Bloating and belly swelling are blamed on the formation of these gases.
What are the causes of a bloated belly?
A swollen stomach can be explained by different reasons:
- food : the first cause of swelling is to be found in the plate: indeed, many foods ferment during digestion and release gases that cause bloating and flatulence.
- The stress. You have to be particularly vigilant when eating meals: to limit the phenomenon, it is essential not to eat too quickly and to chew food well.
- A relaxation of the abdominal wall
What disease can cause the belly to swell?
► Behind a swollen stomach, sometimes hides a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori. It colonizes the stomach lining and causes inflammation. Acute or chronic gastritis caused by this bacterium results in abdominal pain, heartburn and other digestive disorders (nausea, vomiting). Treatment is with antibiotics, often combined with other drugs to reduce stomach acid production.
► Gastroparesis. It is a functional digestive disorder, generally chronic, characterized by a slowing of the emptying of the stomach, in the absence of any mechanical obstacle. “They more frequently affect people with diabetes.underlines our interlocutor.
► “The stomach may expand in the case ofhigh biteswhen the small intestine is blocked either by adhesions, tumors or more rarely by poorly digested foreign bodies”adds the specialist.
Of better eating habits will relieve and prevent swelling: foods that ferment the most should be avoided (legumes, crucifers, foods rich in fructose, etc.). The taking of charcoal helps relieve bloating. On the other hand, there is the taking of medication in the form of gastric dressings, which can mitigate gas formation. For fans of herbal medicine, natural substances such as green anise, fennel, cumin, dill or rosemary are excellent for reducing the feeling of a swollen belly.
► Prioritize cooked vegetables and drink at least 1.5 liters of water a day. In all cases :
► Avoid eating too quickly. It is advisable to take at least 20 minutes for each meal.
► Respect 3 balanced meals
► Limit or even stop drinking soft drinks
► Eliminate easily undigested foods from your diet
Thanks to Dr Renaud Chiche, visceral and digestive surgeon at the Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire Clinic (Paris 5th).