Posted by Heather Van Vorous of HelpForIBS.com.
Heather Van Vorous, an IBS sufferer since age 9, is the founder of HelpForIBS.com and Heather’s Tummy Care, dedicated to offering education, support, and help that allows people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome to successfully manage their symptoms through simple, safe and effective lifestyle changes.
- IBS bloating is from trapped intestinal gas, plusour dysfunctional guts’ over-reaction to that gas.
- Gas is trapped by the mis-timed, or irregularly timed, bowel contractions that underlie IBS.
- Bloating is one of the most frustrating IBS symptoms
Prevent Bloating!
- Avoid chewing gum, which can cause you to swallow a lot of air.
- Eliminate all carbonated beverages. They’re a major IBS trigger for bloating andother symptoms.
- Watch out for rapidly fermenting fibers added to processed foods – inulin and FOS can cause terrible bloating. Psyllium can cause bloating as well.
Relieve Bloating! Try this super easy on-the-floor yoga pose:
- Lie on your back. Gently bring one bent knee up to your chest, keeping your head and your other leg relaxed on the floor. Hold your knee with your hands as close to your chest as is comfortable. Breathe deeply. Repeat with your other leg. This is called the wind relieving pose
- Drink medicinal strength, high volatile oil fennel seed Tummy Tea. Fennel seed Tummy Tea is a carminative, which means it prevents the formation of gas, andaids in its expulsion.
- Take an easy walk around the block, or even just around the house.
- Moving your body stimulates the smooth muscles of your gut, which in turn encourages rhythmic contractions of your bowel.
- Rhythmic contractions = no trapped gas = no bloating!
Tip Takeaway: Watch your diet to help prevent IBS bloating. Use gentle physical movement plus strong fennel tea to help relieve IBS bloating.
Thanks for the tips!! My sister and I were just discussing this problem.
Hi Roberta!
I’m so happy that this helped you, and I hope that you visit again soon. Good luck to you and your sister!
Inever have carbonated drinks, chew gum or eat inulin or FOS, I walk and workout yet I have terrible gas and bloating. I was on the IBS diet some years ago but it worked for awhile but stopped being effective. Then I tried gluten free – worked for awhile, then the Fodmap diet – worked for awhile. I came to the conclusion that my symptoms are cyclical. But this bout of gas and bloating has gone on for months and is ruining my life.
I am going to go back on the IBS diet and start on the Acacia fibre again. Any other suggestions will be most welcome.
Desperate Deb
Hi Deb,
I completely understand your frustration and I “hear” your tears. You seem like you’re really committed to healing your gut, so don’t lose hope. Digestive issues can be quite pernicious; you just need to be persistent as you find the root cause. I definitely recommend that you download my free Bye Bye Belly Bloat Journal so that you can start tracking your symptoms. This will better assist you with pinpointing the cause and/or determine a pattern in symptom manifestation. You might also want to look into potential gut infections such as SIBO, specific food sensitivities, and leaky gut (increased intestinal permeability) since these can contribute to symptoms that you mentioned. There are certainly supplements that can bring relief in the interim, but you need to find the root cause in order to achieve sustained freedom from digestive woes.
I’d love to hear how you’re doing, so please come back and visit. Hang in there and let me know if you need further help!