The effectiveness of treatment for bloating depends on the underlying cause.
Reasons for the bloated sensation ranges from:
- Chronic constipation,
- Small bowel bacterial overgrowth,
- Side effects from medicine (e.g. antibiotics, metformin etc)
- Irritable bowel syndrome.
Simple adjustments you can try are:
- Taking a smaller portion of meals
- Reducing the intake of sugar and starch
- Take a little more protein and fiber
- Ensure your bowel opens daily
- Ingest more water
- Adopt a more active lifestyle
- Try to reduce some weight if you are on the heavy side
- Try some probiotics if you are game enough for it
Please do not change the medicine prescribed to you without consulting a doctor if you suspect your medicine is the cause of your bloating. Doing so may result in undesirable consequences. Some medications which may help with bloating include carminative, simethicone and over the counter antacids. If all the above fail to relieve your symptoms, it is time for you to pay your family doctor a visit to sort things out.
