The mechanisms of bloating
When your food is broken down during digestion, your gut microbes feast and ferment carbohydrates (especially FODMAPs) and produce extra gas in the excitement.
For some people, this happens without giving them the feeling of being bloated. But for others, they’ll soon feel the troublesome effects.
Why? It’s all down to how sensitive your own tummy is. If you have a heightened sensitivity (aka visceral hypersensitivity), you’re more likely to feel this pressure and extra stretch, and experience the bloating that comes with it. This is especially the case for people with IBS.
Bloating and IBS
People with IBS can have a little more trouble handling gas in their tummy, which can lead to bloating. One study found that people with IBS tend to retain more gas in their stomach than ‘healthy’ people without IBS – and this can cause some uncomfortable symptoms. Plus, if you have trouble pooing, like in constipation-predominant IBS (aka IBS-C), that can also contribute to bloating.
When the volume in your intestines changes from extra gas or food, your body is supposed to adjust by relaxing and making more room. That’s called the “accommodation reflex.”
This is where it gets pretty complex – but the bottom line is, for people with bigger bloating issues, the body’s response to this change is actually a bit off balance. Instead of opening up, the diaphragm contracts and other muscles relax, which can lead to even more bloating.
Bloating and SIBO
Bloating can be a common symptom of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
Why? Most of the trillions of microbes in your tummy usually live in your large intestine (aka the colon). But sometimes, they can move up into your small intestine (aka the small bowel).
When there’s an overgrowth of bacteria in your small intestine, they can start fermenting your food before it gets properly absorbed into your body. This can lead to some uncomfortable side effects like bloating – as well as diarrhoea and tummy pain. So, if you’re experiencing some of these symptoms, it’s worth talking to your doctor or gut specialist about SIBO.
Tummy test: Suspect SIBO? Take a simple breath test with a gut specialist to see if there are signs of SIBO.