According to Dr. Axe, a physician of the Food and Medicine website, bloated stomachs are now so common that it’s being classified as an ‘epidemic’. It’s no surprise that most people often experience some sort of bloating due to poor diets, medications, pollutants, medical conditions and various other culprits that may disturb the bacterial flora in the gut.
Bloated or bloating are the most common words used to describe the feeling of swollen or full stomach caused by flatulence in the digestive tract. This condition is referred to by doctors as abdominal distension and they use the 5Fs (Flatus, Feces, Fetus, Fat, Fluid) to remember its main causes. Excess gas is often uncomfortable and more so embarrassing, but it’s rarely a serious health condition. However, this doesn’t rule out its possibility of being an indication of problems within the digestive tract.
The triggers are numerous, but here is a list of 10 uncommon bloated stomach causes you never guessed.
1. Nervous Stomach
This is a rare but genuine cause of stomach bloating in some people. However, medical science doesn’t classify it as a diagnosable or an official condition. According to doctors, a nervous stomach is often associated with your mental health or emotional state and digestive or gut health. Basically, it is the response of the digestive system to stress.
The most common symptoms of the nervous stomach are frequent flatulence, ‘butterflies’ in the tummy, indigestion, tightness or stomach knots and diarrhea, just to mention a few. These are the feelings that you often experience when anxious or anticipating something.
This condition is often treated with home remedies and changes in lifestyle. Rarely has it called for medical attention, unless in cases of excessive diarrhea or shortness of breath. Chewing on antispasmodic herbs like peppermint will stop spasms that aggravate flatulence, cramps, and stomach butterflies. Practicing meditation and breathing techniques can also be helpful.
