If your favorite pair of pants seems snug now and then, bloating could be the cause. Bloating can happen for different reasons and while some reasons are more serious than others, that full feeling usually doesn't last long.
Changing your diet is one way to get rid of bloating. Doctors say making dietary changes can ease bloating within a few days.
Bloating is either spontaneous or caused from another disease or problem, including infection or mal-digestion.
People who have surgery in their digestive tract can have bloating, but the most common cause of bloating is from the foods we eat.
Foods that cause the most bloating have lactose in them. This can affect people who have difficulty digesting lactose, or are lactose intolerant. Foods with lactose include milk, custard, ice cream, yogurt and soft cheeses.
Your doctor can test you to see if you are lactose intolerant.
The second most common foods that trigger bloating contain fructose or fruit sugar.
Some foods with a lot of fructose besides foods with high fructose corn syrup include concentrated fruit sources, large servings of fruit, dried fruit and fruit juice.
Other foods that cause bloating include beans and legumes, and green vegetables such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts and asparagus. These cause more gas production and make you more bloated.
Diseases that destroy the intestine lining and cause bloating also come from food.
For example, celiac disease, when one is unable to break down wheat or becomes wheat-sensitive. If a person has celiac disease, eating food with gluten can cause bloating. Doctors can do a biopsy or blood test to see if someone has celiac disease.
Foods you can eat to help ease bloating include bananas and berries, vegetables like carrots, green beans, spinach and sweet potato, gluten-free breads and cereals, lactose-free milk, soy milk and hard cheeses, and sweeteners not ending in "-ol" or sugar.
Be aware of how much air you're breathing in at one time.
One myth is drinking more water can help reduce bloating. Dr. Rall says it doesn't necessarily help bloating, but it is always good to be well-hydrated.
Do probiotics reduce bloating? Some probiotics produce lactase bacteria that break down milk sugar, but it's not always a top choice, said Dr. Rall.
If you are dealing with bloating and the problem doesn't go away, talk to your doctor or schedule an appointment to see if there is a more serious problem.