Why Am I Bloated All the Time?
Bloating is a common symptom that pops up when your digestive system is struggling. And it can be incredibly persistent. So why are you bloated no matter what you eat? What helps?
Keep in mind that you want to get to the bottom of what is going on. DON’T lean on a temporary fix, such as eating only 5 “safe” foods forever (and avoiding broccoli like the plague). Instead, tackle the root cause of your symptoms. It’s important to understand WHY you are having bloating - so you can make the exact changes needed to fix it.
So, what causes bloating? There’s a couple main reasons:
Gut bacteria imbalance¹ - your gut is full of bacteria. Pounds of it, in fact. These bacteria help you break down and use food properly. But stress, certain medications, a poor diet, and other factors can cause a person’s gut bacteria to get out of balance. This imbalance in gut bacteria is known as “dysbiosis.” Not enough helpful bacteria breaking down food, or too many “bad” bacteria can cause the food to ferment instead, leading to excess gas in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Some bacterial strains also produce more gas than others. A disproportionate amount of these gas-producing bacteria cause issues. Imbalances in gut bacteria, in turn, causes damage to the gut lining. Inflammation and irritation in the gut leads to even more digestive problems.
Food sensitivity² - we’re all familiar with food allergies, which is that big immune system response to certain foods. A less extreme reaction to food is called a “food sensitivity.” These are not full-blown immune reactions, but are still very problematic. With food sensitivities, the body is not tolerating certain foods very well, resulting in digestive symptoms like bloating. Common foods that people react to include gluten, dairy, and high FODMAP foods. However, in more severe cases, an individual can react to almost anything.
Slow motility³ - in a healthy person, the intestines keep food moving, so nothing sits in the digestive tract longer than it should. But a poor (or restricted) diet, gut dysbiosis, certain health conditions, and medications can slow movement of food through the digestive tract. When food sits in your intestines, gut bacteria ferment the food, producing excess gas. This excess gas causes bloating. Moreover, slow motility goes hand-in-hand with constipation. Infrequent bowel movements can also contribute to bloating.
OK, now we know some of the main culprits behind bloating. What next?
Well, which of these possible causes of bloating is triggering YOUR bloating? Remember: you have to find out why you are experiencing bloating, in order to fix it. So, which is the culprit for you? We never want to guess (guessing wastes time, money, and leaves us just as sick as before). If you’re not sure what is causing your bloating, your next step is to get more information about what is going wrong within your gut. Probably not what you wanted to hear, right?
I get it. You want someone to tell you which foods to avoid or what supplement you can take to feel better. I’ve been there. Trust me - you HAVE to figure out what is going on in your gut. Otherwise you’re just blindly trying this diet, or that supplement…and you’ll really struggle to make progress.
Knowing what is causing your bloating allows you to make targeted changes to FIX the problem. Not cope with it.
If you have bloating that won’t go away, I highly recommend you get lab testing. It’s worth it. I struggled with horrendous bloating for so long. Getting lab work allowed me to see what was behind it all. If you were to get lab work done, your results may look something like mine:
Genova Diagnostics GI Effects Panel - high inflammation, moderate dysbiosis (my dysbiosis became more severe later)
GI Map Results - C. difficile infection and severe dysbiosis (overgrowth of bad bacteria) driving inflammation.
No wonder I didn’t feel well! In my case, there were multiple issues behind my bloating. But for you, you might have maldigestion causing your bloating. Or a parasite. Or an E. coli infection. Or maybe you don’t have any dramatic infections, but you lack good bacteria.
Whatever is causing your bloating, you have to FIND it, before you can FIX IT.
That is my advice. Don’t just avoid certain foods, or try the next trendy supplement on the market. Find what is going wrong in your gut - so you can address the actual cause of your bloating.
Don’t live with bloating every day. It’s not normal. It’s not OK. If you have persistent bloating, reach out. I can help.
References
Disclaimer: all information provided is educational in nature, and should not be considered medical advice. Nothing shared in this blog is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician.
