5 min read
What Is Bloating?
Bloating is a common experience. 53% of adults the UK have experienced bloating in the past.1
It is this feeling of fullness, or pressure in your abdomen that’s called bloating. It is a common symptom of multiple digestive complaints, including constipation. In fact, constipation and bloating go hand in hand.
Keep reading to learn more about bloating, gas, and constipation, including the causes, and when it might be time to contact a doctor.
Causes of Bloating
Bloating isn’t always visible to the naked eye. In cases when bloating is accompanied by visible swelling, this is known as distension. The symptoms can last for a short period, or they can be persistent, making them an ongoing concern.2
Here are the 5 most common causes of bloating.
Constipation and Bloating
Why is bloating so common in constipation? There are multiple reasons, but simply, and first off, when you are constipated, stool takes longer to pass through your colon and leave your body through the rectum. This means that bacteria have more time available to ferment food and produce gas. This of course means more gas in your colon. It’s as simple as that.10
How to Treat Bloating Caused by Constipation
Constipation is never fun and has the potential to affect many aspects of our lives. According to research, 12% of constipated individuals miss work or school, and 60% have impaired ability to work.17
Several factors can cause constipation, including your diet, medical conditions, and lifestyle. The good news is that many people with constipation find relief from painful bloating when they manage their constipation. So, how can you get rid of constipation and bloating? To start, let's look to science for help.13
Over-the-counter medications
Over-the-counter medications are valuable allies. Dulcolax, for example, is an option for people experiencing constipation. A full range of products are available, including tablets, liquid and suppositories.
Avoid chewing gum
Even at times it may feel like ‘Gum would be perfection,’ gum also has the power to make your trousers feel a lot tighter than usual. Chewing gum causes you to swallow air, which can get trapped in your digestive system and cause your stomach to expand.16
Dietary changes
Certain foods, like a class of carbohydrates called FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols), can cause bloating, abdominal pain, and discomfort. This is because they’re not digested well and produce gas. Some foods that are high in FODMAPs include dairy milk, beans and lentils, eggs, and wheat products.18
Research shows that a low-FODMAP diet can relieve bloating and abdominal pain. Additionally, carbonated beverages can cause gas, which may worsen your bloating.6,15
Observe how you feel after eating certain foods, to try and understand which foods are causing your bloating. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before making any major changes to your diet.
Get more active
Exercise can be an effective bloating remedy as well. Movement contracts your abdominal muscles, stimulating your digestive tract, and helping to eliminate gas. Break a sweat to keep your digestion in check.17
When to See a Doctor or Pharmacist
There is no cure-all solution for bloating that works for everyone. Talking to a doctor or pharmacist is the best action if you regularly feel that uncomfortable fullness in your abdomen.
With the help of expert guidance, you can identify the root cause of the problem and find the best solution for you, to help you enjoy all the wonders of life without that tummy full of unwanted gas.
MAT-XU-2304708 (v1.0) November 2023
The Dulco Range
A full range of Dulcolax products is available here, including tablets and suppositories.
-
DulcoEase® Capsules
DulcoEase® Capsules are a gentle and effective laxative that gradually relieve constipation. The dual effect action softens poo and stimulates the bowel, resulting in an increase in bowel movements and softer poo that's easier to pass.
Dulcolax® Adult Tablets
Dulcolax® Tablets provide targeted relief that works away whilst you sleep, stimulating your natural bowel movement in harmony with your body. Take at night in the comfort of your own home to make it easier to pass poo when you wake up (between 6-12 hours later). So, you can expect to feel good inside and out.
Dulcolax® Adult Pico Liquid oral solution
Dulcolax® Adult Pico Liquid is a fruit flavoured liquid solution that provides predictable, overnight relief from constipation in 6-12 hours.
Dulcolax® Twelve Plus suppositories
Get fast relief in 10-30 minutes with this quick-acting stimulant laxative. Dulcolax® Twelve Plus 10mg suppositories work quickly to stimulate bowel muscles and soften poo, making it easier to pass.
-
Dulcolax® Adult Tablets
Dulcolax® Tablets provide targeted relief that works away whilst you sleep, stimulating your natural bowel movement in harmony with your body. Take at night in the comfort of your own home to make it easier to pass poo when you wake up (between 6-12 hours later). So, you can expect to feel good inside and out.
Dulcolax® Adult Pico Liquid oral solution
Dulcolax® Adult Pico Liquid is a fruit flavoured liquid solution that provides predictable, overnight relief from constipation in 6-12 hours.
-
DulcoEase® Capsules
DulcoEase® Capsules are a gentle and effective laxative that gradually relieve constipation. The dual effect action softens poo and stimulates the bowel, resulting in an increase in bowel movements and softer poo that's easier to pass.
-
Dulcolax® Twelve Plus suppositories
Get fast relief in 10-30 minutes with this quick-acting stimulant laxative. Dulcolax® Twelve Plus 10mg suppositories work quickly to stimulate bowel muscles and soften poo, making it easier to pass.
Learn more about constipation
Here, you'll find answers to some of the most common questions about constipation. We offer guidance on how to get rid of constipation and how to stay regular.
How does the digestive system work?
Constipation is characterised by uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. Whatever your symptoms and complaints of constipation, it can be very uncomfortable and annoying when it's hard to poo.
Constipation And Diarrhoea: What is the connection?
Constipation is characterised by uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. Whatever your symptoms and complaints of constipation, it can be very uncomfortable and annoying when it's hard to poo.
What is constipation?
Constipation is characterised by uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. Whatever your symptoms and complaints of constipation, it can be very uncomfortable and annoying when it's hard to poo.
What is occasional constipation?
Constipation is characterised by uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. Whatever your symptoms and complaints of constipation, it can be very uncomfortable and annoying when it's hard to poo.
Constipation and Bowel Movement
Constipation is characterised by uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. Whatever your symptoms and complaints of constipation, it can be very uncomfortable and annoying when it's hard to poo.
How to manage occasional constipation in adults
Occasional constipation can happen to anyone from time to time. Because we know how frustrating and stressful it can be, we can help you identify the causes of your constipation. And, best of all, how to prevent it.
How to deal with constipation during pregnancy
Constipation is a common problem in pregnancy. Its symptoms can include infrequent bowel movements, hard and dry poo, or excessive straining. Most people respond to dietary changes or simple laxatives.
How to deal with constipation in children
Constipation is a very common problem for children. It usually isn't a cause for concern, but it can make your little ones feel very uncomfortable.
1. Digesting The Facts Report, Guts UK Charity https://gutscharity.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DigestingTheFactsReport.pdf Last accessed August 2023
2. Poitras, P., 2022. Abdominal Distension and Bloating. In The Digestive System: From Basic Sciences to Clinical Practice (pp. 331-335). Springer, Cham.
3. Bharucha, A. (2021) Constipation, American Gastroenterological Association. American Gastroenterological Association. Available at: https://patient.gastro.org/constipation/ (Accessed: January 9, 2023).
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8. Penn Medicine (2020) Why Do I Feel Bloated? Common Causes of Bloating — and What You Can Do About It, Pennmedicine.org. Penn Medicine. Available at: https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2020/february/common-causes-of-bloating (Accessed: January 9, 2023).
9. Johns Hopkins Medicine (2021) Bloating: Causes and prevention tips, Johns Hopkins Medicine. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/bloating-causes-and-prevention-tips (Accessed: January 9, 2023).
10. Kanazawa, M., Miwa, H., Nakagawa, A. et al. Abdominal bloating is the most bothersome symptom in irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C): a large population-based Internet survey in Japan. BioPsychoSocial Med 10, 19 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-016-0070-8
11. Rose, S. ed., 2014. Constipation: a practical approach to diagnosis and Treatment. Springer Science & Business.
12. Wang, T.C., Camilleri, M., Lebwohl, B., Wang, K.K., Lok, A.S., Wu, G.D. and Sandborn, W.J. eds., 2022. Yamada's Textbook of Gastroenterology. John Wiley & Sons.
13. Corsetti M, Landes S, Lange R. Bisacodyl: A review of pharmacology and clinical evidence to guide use in clinical practice in patients with constipation. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2021 Oct;33(10):e14123. doi: 10.1111/nmo.14123. Epub 2021 Mar 9. PMID: 33751780; PMCID: PMC8596401.
14. Conlon, C.P. et al. (2020) Oxford Textbook of Medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
15. Northwestern Medicine (no date) How to beat the bloat, Northwestern Medicine. Northwestern Medicine. Available at: https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/nutrition/how-to-beat-the-bloat (Accessed: January 9, 2023).
16. Hosseini-Asl MK, Taherifard E, Mousavi MR. The effect of a short-term physical activity after meals on gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals with functional abdominal bloating: a randomized clinical trial. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench. 2021 Winter;14(1):59-66. PMID: 33868611; PMCID: PMC8035544.
17. Camilleri, M., Ford, A.C., Mawe, G.M., Dinning, P.G., Rao, S.S., Chey, W.D., Simrén, M., Lembo, A., Young-Fadok, T.M. and Chang, L., 2017. Chronic constipation. Nature reviews Disease primers, 3(1), pp.1-19.
18. FODMAP diet: What to know. (n.d.). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/fodmap-diet-what-you-need-to-know
19. Khanbhai A and Singh Sura D, Irritable Bowel Syndrome for Primary Care Physicians, British Journal of Medical Practitioners, 2013: BJMP 2023;6(1):a608. Available at https://www.bjmp.org/files/2013-6-1/bjmp-2013-6-1-a608.pdf Last accessed September 2023.