Every year from December 1 to December 7, Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week is commemorated. It aims to raise awareness on the difficulties people suffering from these illnesses encounter. Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract, whereas ulcerative colitis affects only the colon or large intestine. However, both conditions are categorized as inflammatory bowel illnesses (IBD), which can result in severe cramping, agonizing discomfort, unexpected weight loss, and other life-altering symptoms.
IBD affects an estimated 1.6 million Americans, according to the most recent statistics. In fact, more than 70,000 new cases of IBD are diagnosed in the United States each year. Although Crohn’s and colitis are chronic diseases, symptoms can be controlled with medical treatment and lifestyle changes. Patients can enhance their general health by learning as much as they can about these conditions.
Crohn’s disease is named after the clinician who originally reported it in 1932. Crohn’s disease can cause inflammation anywhere in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, from the mouth to the anus, but it is most commonly found in the lower small bowel and upper colon. Patches of inflammation can infiltrate the intestinal layers from inner to outer lining and spread out between healthy regions of the gut. Crohn’s disease can also affect the mesentery, a network of tissue that connects the small bowel to the abdomen and houses the main intestinal blood arteries and lymph glands. It affects around 500,000 Americans. Crohn’s disease often affects persons in their late teens, early twenties, or early thirties. This illness, however, can occur at any age. It affects both men and women equally. Crohn’s disease can also potentially affect children.
Causes
There is no known reason why people get Crohn’s disease. However, some things may make you more likely to get the condition, such as:
Autoimmune disease – It’s possible that bacteria in your gut will make your immune system fight healthy cells.
Genes – Often, people in the same family get inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Having a parent, child, or other family member with Crohn’s may make you more likely to get it yourself. People who have certain mutations (changes) in their genes may be more likely to get Crohn’s disease.
Smoking – You’re two times more likely to get Crohn’s disease if you’re a smoker.
Symptoms
People with Crohn’s disease can have times when their symptoms are severe (called flare-ups) and times when they are not there at all or very mild (called remissions). You may be in remission for weeks or even years. It’s impossible to know when flare-ups will happen. Some of the signs that you might have Crohn’s disease are:
Abdominal pain
Chronic diarrhea.A feeling of fullness
Fever
A loss of your appetite
Weight loss
Abnormal skin tags (usually on your buttocks)
Anal fissures
Anal fistulas
Rectal bleeding
Types of Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is a blanket term, there are actually five types of crohn’s disease and they’re split up depending on what part of your digestive tract is affected.
Ileocolitis
Ileocolitis is the most typical variety of Crohn’s disease, in which the inflammation occurs in the small intestine or a portion of the large intestine. The symptoms emerge slowly and increase over time. In some circumstances, a patient may be pain-free for weeks or months before a significant flare-up occurs without warning.
Ileitis
The ileum, or the lower part of the small intestine, becomes inflamed with ileitis. Although ileitis is most commonly associated with Crohn’s disease, it can also be caused by other illnesses. Consuming contaminated food products can result in infectious ileitis. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) can also harm the small intestine. Because ileitis can occur for reasons other than Crohn’s disease, it’s critical to see a gastroenterologist to determine the exact source of the inflammation and avoid costly delays and errors in treatment.
Gastroduodenal
This is an uncommon type of Crohn’s disease that affects the stomach and the duodenum, which is a short C-shaped tissue that extends from the stomach. Abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting are the most prevalent symptoms. Chronic inflammation also causes scar tissue to develop, leading the stomach outlet to constrict. Chronic anemia can develop as a result of gastrointestinal blood loss in some circumstances. Endoscopy with biopsy may be recommended by your doctor to discover any abnormalities such as thickened folds and ulcerations in the duodenum in order to diagnose gastroduodenal Crohn’s disease.
Jejunoileitis
This is an uncommon variant of Crohn’s disease in which the jejunum (middle part of the small intestine) becomes inflamed. Jejunoileitis is more common in people in their 20s. During the first year after being diagnosed with jejunoileitis, a surgical treatment called strictureplasty is frequently required. Long-term healing prospects are generally favorable following surgery, with anti-inflammatory medications assisting persons in remaining symptom-free.
Crohn’s Colitis
Crohn’s colitis arises when a part or your entire colon gets inflamed. This often leads to bloody diarrhea and sores around the anus. When an ulcer grows beyond the intestinal wall, an irregular connection termed a fistula forms between the gut and another organ. Depending on the location, fistulas might restrict the bowel from absorbing food, although they frequently occur around the anal area. When a fistula becomes infected, an abscess occurs. An abscess is a pocket of infected fluid or pus surrounded by inflammatory tissue.
Crohn’s Diagnosis
Most people with Crohn’s first see a doctor because they have diarrhea, stomach cramps, or weight loss that they can’t explain. Your doctor might order one or more of these tests to find out what’s wrong with you:
Blood test – A blood test looks for lots of white blood cells, which could mean there is an infection or inflammation. Anemia, or having too few red blood cells, is also checked for by the test. About one-third of people who have Crohn’s disease also have anemia.
Stool test – A small amount of your stool is used in this test to look for bacteria or parasites. It can rule out illnesses that cause diarrhea that doesn’t go away.
Colonoscopy – Your doctor looks at the inside of your colon with an endoscope, which is a thin tube with a light and camera connected to it. A biopsy is a way for your doctor to get a piece of tissue from your gut to look for signs of inflammation.
CT scan – The digestive system is shown on a CT scan. It lets your doctor know how bad the inflammation is in your intestines.
GI endoscopy – An endoscope is a long, thin tube that your doctor puts through your mouth and into your throat. Your doctor can see inside because it has a camera linked to it. It’s possible for your doctor to take tissue samples during an upper endoscopy.
Upper GI exam – X-ray images let your doctor watch as a barium liquid that you swallow moves through your digestive system during an upper GI exam.
Treatment
How you are treated for Crohn’s disease depends on what is making your symptoms worse and why you have them. The goal of treatment for Crohn’s disease is to get you into remission, keep you in remission, and take care of any problems that come up over time. If you have Crohn’s disease, your doctor may suggest one or more of these treatments:
Antibiotics – Antibiotics can help or stop infections. Infections can cause abscesses, which are pus-filled sacs. can also create fistulas, which are holes or tunnels that connect two organs that don’t usually go together.
Anti-Diarrhea medication – Medications like imodium can be used to treat severe diarrhea caused by crohn’s.
Biologics – Monoclonal antibodies are used in these medicines to lower the immune reaction.
Bowel rest – In order to help your bowels heal, your doctor may tell you to not eat or drink for a few days or longer. To get the food you need, you might get it through an IV (parenteral feeding). During this time, you should only drink a certain juice or have a feeding tube.
Corticosteroids – Other corticosteroids, like cortisone and prednisone, reduce the swelling that comes from having an inflammatory disease.
Immunomodulators – By stopping the immune system from working too hard, these drugs calm inflammation.
Surgery – Crohn’s disease can’t be cured with surgery, but it can help with complications. If your intestines have holes, blockages, or bleeding, you may need surgery to fix the problem.
What Is Colitis?
The colon is the main part of your large intestines. Colitis is swelling in the colon. The last part of your digestive system that food goes through is the intestines. The intestines can become inflamed, which can change how this journey ends, giving you pain, diarrhea, and sometimes blood in your poop. When you get an infection or hurt, your body’s reaction is inflammation. The tissues in your body swell and hurt because of it. Different kinds of colitis are caused by different things. There are some that only last a short time and are easy to treat, like a bacterial condition from eaten food. These are called inflammatory gut diseases, and they last longer and are harder to treat. When colitis doesn’t go away, it’s worse. Over time, a bad case can do a lot of damage to your colon. It makes your life less good too.
Colitis Symptoms
Symptoms vary depending on the type and severity of your condition but the common symptoms are:
Abdominal pain
Bloated stomach
Urgent diarrhea
Mucus or blood in your poop
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Nausea
Vomiting
Fever
Fatigue
Anemia
Dehydration
Malnutrition
Causes and Types
Depending on what type of colitis you have there are different causes.
Infectious Colitis
An infection with a virus, a parasite, or bacteria can cause infectious colitis. Most of the time, Salmonella and E. coli are to blame. The main way most people get it is by eating or drinking water or food that is tainted. Most of the time, it only lasts a short time, but some people may need drugs to get better.
Pseudomembranous colitis
A certain type of bacteria called C. diff (clostridium difficile) is usually to blame for this type of colitis. It’s interesting that a lot of people get pseudomembranous colitis after taking medicines. The bacteria C. diff usually lives in your intestines, but some drugs kill off other bacteria that keep it in check, which lets C. diff get too big.
Allergic Colitis
Babies who are fed breast milk can get allergic colitis. It’s caused by intolerances to foods, most often to soy milk or dairy milk (lactose intolerance). Proteins that people who breastfeed give to their kids through breast milk.
Ischemic Colitis
Ischemic colitis can happen if your intestines don’t get enough blood. This is called intestinal ischemic syndrome. A blood clot, an aneurysm, or atherosclerosis (a buildup of plaque) can block your blood vessels and cause ischemia.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
IBD stands for inflammatory bowel diseases, which are a group of conditions that make your gut swell and hurt all the time. Some of these are Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and microscopic colitis. This condition doesn’t have a clear cause. They are thought to be a type of autoimmune disease, which means they mess up your immune system and make it fight its own tissues. Autoimmune diseases seem to be caused by both genes and things in the surroundings.
Radiation Colitis
It can happen after getting radiation treatment, which is used to treat some types of cancer. It’s usually only brief, but some people have symptoms that last for a long time.
Diversion Colitis
Some people who have had a colostomy can get diverticulitis as a side effect. This takes place in the stomach part that isn’t being used. Doctors think that if you move your stool away from that part of your bowel, the cells there might not get some nutrients they need to stay healthy. Some people get implications from it, but not many.
Colitis Complications
When you have serious, long-term, chronic colitis, you usually end up with complications. Some of them are:
Perforation
When you have chronic inflammation, the walls of your colon get weaker, which makes them more likely to break. If you have an ulcer in your colon, it could wear a hole all the way through. This could let bacteria from your gut get into your abdominal cavity (peritonitis) and maybe even your bloodstream (septicemia), which can lead to sepsis.
Toxic Megacolon
When your inflammation is very bad, the walls of your colon can dilate (widen), which can stop its normal muscle contractions (peristalsis). This can block your large intestine and keep food and gas inside. Because of obstruction, the abdomen swells and hurts, and the risk of injury goes up.
When you have inflammation for a long time, your colon wall’s cells change, and these changes can sometimes turn into cancerous changes. After ten years of having severe colitis, the risk goes up very quickly.
Increased Risk Of Inflammatory Diseases
It’s more likely for people who have inflammatory bowel diseases to also have inflammatory diseases in other parts of their bodies. Osteoarthritis (inflammation of the joints) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (inflammation of the liver and bile tubes) are two examples. It looks like inflammation that isn’t under control in one place could start a similar process in another place.
Diagnosis
Inflammatory diseases in other parts of the body are more likely to happen to people who have inflammatory illnesses in their thighs. One example is osteoarthritis, which is inflammation of the joints, and the other is primary sclerosing cholangitis, which is inflammation of the liver and bile tubes. It looks like inflammation that isn’t under control in one area could cause the same thing to happen in another.
Treatment
How you treat colitis depends on what kind it is and what caused it. It could be:
Medications – To treat infections, your doctor may give you antibiotics, corticosteroids, immune modifiers, or aminosalicylates. To treat inflammation, corticosteroids, immune modifiers, or immune modifiers.
Diet – A low-fiber, easy-to-digest diet may help you if you have short-term, severe colitis. If you have chronic colitis, you might need a food plan that is just for you. You might need to stay away from foods that make your colitis worse and eat other foods or take pills to make sure you get enough nutrition.
Surgery – Some types of colitis, like necrotizing enterocolitis, ischemic colitis, and IBD, can lead to problems that may need surgery to fix. Even though surgery doesn’t always cure these conditions, it may be needed to stop the bleeding, fix a hole, or clear out a blockage.
Find A Plan With EZ
We know that being told you have Crohn’s or Colitis can be scary and stressful. You will have to make big changes in order to manage your chronic condition. . It also means that you have to take care of your health all the time. Your health insurance should pay for all of your new treatments and the things you’ll need to deal with your problems.
It is possible to get the insurance you need with EZ.Insure. Our qualified agents work with the best insurance companies across the country to find you the best rates based on your needs and budget. Take advantage of this completely free service and let us take the stress away from having to search for the right insurance. Just type your zip code into the box above, or give us a call at 877-670-3557.
Did you know that approximately 1 in 500 Americans are living with a stoma, or a surgical opening in the body created for the discharge of bodily waste? According to the United Ostomy Association, more than 500,000 Americans have had an ostomy, which is surgery that creates a stoma in order to treat certain diseases of the digestive or urinary tract. There are 3 different kinds of ostomies; colostomies are the most common type, and leave those who undergo the surgery with a colostomy bag to collect waste removed from their body. But are colostomy bags a temporary fix or are they permanent?
What Is A Colostomy?
Colostomy occurs when a part of your colon needs to be removed, leaving a stoma.
A colostomy is surgery that removes a part of the colon that is diseased or has been damaged by illnesses like inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or diverticulitis. During the procedure, surgeons will create an opening, called a stoma, and bring out a portion of the large intestine through the belly so that waste has an alternative way to leave the body after the diseased part of the colon is removed. To collect that waste, a plastic pouch, or colostomy bag, will be fitted over the stoma to collect the stool that leaves through the opening.
This kind of surgery will keep you in the hospital for a few days to a week. While there, you will be taught how to change your colostomy bag and keep the skin around the stoma clean.
Is a Colostomy Bag Permanent?
There are 4 different types of colostomies, and the type of surgery you have will generally determine if your colostomy bag is going to be temporary or permanent. If the colostomy is performed due to injury, then in most cases the colostomy bag will be a temporary fix while your body heals. However, if you have colon cancer and you need to have surgery to remove your colon, the colostomy bag might be permanent.
You can have a temporary colostomy bag for weeks, months, or even years depending on the condition. Your colostomy bag might become permanent if you are diagnosed with:
In order to prevent leakage from your colostomy bag, The American College of Surgeons recommends changing the bag when it is between ⅓ and ½ full. How often you will need to change your colostomy bag will depend on the size of the bag: the smaller the bag, the more frequently you will have to change it, while bigger bags will need to be changed less often and can last overnight. When it is time to change the bag, you will need to :
Wash your hands with antibacterial soap.
Push down on your skin and peel the bag from the stoma.
Remove the bottom of the bag and empty it into a toilet.
Clean the stoma with a washcloth, warm water and soap.
Pat the area dry.
Attach the new bag with adhesive on the outside of the stoma.
Washing and drying the stoma completely is key to avoiding the most common problem of redness and soreness. If the skin is ever raw, red, or leaking fluid, you will need to contact your doctor right away.
Life With A Colostomy Bag
You can still exercise, shower, and have sex with a colostomy bag.
While being given a colostomy bag is a huge life change that can feel overwhelming in the beginning, you can still live a normal life with one. You will most likely be able to eat the same things you ate before, shower, take baths, have sex, and exercise after you get clearance from your doctor. As we stated, colostomies are more common than you think, but if you are embarrassed, uncomfortable, or just don’t want people to know that you have a colostomy bag, you can hide it. The pouches are small and flat enough to hide under your clothes, and they are made to trap odors. No one needs to know you have one, unless you want them to!
A health condition that requires a colostomy can occur at any time: you could get an infection or abscess, or an injury to your colon that causes a partial or complete blockage of the large bowel. In these cases, surgery, and a colostomy bag after the surgery, will be required in order to save your life, and if you do not have good health insurance, you will face a large bill.
Having the right health insurance plan can make a situation like this less scary, because you know you will get the best care and won’t have to worry about bills afterwards – after all, you will have enough on your plate adjusting to a colostomy bag!If you are looking to compare health insurance plans in your area, EZ can do so for free. We work with the top-rated insurance companies in the nation and can compare quotes and plans at no cost to you. We will find the best plan for your budget and medical needs.To get started, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak to a licensed agent, call 888-350-1890.
There’s no doubt about it: women have extraordinary abilities, including an intense sense of smell and the ability to see more colors and use more brain function than men. However, with the good comes the bad, which can include being diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer, going through menopause, and experiencing more gastrointestinal issues than men do. In fact, women are more likely to get bloated and experience discomfort and irregularity, and are twice as likely to have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). There is no clear explanation as to why women are at higher risk, but scientists believe it could be due to hormones.
Abdominal pain and cramping are common signs of IBS.
IBS Explained
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is not something that even doctors can clearly explain, because there are so many different variables and symptoms. It is a chronic disorder that includes a collection of symptoms that have been going on for at least 6 months, and occur at least 3 times in a month. Symptoms include:
If you meet the criteria for IBS, your doctor might refer you to a gastroenterologist. In some cases, depending on your symptoms and other factors, your provider may recommend a flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, which will allow them to examine your colon in more detail. Both procedures will require a scope to be entered into the rectum to view the colon.
Different Types Of IBS
There are 3 different types of IBS:
IBS with constipation (IBS-C): Most of your stool is hard and lumpy.
IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D): Most of your stool is loose and watery.
IBS with mixed bowel habits (IBS-M): You have both hard and lumpy bowel movements and loose and watery movements on the same day.
Although researchers and scientists don’t know exactly what causes IBS, there are a few reasons why they think IBS is more common in women. For one thing, according to the American Psychological Association, women tend to be more stressed than men, which can throw off the balance of their gut health. Hormones could also be to blame, and women with IBS might find that symptoms flare up during their periods.
In addition, some studies have shown that the gastrointestinal (GI) system behaves differently in women because of sex-related features in the brain. According to a study conducted in 2015 by Tanja Babic, a researcher at Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, “Women are more likely to develop gastrointestinal disorder than men, but very little research has been done to investigate the reasons behind this. Females also show differences in brain structure and function compared to males, including higher levels of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid), an inhibitory neurotransmitter.”
Babic explained, “Since GABA influences the activity of neurons that control digestion, I wanted to investigate whether GABA activity in these neurons is different in males and females. If we can selectively change the activity of these neurons in females, we would have a potential therapeutic target for better treatment of GI disorders in women.” To investigate her theory, she used rats to measure nerve signals in the brain and the nerves’ responsiveness to the signals. She found that the female rats in her study received more signals that suppressed the intestinal movement of food than the males did.
Eating small meals at regular hours can help relieve some IBS issues.
Treatment Options
Although there is no real treatment for IBS, if you are experiencing symptoms, there are some things you can do to help reduce flare-ups and manage your condition. Lifestyle changes that can help manage IBS include:
If all else fails, your doctor may prescribe medication to help relieve symptoms like constipation or diarrhea.
The Cost of Treatment
If you need to see a specialist, like a gastroenterologist, need a colonoscopy to make sure nothing serious is going on in your colon, or need to get medication to manage your IBS symptoms, you will need a good health insurance plan. If you don’t have one, all of this could cost you hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars out-of-pocket. This will only lead to more stress, which could make your IBS symptoms worse. Having the right insurance plan will help you better manage your condition, and not have to worry about the costs.
If you’re looking for a plan, or want to upgrade your current plan, come to EZ. EZ.Insure works with the top-rated insurance companies in the country, and our licensed agents can compare plans in your area instantly at no cost to you. Affordable health insurance is possible when working with an EZ agent. We will go over your medical and financial needs, and we guarantee to find you a plan that suits your needs. To compare free quotes, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak with one of our licensed agents, call 888-350-1890.
Ok, the holidays have been over for weeks and weeks now, so it’s getting harder to blame that uncomfortably swollen belly on a cookie-induced food baby. Don’t worry, though, that distended belly is most likely caused by simple bloating (and don’t feel bad about it – nobody has a completely flat belly ALL the time, no matter what Instagram says). Bloating is very common: at least 16 – 30% of people say they experience it regularly.
Not to be confused with water retention, bloat is the result of having extra gas in your system due to swallowing air or eating certain foods, so the culprit is most likely something in your diet. If that’s the case, it’s an easy enough fix: the first step is to know which foods are likely to cause bloating, and which ones might help you relieve it.
Other Causes of Bloating
Bloating can be caused by a number of different medical conditions, but can also be caused by the foods you eat.
Before we look at the most likely causes of bloating, we should mention that there are other possible reasons behind your uncomfortable belly. If you feel very bloated every single time that you eat, you may want to speak to your doctor about it. According to Rachel Doyle, RDN, “It could be a sign that something is out of whack with your gut health and digestion.” More serious causes behind excessive bloating include:
In most cases, though, dealing with a bit of bloat is a matter of some dietary tweaks. Now, it can be tough to know exactly what is triggering your belly bloat, so there may be a little bit of trial and error involved. “A food that causes bloating for your friend might not do the same for you and vice versa,” as Rachel Doyle points out. “That being said, there are some common culprits.”
Foods That Bring the Bloat
Legumes – Yes, we all know the rhymes dedicated to beans, the magical fruit. There’s a reason these classy poems exist: most legumes, which includes beans and lentils, contain sugars called alpha-galactosides and fiber, both of which can cause bloating. Alpha-galactosides belong to a group of carbs knowns as FODMAPs (fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols). FODMAPs are short-chain carbohydrates that escape digestion and are then fermented by gut bacteria in the colon. Gas is a byproduct of this process. Some people tolerate this fermentation better than others; some, unfortunately, experience uncomfortable bloating, so if you’re one of them, experiment with taking some of these foods out of your diet one at a time.
One thing to consider is that legumes are chock full of protein and nutrients (fiber being a necessary one, despite its tendency to cause tummy trouble), so try not to cut them out of your diet completely. If they’re really causing you trouble, try lighter colored lentils, black beans, or pinto beans (all of which may be easier on your digestive system) and soak them if possible. If you’re looking to add more protein into your diet without the beans, try quinoa.
Cruciferous veggies – This is not an excuse to feed your greens to the dog, but cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, arugula, and cabbage contain a sugar called raffinose, which can cause gas, according to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders. On the other hand, these veggies are extremely good for you, so instead of cutting them out altogether, try eating smaller portions, eliminating one at a time to see which bothers you, or cooking them to get rid of some of the raffinose. And if you really need a break from these nutritional powerhouses, supplement your diet with other nutritious veggies like spinach, sweet potatoes, and zucchini.
Apples – An apple a day keeps the doctor away, for more reasons than one, apparently. While apples are undeniably healthy, they also contain fructose and fiber, which can ferment in the large intestine and cause gas and bloating. Apples are also considered a high FODMAP food. Try cooking them (mmm…applesauce!), or switching to other fruits like strawberries, bananas, or blueberries.
Processed/packaged foods – Bet you can’t eat just one potato chip, right? The reason? Sodium (ok, and the crunch)! Processed foods tend to be so hard to put down because they’re salty; they also cause bloating for the same reason. While sodium technically is causing water retention because it holds onto water, the results are the same: swelling and bloating. Try to limit high-sodium processed foods – it’s better for your health to do so, anyway!
Fatty foods – Some fats are good for you; others, less so. Foods high in saturated fat are not great for you and should be limited; they can also cause bloating because they take longer to digest than other foods. According to Kristin Gillespie, RD, a certified nutrition support clinician, “Because these move more slowly through the GI tract, this can result in bloating.” Try to limit your saturated fat intake to less than 10% of your daily calories.
Wheat can cause bloating, especially if you have celiac disease.
Dairy – Think lactose intolerance isn’t a thing? Think again: around 75% of the world’s population can’t break down lactose, the sugar in dairy products like milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream (the horror!). This struggle to break down lactose can cause – you guessed it – gas and bloating. The one exception might be yogurt (more on that below). Fortunately, nowadays there are a lot of alternatives to straight-up dairy products, like lactose-free products and dairy alternatives made with soy or nuts.
Wheat – Here’s a controversial one, but it is true that wheat is a major source of FODMAPs, and gluten, the protein found in wheat, can also cause digestive discomfort in people with a gluten sensitivity (or, more seriously, celiac disease). As with dairy, there are tons of gluten-free alternatives to wheat like oats, quinoa, buckwheat, and almond and coconut flours.
Foods That May Help Beat the Bloat
Yogurt – Most dairy can be a real belly buster, but yogurt is the exception. According to Gillespie, “Containing probiotics, which help to regulate digestion and improve overall GI health, yogurt can help prevent bloating.” Just make sure to look for products that tout “live, active cultures,” and avoid sugary varieties, as too much sugar can contribute to bloating (and all that sugar kind of cancels out the health benefits of that lovely yogurt!)
Cucumbers – While you’re slicing up cukes for your under-eye puffiness, slice up a few for your puffy belly, too! Cucumbers contain quercetin, a flavonoid antioxidant that helps reduce swelling. According to Cynthia Sass, RD, MPH, “Cucumbers have been shown to inhibit the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes.”
Asparagus – Ok, yeah, it makes your pee smell, but it also just makes you pee, period. The aspargine in it is a diuretic, which helps you flush out salt and water and relieve discomfort and bloating. Asparagus also contains prebiotics, which help support the growth of ‘good’ bacteria, as well as soluble and insoluble fibers, which helps promote overall digestive health.
Bananas – Foods high in potassium, including bananas, kiwis, pistachios, and avocados, prevent water retention by regulating sodium levels in your body, meaning they can reduce salt-induced bloating. Bananas also have soluble fiber, which can relieve or prevent constipation, which could also be behind your bloated belly.
Peppermint tea can help get rid of the gas that causes stomach bloat.
Papaya – The enzyme in papaya, papain, helps break down proteins in your GI system, which makes digestion easier. Like cucumbers, it is thought that papaya has anti-inflammatory properties. They also have fibers that support a strong digestive tract. Try freezing it and blending it into a delicious smoothie!
Peppermint tea – After a big meal, or when you’re feeling bloated, sit back with a nice, hot cup of peppermint tea, which can relax GI muscles. This helps dissipate the gas that causes your stomach to bloat.
If you’re experiencing the bloat, you’re definitely not alone! But there are strategies to help keep it at bay. Experiment with removing the above foods, but remember, there’s no need to cut them all out for good – figure out which are causing you trouble, and go from there! And if you’re experiencing persistent digestive problems, talk to your doctor about trying a low FODMAP diet, or about other possible causes to your discomfort. You can beat the bloat!
Ischemic Colitis
Toxic Megacolon
