Bloating

Bloating
Specialty	Gastroenterology
Symptoms	Blood in stool Weight loss Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Stomach pain
Duration	A few hours to days
Causes	Overeating Menstrual cycle Food intolerance Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Gas-producing foods Ultra-processed foods Hormones
Risk factors	Diarrhea Vomiting Unintentional weight loss
Prevention	Eating high fiber foods Drinking water Exercise
Treatment	Most cases don't require serious medical treatment Over-the-counter drugs
Frequency	10–25% of healthy people 75% of women experience bloating before or during their period 10% Experience bloating regularly[citation needed]

Abdominal bloating (or simply bloating) is a short-term disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract.^[1][2] Bloating is generally characterized by an excess buildup of gas, air or fluids in the stomach. A person may have feelings of tightness, pressure or fullness in the stomach; it may or may not be accompanied by a visibly distended abdomen.^[3] Bloating can affect anyone of any age range and is usually self-diagnosed, in most cases does not require serious medical attention or treatment.^[4][5] Although this term is usually used interchangeably with abdominal distension, these symptoms probably have different pathophysiological processes, which are not fully understood.^[6]

The first step for the management is to find a treatment for the underlying causes that produce it through a detailed medical history and a physical examination. The discomfort can be alleviated by the use of certain drugs and dietary modifications.^[4]

Bloating can also be caused by chronic conditions and in rare cases can be a reoccurring life-threatening problem.^[7]