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Sometimes stomach bloating is an aggravating part of life. Indulging in a delicious, rich, carb-filled meal will often result in bloating, gassiness, and abdominal pain to make you feel uncomfortable for hours. You may think there’s little you can do except wait it out, hope it goes away soon, and wear elastic pants until it does.
But bloating does not have to control your life, your day, or your wardrobe. We’ve got a few great tips on how to eliminate bloating, including recommendations from a doctor for how to diffuse the problem, and fast.
According to Dr. Anne Nedrow who spoke with Health.com, one of the best ways to combat bloating is by simply placing a hot water bottle on your tummy—what could be easier than that? Eating plenty of foods that are filled with fiber, including berries and flax seeds, can also be beneficial to keep float from occurring in the future.
In order to understand bloating, it’s important to get a handle on the root cause of it. The most common culprits include overeating and eating foods like beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, soda, beer, and even chewing gum. Believe it or not, simply inhaling too much oxygen during a meal can cause the stomach to extend and bloat. Eating too fast can also result in a painful stomach from bloating because we tend to overeat when we don’t take our time. When eating, you must allow your brain to receive a signal from your stomach that you’re full.
Other causes of bloating can actually come from stress, which Nedrow says causes your body to divert blood away from the digestive system when you’re eating and direct it to large muscle groups elsewhere in your body. There are also more potentially serious causes of bloating, like irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease (if you are dealing with other symptoms or suspect IBS or celiac, be sure to head over to your doctor’s office right away), but those are far less common.
Most of the time, bloating is not serious and does not require professional attention–it can just be extremely uncomfortable and even embarrassing (though there’s nothing to be ashamed of). Because sitting around with stomach pains is no way to spend your afternoon, it helps to keep these four tips in mind for eliminating bloat fast.
You never know when you’re going to need them.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint has properties that can relax tense muscles in your body, including the muscles needed for digestion. If you’re feeling bloated, try brewing a cup of peppermint tea, which can relieve abdominal pain and may even help with conditions like IBS.
Celestial Seasonings Herbal Tea Peppermint ($10.71)
This caffeine-free herbal peppermint tea packet comes with 40 tea bags and is made with non-GMO ingredients.
Hoosier Hill Farm Dry Crystallized Ginger ($19.68)
Ginger is in a class of herbs called carminatives that can soothe the digestive tract and help soothe your stomach if you’re experiencing bloating and pain. You can brew tea using fresh ginger or cook with ginger in a variety of ways. If you need a quicker fix than that, try snacking on these dried crystallized ginger pieces.
New Electronic Massage Pillow Massager ($45.23)
The power of massage therapy is well known, but few probably think to apply it to your abdominal area when you experience bloating and pain. The heat and circular kneading massage provided by this massage pillow (which can also be used on your neck, shoulders, and back) warm your achy muscles and loosen tension, which also helps relieve bloating. Not only does it feel amazing, it’s a discreet device that can be applied under your clothing while you are in the car or just at home.
Nature's Bounty Gas & Bloating Formula Probiotic GX Capsules ($13.28)
Perhaps you’ve tried every herbal and message method out there and are still experiencing bloat. You may need to step up your supplement regimen by including a quality probiotic that can combat gas, bloat, and inflammation. Probiotics contain billions of live cultures that attack “bad” bacteria in your gut to promote digestion. This probiotic supplement contains a strain of probiotics studied by gastroenterologists.
Learn more about how to control bloating by checking out 4 anti-inflammatory foods experts swear by to de-bloat and 4 vitamins doctors swear by for fast bloating relief on SHEFinds.com.
