How To Eliminate Bloat Fast, According To A Doctor

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.