Even though it’s a normal physiological process the body goes through, bloat can be a real bummer. As you said, bloat can make your clothes feel too tight, and that can impact how you feel, both physically and mentally.
Bloat happens because the body has excess gas or air floating around in it. This can happen for several reasons, such as when you eat too fast or chew a lot of gum, which makes you swallow air. But there are other reasons you may experience bloat, such as having your menstrual cycle if you’re a woman. Your digestive tract may also be unable to process what you’re eating.
If your bloat is a result of digestion, look at your diet. For example, greasy and fried foods often cause bloat because the digestive tract has trouble processing the volume of fat and can’t empty the stomach fast enough. As a result, food sticks around longer, creating gas and bloat.
Even if you’re not overdoing it on fried foods, you may have a food sensitivity. Those who are lactose intolerant can’t properly digest dairy because it ferments in the gut and produces bloat. There are also foods that are high gas-producing foods, including beans and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale. If you find certain foods tend to lead to bloat later, try eliminating them from your diet to see if it helps.
When bloat does happen, it typically lasts a few hours. There’s no remedy to instantly deflate your stomach, but there are some over-the-counter medications that can lessen bloat. You can try simethicone (Gas-X), which helps break up gas bubbles in the body, or an enzyme, alpha-d-galactosidase (Beano), which aids in breaking down those high gas-producing foods.
The best things you can do daily to keep bloat at bay is to eat a high-fiber diet and exercise. Together, these two steps should keep your bowel movements regular. If you keep food moving through the digestive tract, there’s less of a chance for gas to build up and cause bloat. Fiber also prevents constipation, another reason you tend to bloat.
If you’re having regular bowel movements and your bloat is a standalone issue, the above strategies (and, when needed, OTC meds) will reduce how often bloat shows up and how puffy you feel.
Keep in mind that bloating can also occur due to other causes such as irritable bowel syndrome and bad bacteria in the gut. Therefore, if you experience bloating with significant abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, change in bowel habit, rectal bleeding, loss of appetite, or weight loss, this is not normal and should be brought to the attention of a health care provider immediately.
