That bloated feeling

WOMEN will from time to time complain about feeling bloated and uncomfortable around the time of their periods or when they are taking specific medications. General, laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon Dr Alfred Dawes said this sensation of bloating could be all over the body, or may be primarily concentrated in the abdomen.

“Bloating may be due to water retention or a back-up of gas and faeces in the abdomen causing abdominal distension,” he said.

While Dr Dawes agreed that women are prone to getting bloating around the time of their periods because of the excess water retention and the abdominal distension caused by hormones relaxing the bowel walls, he also said other causes could be due to kidney, liver problems, hormones that cause a retention of water in the body, and tablets that may cause water retention, such as pain killers.

“In kidney problems, the kidney is not getting rid of water completely and you have a back-up. With a liver problem, it may cause water to leave the blood vessels and go into the space between the tissues and underneath the skin,” Dr Dawes said.

He also explained that if you are healthy, but you are having symptoms of bloating, it is likely that your bowels are the issue and you may have a problem with bowel evacuation [release] leading to back-up of waste matter.

“This may cause a protuberant abdomen and this is the only time we would recommend a flush or a wash-out,” Dr Dawes said.

He further explained that if the problem is with your gastrointestinal tract, having more water, vegetables and fruits, which provide roughage, may assist with the evacuation of your bowels and reduce the sensation of bloating.

— KIMBERLEY HIBBERT