Bloating

Bloating

Deflate the Human Balloon

When was the last time that you saw a guy pull on a pair of snug jeans, look in the mirror and whine that he's bloated? Probably never. Not that guys don't get bloated; when they do, they just shrug it off as the downside of having one too many beers, loosen their belts a notch and figure that it will pass. And it does. Because the main cause of bloating--for either sex--is air swallowed (like when you eat) or air produced by your own body in reaction to high-fiber foods.

If you're feeling bloated and gassy but haven't been drinking any beer or soda, it could be caused by air-containing foods like ice cream. (Think of a pint of Haagen-Dazs as the female counterpart to Budweiser.) And not just any ice cream-- ice cream.

You may also experience bloating right before your menstrual period. Some of the discomfort that many women chalk up to fluid retention may actually be abdominal discomfort from bloating, says Barbara Frank, M.D., gastreoenterologist and clinical professor of medicine at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences MCP-Hahnemann School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

GET RID OF GAS FAST

Until the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, dedicates multimillion-dollar research grants to the study of bloating in women (don't hold your breath), the following advice from women doctors can help deflate your distended abdomen.

Buy a gas de-bubbler. For quick relief of bloating, head to the nearest drugstore for an over-the-counter gas remedy such as Gas X or Phazyme, which contain simethicone, says Melissa Palmer, M.D., a gastroenterologist in private practice in New York City. Or try Charcoal Plus, which contains activated charcoal. Both compounds break up gas bubbles fast.

Chew your food. "The more slowly you eat, and the better your food is broken down, the less likely you are to suffer from gas caused by swallowing air," says Dr. Frank. And the less likely you are to feel bloated.

Clue in to classic "bloat foods." Raw vegetables, cabbage, beans, bagels and pretzels (which are cooked in boiling, bubbly water) also are big gas--and by extension, bloat--producers, Dr. Palmer says.

Soak your limas and lentils. Beans are full of fiber and good for you, so if you want to keep eating limas, lentils or any other members of the bean crowd, soak them in water overnight, says Dr. Frank. The water will drain out some of the gas. "Then, throw out the water and cook the beans in fresh water."

Neutralize bean gas. Not cooking? Beano, available over the counter in liquid or tablet form, is a liquid enzyme that breaks down the indigestible sugars in beans, says Linda Lee, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Just sprinkle several drops right on the beans or take two tablets before you eat.

Shun the sugarless. Sorbitol, a natural sugar used in sugarless gums and candies and many diet sodas, also is hard to digest and causes gas and bloating, Dr. Lee says.

PMS? Skip the chocolate. You want, you crave, you must have chocolate before you menstruate. But do you want it so badly that you're willing to risk getting bloated?

"Be especially sure to monitor symptoms when you eat chocolate, a major cause of that overfull feeling," Dr. Frank says. Why chocolate? Because it contains sugar and dairy, both major sources of gas. And, as it happens, studies have shown that women crave chocolate more than men, especially just before menstruation. If you find that chocolate, or any other food, is a bloating culprit, stop eating it.

Lace up those walking shoes. "If you have bloating from premenstrual syndrome, walking can really help dispel gas," says Dr. Palmer. Light exercise may help relieve that bloated, gassy feeling.

(For practical ways to manage lactose intolerance, which can also cause bloating, see page 336.)