What Causes Bloating After Meals?
Bloating after meals can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'troubling' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose bloating after meals, we could:
- Research the topic
- Find a doctor with the time
- Use a diagnostic computer system.
Step 1: List all Possible Causes
We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "bloating after meals" as a symptom. Here are eight of many possibilities (more below):
- Heartburn
- Bacterial Dysbiosis
- Adrenal Fatigue
- Food Allergies
- Delayed Gastric Emptying
- Stomach Cancer
- Atrophic Gastritis
- Ovarian Cancer
Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist
We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:
pain/burning behind breastbone
abnormal vaginal discharge
confirmed delayed gastric emptying
prednisone use
meal-induced pain for under a week
afternoon headaches
bitter taste in mouth
nausea for 1-3 months
sinusitis
poor cold weather tolerance
history of hyperthyroidism
sugar/sweet craving
pain/burning behind breastbone abnormal vaginal discharge confirmed delayed gastric emptying prednisone use meal-induced pain for under a week afternoon headaches bitter taste in mouth nausea for 1-3 months sinusitis poor cold weather tolerance history of hyperthyroidism sugar/sweet craving... and more than 150 others
Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause
A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of bloating after meals:
| Cause | Probability | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Heartburn | 96% | Confirm |
| Atrophic Gastritis | 18% | Unlikely |
| Adrenal Fatigue | 16% | Unlikely |
| Bacterial Dysbiosis | 1% | Ruled out |
| Ovarian Cancer | 1% | Ruled out |
| Food Allergies | 1% | Ruled out |
| Delayed Gastric Emptying | 1% | Ruled out |
| Stomach Cancer | 0% | Ruled out |
* This is a simple example to illustrate the process
Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis
The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.
If you indicate occasional problems caused by eating, regular problems caused by eating or frequent problems caused by eating, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:
|
Does your belly feel full and tight ("bloated") after eating a normal-sized meal?
Possible responses:
→ No / rarely / only if I eat too much / don't know→ Bloating is (also) present before meals → Occasionally - several times a year → Regularly - at least once a month → Frequently - after most or all meals |
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Bloating can occur at any time for IBS sufferers but especially after or during a meal as the digestive system will be under an increased workload. Bloating is extremely common in IBS sufferers, with one study of 337 IBS patients finding that 83% experienced bloating. Therefore, the absence of meal-related bloating would tend to rule out IBS, although not completely.
Lactose Intolerance
"An estimated 50 million Americans experience intestinal discomfort after consuming dairy products. Symptoms include bloating, stomach pain, cramps, gas, or diarrhea." [Postgraduate Medicine 1994;95(1)]
Ovarian Cancer
Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as gas, indigestion, nausea, or changes in bowel movements, are sometimes early warning signs.
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Last updated: Sep 30, 2023