Having a distended stomach along with gas and bloating can make for an uncomfortable afternoon. If you've eaten lunch and suffer from these symptoms, besides loosening your belt, consider what may be the source of the discomfort to avoid future afternoons of low productivity and discomfort.
Potential Causes
A very large meal can cause your stomach to distend. Over time, as your body digests your lunch, the distension will diminish. If the distension is accompanied by gas and bloating, look at what you've eaten. Carbonated beverages all contribute to distension, gas and bloating. In addition, if you eat your lunch too quickly, you can ingest air as you swallow, which causes distension and bloating. Look also at how you eat. Using a straw can also cause you to swallow air, potentially causing gas, stomach distension and bloating.
Treatment
Taking an antacid helps treat your afternoon discomfort. However, if the gas and bloating are caused by your speed or method of eating, you'll need to change how you eat lunch. Slow down when eating, eat smaller portions or drink directly from a cup or glass, to avoid post-lunch gas and bloating. If your problem is not belching, but flatulence, you may have an issue with the foods you're eating. Keep track of what days you suffer symptoms and what you ate for lunch to evaluate with your health care provider.
Other Conditions to Consider
Lactose intolerance can manifest as gas and bloating, typically followed by diarrhea. Lactose intolerance is an acquired food intolerance. As you age, your body naturally produces less lactase enzyme to help digest lactose, a natural sugar present in dairy products. If your lunch contained a large selection of dairy, you may be developing an intolerance to lactose. Consult your doctor, or remove dairy from your diet for a month to test your tolerance. Reintroduce dairy into your diet and see if the gas and bloating return.
Severe Pain
If the discomfort becomes severe pain as the afternoon progresses, you may need medical attention. Appendicitis begins as minor abdominal discomfort and then localizes to the right hand side of the abdomen with severe pain. Ectopic pregnancy may also start as gas and bloating, becoming sharp and painful. Both these conditions require immediate medical attention. If the pain persists and becomes severe, contact your health care practitioner for guidance.
