Uncomfortable and socially embarrassing, abdominal bloating and gas are unfortunately a common occurrence. The average American passes produces between 1 to 4 pints of gas per day, according to the National Digestive Diseases Clearinghouse. Still,...
Healthy arteries have an elastic quality that helps distribute blood from the heart to organs and tissues of the body. When the arterial walls are rigid, the heart has to work harder to distribute blood to the body. Arteriosclerosis is often...
Hardening of the arteries is caused by the accumulation of plaques, remnants of cholesterol that collect within the vessel walls and prevent the flow of blood, eventually leading to stroke, heart attack and death. This condition, called...
One of the most common causes of abdominal distension is overeating, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Abdominal distension is the swelling of the bowels due to excess gas, which may result from eating too much or eating...
Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruit, vegetables and honey. Man-made fructose is also used as a sweetener in many food products. According to Medline Plus, hereditary fructose intolerance, where the enzyme for breaking down...
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...
In a consensus paper written for the journal Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, Dr. Henry Buchwald points out that about a third of Americans are obese. Obesity is considered a chronic disease and a risk factor for many other diseases such...
Abdominal distention in infants can be result from normal causes and from various health conditions. One cause of abdominal distention that occurs quite frequently in infants and does not indicate a health problem is swallowing excess air. This is...
A distended colon is a colon that has become greatly enlarged in size, giving rise to the alternate name of megacolon. Several factors can cause a distended colon, such as an intestinal obstruction in which the intestines become physically blocked...
Constipation is the inability to pass stools, or the passage of hard, dry stools. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases defines constipation as having a bowel movement less than three times in a week. Constipation is...
Flat abs help you fit better into your clothes and feel more confident in a swimsuit. Bloating and distension at the stomach area often causes discomfort and makes you appear heavier and out of shape. In addition to participating in cardiovascular...
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, occurs when the muscles of the walls that line the intestines contract with greater force and longer duration than normal. In some cases, this causes foods that you've eaten to move more quickly through the...
Irreversible damage to liver cells that results in the formation of tough fibrous tissue in the liver describes cirrhosis. Cirrhosis leads to the permanent destruction of the liver tissues and is a progressive disease. In early stages, the...
A distended abdomen and nausea after eating may be caused by overeating and other habits, as well as a variety of health problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance or an intestinal blockage. If your abdomen hurts to the...
The digestive system is set up to be a one-direction pathway: certain anatomical structures act as one-way valves along the way. One of these structures--the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES--is located at the end of the esophagus, just before...
Water accounts for roughly 60 to 70 percent your body. Your body requires a steady supply of fresh water to replenish losses in your urine, stool and sweat. Although your body can process and eliminate several gallons of water each day, quickly...
Bloating, pressure and distension are common gastrointestinal side effects that can be linked to a variety of causes. While some cases of stomach pressure are caused by minor symptoms -- such as gas or stomach cramps -- others can be indicative of...
Bowel cancer is a common disease. It can range from a small nodule found on colonoscopy to metastatic disease in which the cancer has spread to multiple organs throughout the body. Treatment depends on how far the cancer has progressed, in other...
Fructose is the sugar present in fruits and honey. Malabsorption symptoms are often misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease or lactose intolerance. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Food and Nutrition...
Creases on your stomach are usually due to excess fat. When you sit, your stomach may fold a certain way causing crease marks to appear. Even if you are not overweight, the cellulite on your stomach can become creased. According to MayoClinic.com,...
Just about everyone experiences hiccups, also known as hiccoughs or singultus. Most people experience them as an amusing interlude or an embarrassing inconvenience, but for some, hiccups can persist for months with serious side effects. Causes...
When the digestive system doesn't work properly, discomfort develops, creating indigestion, heartburn and gas. Large meals, improper diet, eating foods you're allergic to and eating too quickly may cause problems. The typical dose of homeopathic...
Sorbitol is a natural sugar-alcohol, or polyol, naturally found in some fruits but also used as a sweetener in sugar-free products, while lactose is mostly found in dairy products. These two short-chain sugars share the particularity of being...
Arteriosclerosis is a form of cardiovascular disease and is often confused with another form of cardiovascular disease called atherosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is a general disease term that defines hardening of the arteries--blood vessels that...
A flat stomach prevails as one of the most aesthetically pleasing sights. In the fitness industry, a variety of nutritional products claim to create the perfect set of abs, yet sometimes all the diet and exercise in the world appears to have no...
Collard greens are generally considered a healthy food due to their high content of dietary fiber and vitamin C. As part of the cabbage family, collard greens are also a low-calorie food. However, the high fiber content of collard greens can lead...
The liver is a complex organ that carries out many important functions in babies. Located in the right upper part of the abdomen, the liver helps detoxify the body from noxious drugs and substances. It also stores vitamins and minerals, produces...
Of all the changes that occur in a woman's body during pregnancy, the most physically apparent is the abdominal distension that accompanies a growing baby. Pregnant women are all different, and while some may look relatively small throughout their...
Bloating is a general symptom referring to the distension and fullness of the abdomen. The causes of bloating can be varied such as lactose intolerance, constipation and abdominal tumors. As a citrus fruit, lemon has many culinary and medicinal...
