Coal swelling
What do we mean by bloating?
Bloating is a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, an increase in abdominal volume, increased gas production, sometimes accompanied by pain, loss of appetite and abdominal cramps.
What questions should I be prepared to ask if I go to the doctor with abdominal bloating?
Long-standing, painful and/or abnormal abdominal bloating can not only make life miserable, but can also be a symptom of more serious illnesses and should be investigated.
If you consult one of our specialists with abdominal bloating, you should be prepared to answer the following questions :
- How long has the bloating persisted?
Do you experience abdominal pain or cramps? - Can abdominal bloating be linked to the consumption of any food?
- Has your daily routine changed, your eating habits, are you taking any new medication?
- Do you regularly drink alcohol, what and how much?
- Has your stool changed in colour, consistency, volume or become greasy?
- Is there a feeling of not defecating after defecation?
- Did you see any blood or drool in your stool?
- Do you experience nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite?
- Is there weight loss, fatigue?
How is abdominal bloating investigated?
There are a number of ways to investigate abdominal bloating, most of which can be done at the ProctoMed Center:
- Stool culture, digestion test, blood in stool, stool pancreas specific elastase-1, stool bile acid test.
- Hydrogen (H2) challenge test: detects lactose sensitivity, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, small intestinal motility and can also rule out fructose sensitivity.
- Food Detevtive test: a 45-minute food intolerance test using 1 drop of finger prick blood for 46 types of food.
- Abdominal ultrasound scan: shows major tumours, abdominal conglomerates, abscesses, intestinal wall thickness, intestinal distention, intestinal wall stratification.
- Stomach and duodenal ultrasound (to detect tumours, polyps, inflammation, bleeding, Helicobacter infection, celiac disease, malabsorption).
- Rectoscopy, colonoscopy.
