Abdominal distension (patient information)

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Charmaine Patel, M.D. [2]

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What are the symptoms of (disease name)?

• Passing an excessive amount of gas or burping too frequently.
• Abdominal bloating.
• Cramping abdominal pain.
• Feeling of fullness in the stomach.
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Pre-menstrual or menstrual discomfort.

What causes abdominal distension?

• Air swallowing (a nervous habit)
• Constipation
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Lactose intolerance and other food intolerances
• Overeating
• Small bowel bacterial overgrowth
• Weight gain

More serious causes of abdominal distension or bloating are:

• Ascites which is fluid that accumulates in the belly.
• Tumors
• Celiac disease, which is a condition caused by an allergy to a component of food called gluten.
• Dumping syndrome, which is a syndrome causing gastrointestinal side effects due to a tumor.
• Ovarian cancer
• When the pancreas is not able to make enzymes needed for digestion (pancreatic insufficiency)

Who is at highest risk?

• Female gender
• High body mass index or high BMI

When to seek urgent medical care

By themselves, gas-symptoms are not worrisome or indicative of any underlying serious condition. A visit to the doctor may be helpful if the symptoms are very bothersome and there are other associated symptoms that may benefit from further testing and or treatment. Symptoms that should be further evaluated by a doctor include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract and sometimes heartburn.

Diagnosis

Depending on your symptoms, the diagnosis of the cause of your abdominal distension may include the following:

• Laboratory studies - such as blood tests to check for a disease called celiac sprue, and to check your liver function.
• Imaging studies - X-rays of the stomach and the small intestine.
• A procedure to look inside the esophagus and the intestines - colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy or an upper endoscopy.
• A lactose tolerance test - to determine whether lactose intolerance is the cause of your bloating.
• An examination of your stool - to look for blood, the amount of fat present, or whether you have a parasite called giardia.
• A pregnancy test.