When can a distended upper abdomen occur?

A bloated upper abdomen most often occurs after a meal. Especially when eating hastily, it can lead to increased air being swallowed. However, the symptoms often do not occur immediately but with a delay of up to several hours.

The food must first pass through the stomach. Afterwards it is in the intestine and can be decomposed here with gas formation. While some air is naturally produced during digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, this gas formation is greatly increased in some people.

In most cases there is an intolerance to certain foods. Attention should be paid to the foods after which the symptoms occur. Keeping a dietary diary can be helpful here.

In addition to the food consumed, it is noted when and how intensively flatulence of the upper abdomen occurs. This often allows conclusions to be drawn about the foods responsible and, by means of appropriate, conscious nutrition, the occurrence of a bloated upper abdomen can be avoided. Coffee consumption is harmful to the gastrointestinal tract in many ways.

The best known effects of coffee on digestion are the acceleration of digestion and the liquefaction of stool. Furthermore, coffee consumption stimulates hydrochloric acid production in the stomach, which in the long term can lead to considerable discomfort such as heartburn, stomach ulcers and changes in the mucous membranes of the stomach and oesophagus. The increased hydrochloric acid also has an effect on the digestive processes in the downstream sections of the intestine.

It leads to the production of considerably more gases than products of digestion, resulting in an inflated stomach with discomfort and pain. Many women fear being pregnant with an inflated upper abdomen. However, bloating of the abdomen due to an adolescent child does not develop in a short period of time and cannot disappear quickly either.

In principle, a woman’s abdomen swells continuously with each month of pregnancy. Mostly, however, other symptoms such as a lack of menstruation, morning nausea or water retention will appear before the pregnancy. Very rarely does a pregnancy go unnoticed and is only noticeable by a slow swelling of the abdomen.

If a pregnancy is suspected, a pregnancy test can provide certainty. In case of uncertainty, a doctor can also be consulted. The menopause describes the period before and after the last menstrual period in the woman, which can last over 10 years and is associated with various symptoms.

The physical symptoms are caused by hormonal changes that occur due to the monthly cycle being interrupted. The hormonal changes and thus the symptoms can begin several years before the onset of menopause. The hormone oestrogen decreases considerably, which means that other hormones can also decrease or increase. In particular, an increase in the body’s own stress hormone “cortisol” can lead to digestive problems, which can be accompanied by diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, nausea and flatulence. Changes in the digestive processes cause more intestinal gases to be produced, which can lead to a significantly inflated upper abdomen and cause unpleasant pain.