A top GP has urged the public not to ignore long-term bloating—as it is sometimes a ‘hidden’ sign of cancer.
In an Instagram post that’s been viewed more than 150,000 times, Dr Amir Khan listed the most common causes, which include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and food intolerances.
Overeating or eating too quickly, which can cause you to swallow air—a phenomenon known as aerophagia—is also a culprit.
However, Dr Kahn added that in some cases, the uncomfortable symptom—feeling fuller than usual, stomach pain and passing gas more frequently—can be ‘a red flag for certain cancers’.
The doctor, who has 630,000 Instagram followers and regular appears on ITV’s Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, explained in the video: ‘Certain foods are naturally gas producing, particularly vegetables like broccoli and beans.
‘These produce gases in your intestine through gut bacteria digesting and fermenting them.’
One way to avoid this effect, he said, is to gradually increase dietary fiber over a few weeks, to allow your digestive system time to adjust, rather than cutting out healthy foods altogether.
Conversely, Dr Kahn added, not eating enough fiber can lead to constipation.
‘It’s a common cause for feeling bloated. This is where backed up poop in your colon causes recently digested food to stay longer in the intestines waiting to descend.
‘Eventually, everything expands to contain that extra volume leading to bloat.’
Hormonal factors can also play a role, Dr Kahn said: ‘Estrogen and progesterone can each cause intestinal gas by slowing or speeding up the digestive process.
‘Estrogen can also increase water retention which can also make you feel bloated.’
As a result, women may notice that during the second half of their menstrual cycles when progesterone levels are naturally higher, or when hormones are fluctuating during the perimenopausal period, they may feel more bloated than usual.
But, if you find that you are persistently bloated, or feel bloated very regularly, this could be a sign of something more serious.
Bloating can be due to various medical conditions, such as IBS, Crohn’s disease and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), which occurs when there is an abnormal increase in the amount of bacteria in the small intestine.
‘This is where bacteria from the large bowel overflow into the small bowel, and throw the balance of bacteria in the gut off. This can also cause bloating’, Dr Khan claimed.
While there are important differences in terms of how these diseases manifest they are all characterised by parts of the gut becoming swollen, inflamed or ulcerated.
According to Dr Kahn, research suggests up to 75 percent of people with IBS experience bloating.
Alongside bloating, they cause other distressing digestive symptoms, such as cramps, diarrhoea or constipation and blood in the stool.
Fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss are other common symptoms of these inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
However, IBD isn’t always the answer, Dr Kahn warns.
Persistent, unexplainable bloating along with other symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss, fatigue and tenderness in the abdomen or pelvis, may be a red flag symptom of certain cancers.
Pancreatic, stomach, ovarian and bowel cancer are all associated with bloating and abdominal discomfort.
‘It is always worth getting this checked out, whether you have it as a single symptom or if its accompanied by other symptoms like weight loss, blood loss or a change in your bowel habits’, the doctor warned.
Whilst bowel cancer is most common in over 50s, it is becoming increasingly common in otherwise perfectly fit and healthy young people.
While research is yet to identify a specific cause, new research published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, suggests that the rise in young bowel cancers could be partly due to accelerated ageing among younger people.
‘Accelerated ageing’ is a scientific concept which means a person’s body is older than their chronological age or their number of birthdays.
This ageing is thought to be caused at least in part by a mixture of lifestyle choices, such as diet and level of exercise, as well as environmental factors such as exposure to chemicals in food.
Other studies have pointed to dietary exposure to seed oils as the explanation for the 50 percent rise in young bowel cancers.
While a tantalising potential answer, the exact relationship between environmental factors and bowel cancer isn’t yet fully understood.
Researchers have now suggested giving routine blood tests to patients visiting their doctor complaining of bloating and stomach pain could help detect more ‘hidden’ cancer cases.
As such, Dr Kahn stresses the importance of seeing your GP, without delay, even if you experience bloating as a single symptom.
Once you have ruled out more serious causes for feeling bloating, there are always natural remedies which some doctors swear by.
Dr Kahn suggested drinking peppermint tea, taking probiotics, eating more fiber and less ultra-processed foods as well as drinking plenty of water and getting regular exercise could help ease discomfort.
