When you feel swollen, tight, or overly full after eating—even if you didn’t overeat—you’re dealing with postprandial bloating, the uncomfortable sensation of abdominal fullness or swelling that happens after meals. It’s not normal, and it’s not just "gas." It’s your digestive system struggling to process what you ate, and it’s happening to way more people than you think. This isn’t about occasional indigestion after a big holiday meal. This is recurring, predictable, and often tied to what you eat, how you eat, or how your gut functions.
Food intolerance, a reaction to certain foods that doesn’t involve the immune system like an allergy is one of the biggest culprits. Lactose, fructose, FODMAPs—these aren’t just buzzwords. They’re real triggers. If you get bloated every time you have dairy, fruit, or beans, your body might not have the enzymes to break them down. Then there’s gut health, the balance of bacteria and function in your digestive tract. A disrupted microbiome, slow motility, or even low stomach acid can turn a normal meal into a bloating nightmare. And let’s not forget abdominal distension, the visible swelling that sometimes accompanies bloating. It’s not all in your head—it’s fluid, gas, or food sitting where it shouldn’t.
What’s missing from most advice? Quick fixes like peppermint tea or antacids don’t fix the root. You need to connect the dots: what you ate, when it happened, how long it lasted, and whether stress or eating speed played a role. That’s why the posts below aren’t just about remedies—they’re about patterns. You’ll find real cases where bloating turned out to be linked to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, silent celiac disease, or even medication side effects. Others show how switching to low-FODMAP meals or adjusting meal timing made a measurable difference. No fluff. No guesswork. Just what works, based on actual patient experiences and clinical insights.
By the end of these posts, you won’t just know what causes postprandial bloating—you’ll know how to track it, test it, and finally stop treating the symptom and start fixing the cause.
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors like acarbose help control post-meal blood sugar but often cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Learn how to manage these side effects and when to consider alternatives.