How To Reduce Bloating Immediately?
Learn how to reduce bloating, its causes and long term tips to prevent further bloating. This article explores efficient yet effective ways to treat bloating.
Written by Dr.Sonia Bhatt
Last updated on 3rd Jul, 2025
Introduction
Bloating is a common and uncomfortable feeling that many of us experience from time to time. It can make your stomach feel full, tight, or swollen, often accompanied by gas or mild pain. While bloating is usually harmless, it can be bothersome and affect your daily activities. The good news is that there are simple and effective ways to reduce bloating quickly.
What Causes Bloating?
Bloating occurs when excess gas accumulates in your digestive tract, or if your stomach holds on to too much water. Some common causes include:
Eating too fast: When we eat too rapidly, we swallow excess air that gets trapped in our digestive tract, leading to gas and bloating.
Gas-producing foods: Foods such as beans, lentils, broccoli, cabbage, and carbonated drinks have compounds that get fermented in the gut leading to gas and bloating.
Overeating: Eating a big meal can stretch the stomach beyond its natural limit, creating a sense of fullness, strain, and bloating.
Food intolerances: Sensitivities to substances like lactose in dairy or gluten in wheat can trigger inflammation and gas production in the digestive system, resulting in bloating for susceptible individuals.
Constipation: If bowel movements are less frequent, the stool can spend more time in the colon, leading to more fermentation and gas production, which can result in bloating.
Hormonal factors: Women may experience temporary bloating due to hormonal changes prior to or during their menstrual period that affect fluid retention and bowel motility.
Dehydration: Insufficient water intake can paradoxically lead to the body retaining fluid in an attempt to prevent further dehydration, contributing to a bloated sensation.
Consult Top Gastro Doctors
How to Reduce Bloating Fast?
If you're feeling bloated and want quick relief, try these simple and natural remedies:
1. Sip on Warm Water or Herbal Tea
Warm liquids help relax your digestive system and ease bloating.
Peppermint, ginger, or chamomile tea can soothe your stomach and reduce gas.
2. Take a Short Walk
Light physical activity like walking helps move gas through your intestines.
A 10–15-minute walk after meals can prevent bloating.
3. Try Gentle Abdominal Massage
Rub your stomach in a circular motion (clockwise) to help release trapped gas.
This stimulates digestion and reduces discomfort.
4. Avoid Carbonated Drinks and Chewing Gum
Fizzy drinks add extra gas to your stomach.
Chewing gum makes you swallow air, worsening bloating.
5. Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals
Large meals can overload your digestive system.
Opt for smaller portions throughout the day to prevent bloating.
6. Limit High-Sodium Foods
Excess salt causes water retention, leading to bloating.
Avoid processed snacks, canned foods, and salty sauces.
7. Try Yoga Poses for Digestion
Child’s Pose, Wind-Relieving Pose (Pawanmuktasana), and Cat-Cow Stretch can help release gas.
8. Stay Hydrated
Drinking enough water prevents constipation and flushes out excess sodium.
Aim for at least 8 glasses of water daily.
9. Avoid Artificial Sweeteners
Sugar alcohols (like sorbitol and xylitol) found in sugar-free products can cause bloating.
10. Use Over-the-Counter Remedies (If Needed)
Simethicone (Gas-X) helps break down gas bubbles.
Probiotics improve gut health and reduce bloating over time.
Long-Term Tips to Prevent Bloating
If bloating is a frequent problem, consider these lifestyle changes:
Eat Slowly & Chew Well: By eating slowly and chewing your food well, you can not swallow as much excess air, one of the common causes of bloating and discomfort.
Food Triggers: A food diary can help you detect food triggers that constantly lead to bloating, which can help you make dietary changes.
Eat Plenty of Fiber (But Slowly): The good news is that fiber speeds up the transition to a vegetarian diet, with a few caveats: Once you start adding a lot of beans and other plant foods to your diet, it is best to do so slowly, due to the risk of digestive upset and bloating from a sudden increase in fiber consumption.
Stay Active: Regular exercise soothes digestion and can help prevent bloating by keeping things moving smoothly through your system.
Reduce Stress: Stress can wreak havoc on digestion and lead to bloating, so find stress-relieving practices that you can weave into your day.
When to See a Doctor?
While occasional bloating is normal, consult a doctor if you experience:
Severe or continuous bloating: You should consult a doctor if your bloating is severe, doesn’t go away, or happens often because it could signal a serious health problem.
Unexplained weight loss: If you are experiencing bloating in conjunction with unintended weight loss, see a doctor, as the pair could indicate an underlying medical condition.
Blood in your stool: If you start to see blood in your stool next to bloating, you should seek medical intervention right away as it may indicate a digestive system issue.
Change in bowel habits: If bloating is consistently accompanied by significant bowel habit changes like persistent diarrhoea or constipation, it’s wise to have this checked out with a health professional.
Severe abdominal pain: Depending on the severity of the abdominal pain in conjunction with the bloating, this should be seen by a doctor to ensure there are no serious underlying causes.
These may be signs of an underlying condition like IBS, celiac disease or food intolerances.
Book a Consultation with Apollo 24|7
If bloating is impacting your quality of life, don’t be afraid to seek medical advice. For personalized advice, speak to a gastroenterologist or nutritionist on Apollo 24|7. Simply book an appointment via Apollo 24|7 app and get treated from the comfort of your home with the help of experts.
Conclusion
Though mildly annoying, bloating can also usually be addressed with relatively easy home remedies, and in most cases can be helped with minor modifications in eating and lifestyle habits. Making these small adjustments may help reduce bloating and even prevent it from returning. Listening to your body, hydrating regularly, and practicing mindful eating all go a long way in promoting digestive health.
Consult Top Gastro Doctors For Bloating
Consult Top Gastro Doctors
Dr Harish K C
Gastroenterology/gi Medicine Specialist
15 Years • MBBS MD DM MRCP(UK) (SCE-Gastroenterology and Hepatology)
Bangalore
Manipal Hospital, Bangalore
Dr. Paramesh K N
Gastroenterology/gi Medicine Specialist
16 Years • MBBS, MS ( General Surgery), DNB ( Surgical Gastroenterology)
Hyderabad
Sprint Diagnostics Centre, Hyderabad
Dr Rohit Sureka
Gastroenterology/gi Medicine Specialist
19 Years • MBBS, DNB General Medicine, DNB Gastroenterology
Jaipur
Triveni Gastro Care, Jaipur
Dr. Vijay Rai
Gastroenterology/gi Medicine Specialist
19 Years • MBBS,MD General Medicine,MD GASTROENTOLOGY
Kolkata
Livgastro, Kolkata
Dr. Gorantla Sarath Chandra
Gastroenterology/gi Medicine Specialist
15 Years • MD, DM (Gastro)
Hyderabad
Star Hospital, Financial District, Hyderabad
(225+ Patients)
Consult Top Gastro Doctors For Bloating
Dr Harish K C
Gastroenterology/gi Medicine Specialist
15 Years • MBBS MD DM MRCP(UK) (SCE-Gastroenterology and Hepatology)
Bangalore
Manipal Hospital, Bangalore
Dr. Paramesh K N
Gastroenterology/gi Medicine Specialist
16 Years • MBBS, MS ( General Surgery), DNB ( Surgical Gastroenterology)
Hyderabad
Sprint Diagnostics Centre, Hyderabad
Dr Rohit Sureka
Gastroenterology/gi Medicine Specialist
19 Years • MBBS, DNB General Medicine, DNB Gastroenterology
Jaipur
Triveni Gastro Care, Jaipur
Dr. Vijay Rai
Gastroenterology/gi Medicine Specialist
19 Years • MBBS,MD General Medicine,MD GASTROENTOLOGY
Kolkata
Livgastro, Kolkata
Dr. Gorantla Sarath Chandra
Gastroenterology/gi Medicine Specialist
15 Years • MD, DM (Gastro)
Hyderabad
Star Hospital, Financial District, Hyderabad
(225+ Patients)