Bloated right now? A quick-relief checklist

It's 3:30pm, your waistband is digging in, and you have a meeting in 20 minutes. You don't need a long-term plan right now. You need to feel a little better, soon.

Here's a checklist of steps with at least some research behind them, starting with what you can do in the next 10 minutes, followed by what to do if bloating keeps coming back.

In the next 10 minutes

• Stay upright. In a lab study of 8 healthy volunteers, gas moved through the intestine faster when they were upright than when they were lying on their backs. After an hour, about 13 ml of infused gas was retained when upright versus 146 ml when lying down (Dainese et al., 2003). Skip the couch for now.
• Move gently. A 10- to 15-minute walk or a few flights of stairs is plenty. In 8 people with bloating, light intermittent pedaling cut the share of infused gas retained in the gut from 45% at rest to 24%, and their symptom scores improved (Villoria et al., 2006). In healthy volunteers, the same kind of light exercise reduced the increase in waist size from about 8 mm to about 3 mm (Dainese et al., 2004).
• Loosen what's tight. Undo a button or change into something with a softer waistband if you can. It won't change the gas, but it can make you more comfortable.
• Choose still over sparkling. Carbonated drinks add gas of their own.
• Don't hold it in. If you feel the urge to pass gas or have a bowel movement, find a bathroom.
• Take a quick inventory. What did you eat and drink since breakfast? Note anything unusual, such as a large lunch, a fizzy drink or a snack you don't normally have. It won't help this afternoon, but it's useful information for next time.

If you have a quiet 10 minutes

• Try a gentle belly massage. Sitting or lying comfortably, use flat fingers to make slow circles, starting low on the right side of your abdomen, moving up toward the ribs, across under them and down the left side. Keep the pressure light, breathe slowly and stop if it hurts.
• Know what the evidence covers. In a Swedish trial, 60 people with constipation continued their usual laxatives, and half also received abdominal massage. After 8 weeks, the massage group had less severe digestive symptoms, including constipation and abdominal pain, and more bowel movements (Lämås et al., 2009). That was a program over weeks in people with constipation, so treat a single massage as a comfort measure rather than a proven quick fix.
• Stand up afterward. Follow the massage with a few minutes on your feet or a short walk, rather than staying reclined.

For bloating that keeps coming back

• Ask about peppermint oil. A meta-analysis of 9 trials with 726 people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) found that enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules, taken for at least 2 weeks, improved overall symptoms and abdominal pain more than placebo. Side effects were mild and short-lived, and heartburn was the most common one (Khanna et al., 2014). It's a short-term IBS option to discuss with your doctor, not an instant fix, and worth mentioning if you already get heartburn.
• Find your pattern. Rate your bloating from 0 to 10 at the same times each day for two weeks, and note meals, bowel movements and sleep.
• Look at fermentable fibers. Inulin in "healthy" products is a common hidden source of gas.
• Make movement routine. A short walk after lunch builds the "stay upright and move" advice into your day before bloating peaks.
• Check your bowel habits. If you're going less often or straining, constipation may be feeding the bloating, and that's worth addressing directly.

What probably won't help right now

• Lying flat on the couch. Based on the gas transit research above, staying upright and moving is the better bet.
• Another carbonated drink. It adds gas rather than moving it along.
• Skipping dinner and then eating a very large late meal. Keep your next meal moderate instead.
• Taking several new remedies at once. If something does help, you won't know which one it was.

Stop and get medical help if

• Pain is severe, getting worse, or comes with fever
• You're vomiting and can't pass gas or have a bowel movement, which needs urgent care
• Your abdomen is hard and very tender to the touch
• You notice blood in your stool or black stools
• The bloating is new and happens most days, especially with early fullness, pelvic pain or urinary urgency
• You've lost weight without trying

For answers to other common questions, see our FAQ.

Sources

1. Dainese R, Serra J, Azpiroz F, Malagelada JR. Influence of body posture on intestinal transit of gas. Gut. 2003;52(7):971-4. PMID 12801953
2. Villoria A, Serra J, Azpiroz F, Malagelada JR. Physical activity and intestinal gas clearance in patients with bloating. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006;101(11):2552-7. PMID 17029608
3. Dainese R, Serra J, Azpiroz F, Malagelada JR. Effects of physical activity on intestinal gas transit and evacuation in healthy subjects. Am J Med. 2004;116(8):536-9. PMID 15063815
4. Lämås K, Lindholm L, Stenlund H, Engström B, Jacobsson C. Effects of abdominal massage in management of constipation: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Nurs Stud. 2009;46(6):759-67. PMID 19217105
5. Khanna R, MacDonald JK, Levesque BG. Peppermint oil for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2014;48(6):505-12. PMID 24100754

This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. Severe or worsening abdominal pain needs prompt medical care, and ongoing bloating is worth discussing with your healthcare provider.