Bloating and Burning in the Stomach: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

The feeling of burning, gnawing, full, or uncomfortable sensation in your stomach during or after a meal isn’t very unfamiliar. This may be accompanied by feeling bloated, along with burping and gassiness. Generally, such occurrence of indigestion or dyspepsia is intermittent. However, this condition of functional dyspepsia is commonly long-lasting and indicative of an underlying gastrointestinal or lifestyle problem. Several things can cause burning and bloating in your stomach, but thankfully, these can be identified and there are ways to treat them.

What are the symptoms that you may be experiencing?

• Bloating
• Cramping in the abdominal area
• Burping
• Gassiness
• Growling and burning sensation in your stomach
• An uncomfortable fullness after or even during your meal
• Pain in your belly
• A bitter, acidic taste in your mouth
• Nausea
• Vomiting (in extreme cases)

These symptoms may be worsened by stress or anxiety. You may also experience indigestion with acidity or heartburn, a burning sensation in the chest due to stomach acids rising up your oesophagus.

What causes discomfort in your stomach?

1.Gastritis

Excessive acidity in your stomach can cause inflammation of your stomach lining. This leads to the sensation of burning in the stomach. You may also feel:

• An uncomfortable fullness in the stomach after meals.
• Nausea
• Vomiting

2.Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)/ Acid reflux

Stomach acids flowing up the food pipe to your oesophagus is called acid reflux or GERD. During reflux, you may feel:

• A burning sensation in your stomach or chest
• Chest pain
• Coughing
• Difficulty in swallowing

3.Certain foods triggering a reaction

Certain foods can affect you in a way that leads to symptoms similar to GERD or acid reflux. These foods can also worsen existing GERD. Foods that can trigger gastrointestinal problems are:

• Dairy: People who are lactose intolerant cannot digest dairy products well. This can lead to bloating, burning in the stomach, diarrhoea, and gas.
• Gluten: People with gluten intolerance are not able to digest foods with gluten, a protein found in foods such as wheat, barley, rye, and their derivatives. This can cause bloating, gas, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and nausea.
• Alcohol: Can irritate the stomach lining, intestine, and digestive tract and cause burning in the stomach and gastritis.
• Caffeine/ caffeinated foods, fatty and fried foods, chocolate, citrus fruits, spicy foods, certain substances like mint flavouring, and certain vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, eggplants, and bell peppers can cause excessive acidity in the stomach and irritate your stomach lining to cause GERD-like symptoms.

4.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

IBS is a common intestinal disorder that causes stomach burning and abdominal pain. It can also cause:

• Diarrhoea
• Cramping and bloating
• Gas
• Nausea
• Constipation

5.H. Pylori infection

Heliobacter pylori (H. Pylori) is a bacterial infection of the stomach. The infection rapidly increases acid levels in the stomach and can cause:

• Severe cramping
• Excessive acidity
• Burning in the stomach
• Bloating, gas
• Frequent burping
• Nausea

Unless treated, H. pylori can very quickly develop antibiotic resistance. Consequently, it is a leading cause of stomach ulcers and also increases the risk of developing stomach cancer.

6.Gastroparesis

A condition that is common with diabetics, gastroparesis occurs when food stays in the stomach for too long and the stomach doesn’t empty properly. This can cause:

• Heartburn
• Bloating
• Pain in the belly
• Burning and feeling uneasy in the stomach
• Vomiting undigested food
• Upset stomach

7.Ulcers

Ulcers are sores that develop in the upper part of the intestines and in the stomach lining. The most common symptom is stomach burn. This is usually accompanied by:

• Burping
• Bloating
• Heartburn
• Feeling very full
• Nausea

8.Medications

Certain medicines can cause stomach burning and gastrointestinal problems. These include:

• Non-steroid anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs): Pain medication such as ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen, and other pain relievers.
• Oestrogen and birth control medicine
• Steroid medication
• Certain antibiotics
• Thyroid medicines

9.Lifestyle factors and eating habits

Habits related to your lifestyle can trigger burning and bloating in your stomach and worsen other gastrointestinal problems. These include:

• Smoking
• Frequent consumption of alcohol
• Stress
• High-fat foods and an unhealthy diet
• Eating too much food or too fast, especially under stress

Treatment for bloating and burning in the stomach

Stomach discomfort that does not resolve by itself within a few days requires a medical intervention by a doctor. Your gastroenterologist may ask you detailed questions about your symptoms, habits, and diet. The doctor may also perform a physical exam, a stool test, an x-ray, or an endoscopy (a procedure that allows your doctor to look inside your stomach using a camera fitted to a long tube) to diagnose you accurately.

Your treatment plan will depend on the underlying cause of your gastrointestinal issue.

• Gastritis, acid reflux, IBS, and ulcers: Your doctor will prescribe you medication to relieve your symptoms. Some of these problems can be alleviated with over-the-counter (OTC) medicines as well.
• Gastroparesis: Your doctor will prescribe you medication to stimulate stomach muscles and also to control nausea/ vomiting.
• H. pylori infection: Following a diagnosis by an endoscopy or a breath test, your doctor will immediately put you on a course of antibiotics and medication to control your symptoms of acidity.
• NSAID-triggered symptoms: If your doctor deduces that your symptoms are caused by NSAIDs, you will be recommended alternate pain relievers such as paracetamol.

Preventing indigestion, burning, and bloating

Taking preventive measures to avoid foods or lifestyle habits that trigger burning and bloating are effective ways to prevent stomach pain. You should:

• Eat slowly, relax, and take your time to chew your food.
• Eat smaller and more frequent meals that do not tax your stomach too much.
• Limit the consumption of oily, fried, and greasy food.
• Avoid foods that can irritate your stomach, especially in case you suffer from lactose intolerance and celiac disease (gluten intolerance).
• Limit your consumption of spicy foods.
• Avoid foods that are highly acidic in nature, such as citrus fruits and tomatoes.
• Avoid drinks and food that contain caffeine.
• Manage stress with therapy, medication, and relaxation techniques.
• Stop or avoid smoking.
• Limit or avoid your alcohol consumption.
• Maintain a healthy body weight.
• Wait at least 2-3 hours after your meal before sleeping or lying down for a long duration.
• To avoid night time symptoms, elevate your head while sleeping. Instead of raising your pillow (which might actually put added pressure on your stomach and worsen heartburn), it is advised to raise the legs of the head posts of your bed by around 6 inches.

Burning and bloating in the stomach is a common problem caused by underlying gastrointestinal problems, medication, certain foods, and lifestyle problems. Though these triggers can have similar symptoms, these problems can be treated by identifying the cause. You should not ignore the symptoms of a burning or bloated stomach if it occurs persistently. It is important to reach out to your doctor or a gastroenterologist to correctly and timely diagnose your problem and start a treatment plan. Book an appointment to consult the best gastroenterologists in Bangalore at the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Sagar Hospitals.