Swollen stomach

Swollen stomach is one of the most common conditions and refers to the stomach bloating or abdominal distention. Swollen stomach may also represent the swelling of only a part of the abdomen.

Symptoms of swollen stomach

The most obvious sign of this condition is enlarged stomach and usually this swelling is accompanied with a feeling of heaviness, fullness and fatigue. These symptoms typically appear when one overeats and after digestion, the symptoms disappear. However, when the swelling occurs in the lower abdomen, it may indicate that some more serious condition occurred, such as bowel infection, water retention, or something else.

Causes of swollen stomach

Swollen stomach is a condition that may have many underlying causes and one of the most common causes for the occurrence this problem is irritable bowel syndrome. This gastrointestinal disorder manifests itself through abdominal pain, bloating and mucus in stools. Furthermore, those people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome may experience irregular bowel movements marked by constant alternation of constipation and diarrhea. Another cause responsible for the appearance of swollen stomach is ovarian cyst in women, which is a fluid-filled cyst in the follicle that encloses the ovum. It becomes larger and does not burst to release the ovum. In the majority of cases, ovarian cyst is not serious condition, although there are cases when it must be surgically removed. Uterine fibroid is a condition marked by the benign growth of smooth muscle in the uterus. In most cases, uterine fibroids do not manifest any symptoms, but when they appear, the most common signs are swollen stomach, pelvic pressure and pain during menstruation.

There are many people who are intolerant to lactose, which happens because they suffer from enzyme lactase insufficiency. This enzyme is required for the lactose digestion. When people who are lactose intolerant consume, for example, a milk product, several symptoms may emerge, but the most common signs are swollen stomach, diarrhea, abdominal pain and gas. Constipation is also one of the causes that may lead to the swelling of the stomach. Constipation can be acute or chronic and is characterized by the rare bowel movements with dry and hard stools. One of the reasons responsible for the occurrence of abdominal distension is the intestine malabsorption of the nutrients from the digested foods. Several medical conditions may be causes for this malabsorption, such as, cystic fibrosis, pernicious anemia and celiac diseases. However, when this occurs, one of the most common symptoms is swollen stomach.