The bloated belly
If I were to make a list of the most common symptoms of patients who have visited my office I would say without a doubt that the most frequent is: the "bloated belly”. Technically called flatulence, it is by far one of the most bothersome symptoms afflicting people who suffer from "irritable bowel syndrome". There is no limit to the imagination of those who try to understand the source of the problem, trying to justify the presence of all this "air" in the belly by being misled by the strangest clichés. So it seems normal that by talking too much, you can swallow air, which then has to travel through seven or more meters of intestine to reach the colon. Apart from the fact that I have never met anyone that was convinced of this to actually try to talk less. In reality very little air ingested can reach the large intestine unless it is introduced in an excessive amount, as in the case of manic gum chewers or carbonated beverage drinkers. Other common doubts are: could I be "celiac"? Or maybe full of parasites? Or Candida? So according to their knowledge, everyone tries to make assumptions.
The fact is that those who suffer from meteorism (intestinal gas formation) or flatulence (emission of gas from the intestines), experience an awkward lifestyle not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also regarding their social life, not to mention the pain linked with abdominal distension. So people living with this disorder deserve the utmost understanding and, of course, the proper treatment.
First we must explain that the gas in the digestive tract is essentially caused by digestion of intestinal contents by the bacteria present. The worse the digestion of foods is, the higher the probability that gas is formed, because the bacterium metabolizes the food residues not yet broken down in the first digestion, during the fermentation and /or putrefaction process. That is to say that by not chewing food properly and by not producing enough saliva when eating, some of the food does not get digested nor do the nutrients get absorbed, but it travels through the digestive tract until arriving in the colon where it is attacked by bacteria, which form part of the intestinal flora. Therefore modifying the way you chew is an important factor for anyone looking to improve their eating habits.
Another important element is enzyme deficiency, both of the stomach and of the digestive glands, that is the exocrine function of the liver and pancreas. This function, which is essential for the absorption of nutrients, can decrease with age and be affected by the type of diet. It is necessary, in this case, to correct the composition of the diet and intervene with the contribution of enzyme supplements.
However, constipation or slow transit is mostly responsible for the formation of intestinal gas. Bloating is present both for those who are constipated and for those who liberate the intestine daily but incompletely. In a spastic colon, frequently associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the gas is formed mainly on the right side of the colon, which is the cecum. It is here that if undigested foods arrive, fermentative and putrefactive bacteria become particularly active, or due to a spasm, i.e. the persistent contracture of the left area of the colon, it slows down the fecal transit and the physiological turnover of the cecal contents does not happen within a normal time. In fact, the stool in the right colon is present in a liquid state and thus easily blends with the flora present; whilst as the feces proceeds gradually towards the rectum it solidifies, becoming increasingly inert from a biological point of view. If transit is particularly slow then ‘goat-like’ feces (pellets) form which is an unmistakable sign of a spastic colon.
From what has been said above, the "bloated belly" can be eliminated by acting on these main factors: chewing, digestion, evacuation and normalization of the intestinal flora. While for the first two factors intervention is relatively easy, resolving the problem of constipation and dysbiosis (alteration of the bacterial flora) is not so prompt. Rebalancing intestinal flora with carminative products or gas absorbents or probiotics is quite a feat. Resolving constipation independently is also not so easy. Therefore the rational way to treat the problem is to undergo Colon Hydrotherapy.
Only the gentle colon cleansing that takes place during a session of Colon Hydrotherapy (CHT) allows you to restore order in the intestine. In fact, an expert operator of CHT can reach the cecum with water infusion, overcoming the areas clogged by hardened feces, the stiffened sections of the intestine, the obstacles associated with the anatomically complex and tortuous bowel. Only when the operator is certain to have travelled throughout the colon up to the cecum with the water, and is sure to have removed the material contained therein, can the procedure be considered effective. In addition, CHT enables a macroscopic diagnosis of intestinal contents to be done, which makes a more precise therapeutic intervention possible.
Once the colon has been cleaned out (I specify that this procedure does not damage the bacterial balance, as it uses only water as a mechanical means of content removal) dietary changes and supplements are implemented and combined with time, the ideal environment is re-established.
Colon Hydrotherapy is currently the best approach to functional problems of the large intestine, provided that the operator acts according to scientific criteria and applies a method which is effective and safe as well as comfortable for the patient. Finally, the problem of the "bloated belly" can be successfully resolved once the patient implements changes in their habits that maintain the benefits acquired with the therapy.
The fact is that those who suffer from meteorism (intestinal gas formation) or flatulence (emission of gas from the intestines), experience an awkward lifestyle not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also regarding their social life, not to mention the pain linked with abdominal distension. So people living with this disorder deserve the utmost understanding and, of course, the proper treatment.
First we must explain that the gas in the digestive tract is essentially caused by digestion of intestinal contents by the bacteria present. The worse the digestion of foods is, the higher the probability that gas is formed, because the bacterium metabolizes the food residues not yet broken down in the first digestion, during the fermentation and /or putrefaction process. That is to say that by not chewing food properly and by not producing enough saliva when eating, some of the food does not get digested nor do the nutrients get absorbed, but it travels through the digestive tract until arriving in the colon where it is attacked by bacteria, which form part of the intestinal flora. Therefore modifying the way you chew is an important factor for anyone looking to improve their eating habits.
Another important element is enzyme deficiency, both of the stomach and of the digestive glands, that is the exocrine function of the liver and pancreas. This function, which is essential for the absorption of nutrients, can decrease with age and be affected by the type of diet. It is necessary, in this case, to correct the composition of the diet and intervene with the contribution of enzyme supplements.
However, constipation or slow transit is mostly responsible for the formation of intestinal gas. Bloating is present both for those who are constipated and for those who liberate the intestine daily but incompletely. In a spastic colon, frequently associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the gas is formed mainly on the right side of the colon, which is the cecum. It is here that if undigested foods arrive, fermentative and putrefactive bacteria become particularly active, or due to a spasm, i.e. the persistent contracture of the left area of the colon, it slows down the fecal transit and the physiological turnover of the cecal contents does not happen within a normal time. In fact, the stool in the right colon is present in a liquid state and thus easily blends with the flora present; whilst as the feces proceeds gradually towards the rectum it solidifies, becoming increasingly inert from a biological point of view. If transit is particularly slow then ‘goat-like’ feces (pellets) form which is an unmistakable sign of a spastic colon.
From what has been said above, the "bloated belly" can be eliminated by acting on these main factors: chewing, digestion, evacuation and normalization of the intestinal flora. While for the first two factors intervention is relatively easy, resolving the problem of constipation and dysbiosis (alteration of the bacterial flora) is not so prompt. Rebalancing intestinal flora with carminative products or gas absorbents or probiotics is quite a feat. Resolving constipation independently is also not so easy. Therefore the rational way to treat the problem is to undergo Colon Hydrotherapy.
Only the gentle colon cleansing that takes place during a session of Colon Hydrotherapy (CHT) allows you to restore order in the intestine. In fact, an expert operator of CHT can reach the cecum with water infusion, overcoming the areas clogged by hardened feces, the stiffened sections of the intestine, the obstacles associated with the anatomically complex and tortuous bowel. Only when the operator is certain to have travelled throughout the colon up to the cecum with the water, and is sure to have removed the material contained therein, can the procedure be considered effective. In addition, CHT enables a macroscopic diagnosis of intestinal contents to be done, which makes a more precise therapeutic intervention possible.
Once the colon has been cleaned out (I specify that this procedure does not damage the bacterial balance, as it uses only water as a mechanical means of content removal) dietary changes and supplements are implemented and combined with time, the ideal environment is re-established.
Colon Hydrotherapy is currently the best approach to functional problems of the large intestine, provided that the operator acts according to scientific criteria and applies a method which is effective and safe as well as comfortable for the patient. Finally, the problem of the "bloated belly" can be successfully resolved once the patient implements changes in their habits that maintain the benefits acquired with the therapy.
