7 Ways to Get Rid of Bloating and Find Relief Fast

“When I see patients who say they're feeling bloated, the first thing I do is get a dietary overview of what they’re typically eating,” says Huber. He says that lactose intolerance is the most common food intolerance — when your body doesn’t produce enough of the enzyme lactase, it can’t digest a dairy sugar called lactose, leading to bloating and diarrhea. It’s estimated that 68% of humans across the planet have limited ability to digest lactose.

How to get relief: With the wide range of plant-based milks, yogurts, and ice-creams these days (almond, soy, hemp, oat, cashew, pea-protein, and banana, just to name a few), there are plenty of lactose-free choices to splash in coffee or drink up with a stack of Oreos. For those times when only a scoop of real ice cream will do, you can try taking an OTC lactase supplement, such as Lactaid.

Believe it or not, the speed at which you scarf down your food could cause your belly to bloat; the faster you eat, the more air you swallow, sending it down to your stomach, where it will sit uncomfortably like in a party balloon.

How to get relief: “Slowing down when eating is a good idea for all of us,” says Huber. Sitting down to eat, rather than gobbling food on the go, can help you eat more slowly, as well putting down your fork between each bite.

“I always ask patients if they chew gum or tobacco,” says Huber. “Because every time you swallow saliva, you swallow air, which can cause you to feel bloated.” Many gums also contain artificial sweeteners, which can add to your bloating woes.

How to get relief: If you chew gum for fresh breath, switch to a mouthwash or breath spray. If tobacco is your chew of choice, talk to your doctor or go online to come up with a plan to quit for good.

If you guzzle down carbonated beverages — whether it’s seltzer, diet soda, champagne or a six-pack of beer — the gas in the glass can become gas in your belly. Whatever you don’t burp out makes its way down into your intestines, where the gas makes you feel bloated.

How to get relief: Switch to delicious drinks that don’t need carbonation to tickle your taste buds, such as fruity iced tea, lemonade, or red wine.

If you’ve ever noticed how bloated and gassy you feel after eating broccoli or onions, you may be sensitive to a group of short-chain carbohydrates known as FODMAPs (much easier to say than “fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols”). The small intestine isn’t great at absorbing these carbs, so they just sit there, undergoing fermentation and creating gas. FODMAPs encompasses a wide variety of foods, including dairy; fruits such as apples, cherries, peaches, and plums; sweeteners such as honey, agave, xylitol, and sorbitol; vegetables such as asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and garlic; beans such as chickpeas, lentils, and soy; and grains such as wheat and rye.

How to get relief: Talk to your doctor or nutritionist about trying a low-FODMAP diet. “The only way to know if you have an intolerance is to eliminate those foods from your diet for a few weeks,” says Huber. (Don’t worry, there are still plenty of foods you can eat). “I usually have patients try a low FODMAP diet for four weeks and then touch base see if there are any changes.”

If your bloating goes away after you have a bowel movement, there’s a good chance it’s related to constipation, says Huber. The longer your stool sits in your colon, the more time there is for bacteria to ferment its contents, creating more gas.

How to get relief: Huber blames most constipation on the typically low-fiber American diet. Adding fiber-rich foods such as whole-grain bread, almonds, and sweet potatoes to your diet can help. But if you need an extra boost to get things moving, Huber recommends you skip the fiber-based laxatives (which can actually cause even more bloating); instead he suggests you try an osmotic laxative such as MiraLAX, which is stronger than fiber and causes less bloating.

Fluctuating hormones during your cycle can cause you to retain water in the days leading up to your period, which can make you bloated as well as crampy.

How to get relief: Magnesium supplements can help with water retention during your period, as can reducing the amount of salt in your diet. If bloating comes along with other debilitating signs of PMS, such as headaches, fatigue, and other aches and pains, talk to your gyno about hormonal birth control options that can help dial down the symptoms.