Do you feel like undressing after dinner? The reason is often far from romantic.

The dinner was more than enjoyable: delicious food, exquisite wine, and a charming date. And suddenly you feel an irresistible urge to reach under the table and undo this stubborn button… but not because you can’t wait to be alone with your partner. Rather, you feel so bloated that your jeans or skirt begin to feel two sizes small.

To put it mildly, bloating is not fun. When we eat, bacteria in the gut help digest food. A byproduct of this process is a certain amount of gas. This is normal. But when the gas cannot move through digestive tract efficiently (as in case of constipation), gas builds up causing bloating and discomfort.

What we eat and drink has a major impact on the volume of gas produced in the gut. Somewhat surprisingly, large volume of gas is generated by digestion of what is commonly considered healthy foods: beans, certain fruits and vegetables (e.g., cabbage, carrots, apricots), and whole grains. In many cases, bloating can be substantially reduced or even eliminated by changing dietary habits and by avoiding drinks that make us swallow air, such as carbonated beverages.

Bloating can also be a symptom of a common condition called Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS. While most people experience digestive troubles once in a while, what sets IBS apart is belly pain and diarrhea (IBS-D) or constipation (IBS-C) that come back again and again. IBS is very common, affecting 10% to 15% of people in North America. For some reasons that are not yet fully understood, women are substantially more likely to be diagnosed with IBS than men. One possible explanation is that men are culturally conditioned not to bring up what they believe is a “small issue” with their doctors.

This is a mistake. Whether you are a woman or a man, IBS is a serious condition and should not be left without medical attention. If your (or your partner’s) bloating is associated with frequent pain, constipation/diarrhea, or blood in discharge, bring these symptoms to your doctor without delay. Fortunately, doctors have a wide array of treatments that could be applied, and new, potentially more effective, medications are being developed by pharma companies.

Boston Clinical Trials is proud to offer a new study focusing on IBS-C. For more information about IBS-C specific symptoms or to learn more about this study please call us at (617) 477-4868 or visit us online!