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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know Health Community News India Times (April 12, 2025 - April 18, 2025) April 18, 2025 16 This Common Cause Of Bloating Has Nothing To Do With Food I get bloated after most meals. It’s so embarrassing – I’m always wearing elastic pants when I go out to eat. Why does this happen to some people? Most patients with bloating who come to see me in my gastroenterology clinic think it is because something from inside – such as increased gas – is pushing their bel- lies outward. This drives them to try changing their diets. Sometimes that helps. Often it doesn’t. For many people, frequent bloating has little to do with gas or stool; it could be an abnormal muscle response, researchers in my field have come to understand. If we think of the abdominal cavity – or the hollow part of the belly containing internal organs such as the liver and stomach – as a cardboard box, the issue may not be what’s inside the box, but rather the box itself. And if we started pushing the lid of the box downward, something would have to give. For many people, during bloating episodes, the dia- phragm – or the muscle supporting the lungs between the abdominal and thoracic cavities – descends, and the abdominal wall muscles relax, pushing everything within the abdominal cavity, such as the bowels, forward. This response – called abdomino-phrenic dyssyner- gia – may seem counterintuitive; after all, bloating often occurs with meals. So people try changing their diets. And for some, eliminating certain classic triggers such as onions or garlic can improve symptoms, but many are left wondering why that didn’t fix anything. The good news? There are other ways to help. ABDOMINO-PHRENIC DYSSYNERGIA Some amount of bloating is normal and universal. Usually, it is infrequent and transient – but if it happens often and affects your quality of life, talk to your physi- cian. Sometimes I find a quick and easy solution, such as stopping artificial sweeteners and chewing gum, or changing my patients’ continuous positive airway pres- sure, or CPAP, masks. But there are many other causes of bloating, including foods. Medical conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome may also play a role. Abdomino-phrenic dyssynergia can happen after eat- ing, which is why food tends to be the first thing blamed. For instance, many people complain that lettuce gives them uncomfortable gas and bloating. But a 2019 study found that the gas produced by fermentation of lettuce via our gut microbiomes is minimal. CT scans of the abdomen revealed that people who complained of bloating after eating lettuce had no signifi- cant changes in their intestinal gas compared to before eating lettuce. Instead, their scans showed the hallmarks of abdomino-phrenic dyssynergia: a descending dia- phragm and the protruding abdominal wall muscles that forced their bowels from resting comfortably under the rib cage to move closer to the belly button. WHAT TO TRY FOR BLOATING Consult your doctor: People are sometimes embar- rassed by their bloating or brush it off as no big deal. It’s important to talk openly with your doctor about what’s concerning you and not delay. The first step is to ensure we are not missing anything serious, including celiac disease or ovarian cancer. Assess dietary triggers in a systematic fashion: Lactose intolerance or other classic food offenders such as cruci- ferous vegetables, lentils and beans account for bloating in as many as a third of patients. I tend not to recom- mend restricting too many foods – such as with a trial of a low-FODMAP diet – without the guidance of a registered dietitian. Make sure you have the right team with you and are assessing possible triggers in a systematic, trackable fashion. Be open about your bowel habits with your doctor: Sluggish bowels are an important source of bloating and may be easily treated with medicine. Your physician can also help evaluate if your pelvic floor may be aggravat- ing your symptoms. Remember the cardboard box? The pelvic floor is the bottom of that box, and it, too, can con- tribute to bloating when those muscles don’t coordinate appropriately. Discuss biofeedback training: If simple dietary changes don’t help and constipation is not an issue, you may need to think about abdomino-phrenic dyssynergia. A gastroenterologist can best evaluate. Two randomized placebo-controlled trials showed that special kinds of physical therapy exercises, called biofeedback, can train patients to mobilize their diaphragm and reduce bloat- ing. This involved maneuvers to elevate the chest and contract the abdominal wall. After four weeks, partici- pants who did these exercises before and after eating experienced 66 percent symptom improvement. This kind of biofeedback may not be available at every medical center. Some scientists have suggested that diaphragmatic breathing exercises, which involve related maneuvers and can be practiced at home independently, may also be of use to patients with bloating, but more research is needed to confirm the benefit.... WHAT I WANT MY PATIENTS TO KNOW When a woman who has undergone menopause comes to my clinic complaining of new bloating, a little alarm goes off in my mind. That alarm gets louder if she tells me that the bloating is there all the time – even first thing in the morning. Bloating and distension can be one of the earliest signs of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is relatively rare, at least when compared with other cancers in the United States, but I take new bloating symptoms like this one very seriously because ovarian cancer is also one of the easiest cancers to miss at an early stage. Trisha Pasricha is an instruc- tor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. -Special to TheWashington Post By Trisha Pasricha, MD, MPH Photo:TheWashington Post Consulate General of India, New York Launches Yoga Video Contest to Celebrate International Day of Yoga I in a vibrant effort to promote wellness, cultural pride, and global participation, the Consulate General of India in NewYork has launched a Yoga Video Competition ahead of the upcoming Inter- national Day of Yoga. The contest invites individu- als of all ages and backgrounds to submit a 30-sec- ond video of themselves performing yoga outdoors, offering a unique opportunity to showcase talent and celebrate India’s ancient heritage through modern digital platforms. The initiative, officially announced this week, calls on yoga enthusiasts in the United States to strike their best poses and share their personal yoga journeys. The Consulate encourages creativity, passion, and authenticity in the videos, emphasizing that participa- tion is open to all levels—from newcomers to expe- rienced practitioners. The top ten most-liked videos will be honored during a special ceremony held at the Consulate on International Day of Yoga, giving par- ticipants a chance to be publicly recognized for their dedication to the practice. In addition to the honors, selected videos may also be featured on the Consulate’s official social media pages, providing a broader platform for visibility and engagement. The competition is part of the broader global outreach supported by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and is actively being promoted through platforms affiliated with the Indian Embassy inWashington, the Ministry of AYUSH, and Indian diplomatic channels. Participants can enter the competition by scan- ning the QR code featured on the official flyer or by visiting the provided link to review rules and upload their entries. The initiative has already begun to spark enthusiasm among members of the Indian diaspora and the international yoga community alike. Organiz- ers hope the campaign not only celebrates yoga but also strengthens cultural ties and community spirit through participation in a meaningful and joyful global event. The Consulate’s Yoga Video Contest is a creative and inclusive way to observe International Day of Yoga, reminding the world of yoga’s timeless value as a source of health, harmony, and inner peace. With its call to action—strike a pose and shine—the contest is expected to bring together people from diverse walks of life, all united by the universal language of yoga. For those interested in participating, the submis- sion link is available at https://forms.gle/N3r8dzv- d73a3vuWx6. By a StaffWriter PHOTO:The Consulate General of India,NewYork