Gas & Bloating

Toronto Naturopathic Doctors

Regular abdominal bloating can be caused by a variety of factors. For some it is a digestion related concern, for others it is cause by a hormonal issue.

Some of the reasons for ‘digestion’ related bloating can include:

  • Reactions to certain foods that then irritate the digestive tract
  • Bacterial overgrowths in the small intestine
  • Bacterial or yeast overgrowths in the large intestine
  • Insufficient beneficial bacteria in the small intestine
  • Insufficient enzyme secretion from the pancreas to breakdown food in the small intestine
  • Insufficient stomach acid secretion in the stomach, impairing food breakdown

Some of the reasons for ‘hormone’ related bloating can include:

  • Excess estrogen – associated with water retention, breast tenderness and bloating before menstrual cycles. Cycles are usually heavy.
  • Insufficient progesterone – associated with bloating before menstrual cycles. Cycles are usually shorter with a long menstruation period.
  • Ovarian or uterine cysts – structural growths can cause hard, persistent bloating and require an ultrasound for proper diagnosis
  • The Naturopathic Medicine Approach to Treating Gas & Bloating

In Naturopathic medicine, we strive to treat the root cause of gas and bloating. In addition to taking a full medical history, some of the specialized lab tests we commonly run to assess the root cause of bloating and gas may include the following:

  • Lactulose breath test panels to identify bacterial overgrowths in the small intestine
  • Comprehensive Stool Analysis panels to identify bacteria & yeast overgrowths, assess beneficial bacteria levels, enzyme secretion and macronutrient malabsorption issues.
  • IgG Food Sensitivity blood test panels to identify antibody reactions to different foods
  • Functional testing for stomach acid secretion
  • Hormone Testing

Following a comprehensive assessment, Naturopathic treatment for addressing chronic gas and bloating includes a mix of dietary changes, nutritional medicine and herbal medicine therapies designed to restore gut function and/or improve hormone imbalances.

Gut Repair & Hormone Balancing is What We do.

Book your appointment with Dr. Andresen and discover how naturopathic medicine can effectively treat your health concerns like gas and bloating.

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