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Bloating is when your tummy feels full, tight or bigger than usual, most often because of a lot of gas in your gut. It is common: nearly 18% of adults report bloating at least once a week, in a 26-country study that included the UK. Most bloating settles on its own. Bloating that does not is worth looking at.
Bloating is a feeling of fullness or swelling in your tummy, and it usually comes with other signs. The NHS lists these as [2]:
It is a symptom rather than a diagnosis. The same feeling can come from what you ate last night or from something that has been building for months, and the two can feel identical from the inside. Finding out which one you have is what an assessment is for.
Bloating is rarely an emergency on its own. What matters is what comes with it, and the NHS sets three levels accordingly [2].
Call 999 or go to A&E if you have bloating with a swollen stomach and [2]:
Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance. Bring any medicines you take with you [2].
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if [2]:
See a GP, and consider booking an assessment, if [2]:
LivingCare is a specialist outpatient service and is not an emergency care facility. If your symptoms are sudden or severe, call 999.
That third tier is where most people reading this will be, and it is the one most easily left for another month. Regular bloating that has not shifted when you changed what you eat is the point at which it is worth someone looking properly. To be seen privately, book a Gastroenterology Consultation.
The most common reason for bloating is having a lot of gas in your gut. That can be caused by some food and drinks, such as some vegetables and fizzy drinks, or by swallowing air when you eat [2].
It can also be caused by a problem with your digestion, such as constipation, food intolerance, coeliac disease or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) [2]. Some people feel bloated around the time of their period [2]. These are the everyday explanations, and between them they cover most bloating.
Sometimes, bloating that does not go away can be a sign of something more serious, such as ovarian cancer [2]. That is one of the reasons persistent bloating is worth having assessed rather than lived with: an assessment is how the less likely causes get ruled out as well as the likely ones. Where the cause sits outside the digestive system, the specialist will say so and point you to the right service.
Bloating also rarely arrives on its own. Where it comes with pain, our Abdominal Pain page covers that symptom, and where your bowel habit has changed alongside it, our Changes in Bowel Habit page does the same.
A gastroenterology consultation is the starting point - the specialist reviews your symptoms and arranges only the tests they call for.
That can mean no tests at all. Treatment for bloating is often not needed, and where it is needed it depends on the cause [2]. Where tests are called for, they may include blood tests, imaging such as an ultrasound, CT or MRI scan, or a Colonoscopy - a camera test that looks at the lining of the bowel. Which of these applies, if any, is the specialist's judgement to make with you.
Self-pay, with no GP referral needed. If you are using medical insurance, your insurer may ask for a GP referral letter. You can book a Gastroenterology Consultation directly, or read more about our Gastroenterology service.
Medically reviewed by: Dr N. Chandra, Consultant Endoscopist. Last reviewed: 09/10/26
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