When is bloating normal, and when is it not?
Short answer
Bloating is normal when it comes and goes and settles on its own.
What’s usually happening
Normal bloating often shows up after meals or later in the day as food, gas, and fluid move through the gut.
What this is usually not
illness
damage to the gut
something you need to fix
Common reasons
eating meals
daily digestion
normal day-to-day variation
What usually helps
time
routine
doing nothing
When to pay attention
If bloating happens every day, keeps getting worse, or comes with pain, vomiting, unexplained weight loss, blood, or fever.
If your bloating feels different from this, go back to the main bloating page.