What it is: “Simply put, it's a separation of your abdominal wall muscles. You'll be able to physically feel that there's a separation or a weakness of your muscles in the abdominal wall, which will cause bulging” that may give you a “pregnant” look, says Singh.
Many people who experience endo belly say they “look pregnant,” even though they're not. Endo belly is just one symptom of endometriosis. Those who experience endo belly often have other gastrointestinal symptoms, such as: gas pain.
The most common reason for bloating is having a lot of gas in your gut. This can be caused by some food and drinks, such as some vegetables and fizzy drinks, or by swallowing air when you eat. It can also be caused by a problem with your digestion, such as: constipation.
Some causes may be related to stress, alcohol consumption, or medications. Other causes can be a result of health conditions like hypothyroidism or PCOS. Many causes of stomach swelling and weight gain can be treated with lifestyle changes and medications. However, others, such as ascites, can be serious.
“In cases where the stomach cancer spreads to the lining of the abdomen, it can cause an accumulation of fluid within your abdominal cavity.” It can lead to excessive bloating to the point where you might look like you're nine months pregnant.
Causes include poor diet, lack of exercise, and short or low-quality sleep. A healthy diet and active lifestyle can help people lose excess belly fat and lower the risk of problems associated with it.
Women with pseudocyesis, also known as phantom pregnancy, think they are pregnant (when they aren't) and can even experience pregnancy symptoms. The condition isn't in any way related to miscarriage. In pseudocyesis, there is no conception and no baby. Learn more about this condition, its causes, and treatment options.
Belly bloat is usually temporary, and it causes a person to feel uncomfortable and extremely full for longer. The most common causes for bloating include high-fiber foods like beans, dairy products, overeating, consuming too much salt, swallowing air, and chewing gum.
When your stomach swells and feels hard, the explanation might be as simple as overeating or drinking carbonated drinks, which is easy to remedy. Other causes may be more serious, such as an inflammatory bowel disease. Sometimes the accumulated gas from drinking a soda too quickly can result in a hard stomach.
Stress belly is the extra abdominal fat that accumulates as the result of chronic or prolonged stress. Although stress belly is not a medical diagnosis, it is a term used to describe the way that stress and stress hormones impact your midsection.
“I feel pregnant,” or even “I look pregnant,” are frequent complaints by patients suffering from abdominal distention or bloating. Bloating is a common symptom in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), particularly in women, although mostly it is a nuisance rather than the most severe aspect of the disease.
The most common causes are trapped gas or eating too much in a short time. The sensation of bloating can cause abdominal distention, which is a visible swelling or extension of your belly.
Call your doctor if your abdomen is getting bigger, or if you have other symptoms that accompany the swelling, such as fever or nausea. Seek medical care if you have extreme diarrhea or blood in your stool. If you find that you're unable to eat or drink for more than eight hours, tell your doctor.
The list of organic disorders that can cause bloating and distension also includes celiac disease, pancreatic insufficiency, prior gastroesophageal surgery (such as fundoplication or bariatric procedures), gastric outlet obstruction, gastroparesis, ascites, gastrointestinal or gynecologic malignancy, hypothyroidism, ...
Sometimes, excess fat around the belly is due to hormones. Hormones help regulate many bodily functions, including metabolism, stress, hunger, and sex drive. If a person has a deficiency in certain hormones, it may result in weight gain around the abdomen, which is known as a hormonal belly.
One easy way to tell the difference between bloat and belly fat is to note belly fat does not cause your stomach to expand wildly throughout the course of a day; bloat does. One other way to tell the difference between bloat and belly fat is you can physically grasp belly fat with your hand, you cannot with bloat.
Before you rush to your doctor to get a prescription for your hormonal belly, there are natural ways to readjust your levels. Reducing sugar intake, eliminating processed foods from your diet, and avoiding things like dairy, alcohol, and caffeine can all help reset your blood sugar and insulin levels.
Diastasis recti can come with visible bulging or doming at the center of the abdomen that appears with certain movements, with some women saying they still look pregnant long after giving birth.
You may have what is generally known as Mummy Tummy, Mummy Pooch, of Baby Belly. Many people think it is an inevitable retention of pregnancy weight, but it's not; it's not even weight, or fat, at all. In medical terms, it is a pospartum complication called diastasis recti or divarication.
A false pregnancy is also known as a phantom pregnancy, or by the clinical term pseudocyesis. It's an uncommon condition that causes a woman to believe she's pregnant. She'll even have many classic symptoms of pregnancy. But this isn't related to a miscarriage.
Many women also notice an increase in belly fat as they get older — even if they aren't gaining weight. This is likely due to a decreasing level of estrogen, which appears to influence where fat is distributed in the body.
Unintentional weight gain occurs when you put on weight without increasing your consumption of food or liquid and without decreasing your activity. This occurs when you're not trying to gain weight. It's often due to fluid retention, abnormal growths, constipation, or pregnancy.
If you're skinny everywhere, but your belly, your genetics may simply predispose you to storing fat from excess calories there. Certain types of food are also more likely to cause you to accumulate middle fat. Sugary foods and refined, white carbohydrates are culprits.