Bloated Stomach After Heart Surgery - Healing Tips

Heart surgery is one of the more serious and involved types of surgery that you can undergo. While there is a variety of heart surgery procedures, all of them should be taken seriously - and all of them require some significant recovery and healing time.

Of course, there can be major complications after heart surgery, including stroke, heart attack, serious bleeding, skin graft failure, and loss of life. Fortunately, these complications are quite rare.

There also are a number of possible minor complications that you can experience after heart surgery, including: nausea, vomiting, minor infections, slight bleeding, scar formation, allergic skin reactions, numbness . . . and a bloated stomach. Bloated stomach problems could be caused by fluid build-up, excessive gas, constipation, or other conditions.
If you are experiencing any of the above-mentioned major or minor complications after heart surgery, it is important that you consult with your doctor to ask him or her for treatment options.

Among the minor complications that you can experience after heart surgery, one of the most uncomfortable is having a bloated stomach. This condition can be accompanied by a distended stomach (that protrudes outward more than normal), accompanied with a general feeling of discomfort in the stomach area.

The following techniques can be tried to reduce the effects of a bloated stomach after heart surgery:

1. One of the causes of your problems could be constipation. If this is the cause of your bloating, try eating more high-fiber cereals, fruit and vegetables. And, be sure to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day.

2. Bloating is often caused by poor digestion. To improve your digestion, try eating more slowly. Chew your food thoroughly, and eat several small snacks or meals throughout the day.

3. Chewing gum can, believe it or not, contribute to improved bowel activity.

4. Try drinking warm tea a few times per day.

5. Consider using hot packs to relieve symptoms of gas and bloating.

6. Over-the-counter medicines like Maalox and Gas-X can help keep bloating to a minimum, while keeping your bowels moving.

7. If motility (movement of food through your digestion system) continues to be a concern, your doctor may decide to conduct a medication review to determine whether your medications may be playing a part in your bloating problems.

8. If the problems persist, a full gastro-intestinal (GI) evaluation may help your doctor to better evaluate this symptom.

9. In serious cases, your doctor may admit you to the hospital to have tubes inserted into your nose, stomach or rectum to relieve the pressure of excess gasses or fluids in the body.

10. Try taking an acidophilus supplement (found in many yogurts and some types of mil), as this will help restore the balance of the friendly bacteria in the bowel.

11. Finally, if your bloating is indeed caused by digestion problems, avoid the following foods:

meats, dairy products, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, beans and legumes, cauliflower, onions, prunes, dark beer, red wine, carbonated drinks, sugar, and fried or fatty foods

Stomach discomfort and bloating after heart surgery could be caused by fluid build-up, gas or both. Check with your doctor for suggested remedies. And, try these suggested methods for reducing the symptoms and causes of bloated stomach after heart surgery.

For more on how to eat right after heart surgery, check out: http://www.squidoo.com/diet_for_heart_surgery_patients.

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