Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsGastritisGas BuildupWeight GainHow Long It LastsRelieving Alcohol BloatingPreventionWhen to Seek Help
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Gastritis
Gas Buildup
Weight Gain
How Long It Lasts
Relieving Alcohol Bloating
Prevention
When to Seek Help
Abdominal bloating is when the stomach feels full of gas and may become distended (sticks out). The pressure or tightness in the abdomen can feel anywhere from mildly uncomfortable to really painful.
Bloating can happen after drinking alcoholic beverages for a variety of reasons. People who drink regularly may experience effects such as excess gas or even weight gain. If bloating after drinking becomes a problem, there may be ways to either get rid of it or avoid it in the first place.
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Gastritis: The Inflammation That Causes Alcohol Bloating
The inner lining of the stomach can become irritated (calledgastropathy) or inflamed (calledgastritis). Alcoholic beverages can cause irritation or inflammation of the stomach lining. The irritation might be a condition called reactive gastropathy. This disruption of the stomach lining with the use of alcohol can become chronic (ongoing).
The symptoms of gastritis can include:
Stomach irritation or inflammation can occur for many other reasons, such as infections, an autoimmune disorder, smoking cigarettes, food allergies, or some types of medications.
Gluten in Alcoholic BeveragesSome types of alcohol, such as beer, may contain wheat and gluten (a protein in wheat and some other grains).People who don’t know they haveceliac disease, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the intestinal lining after gluten ingestion, may have bloating and other symptoms when drinking beverages that contain gluten.
Gluten in Alcoholic Beverages
Some types of alcohol, such as beer, may contain wheat and gluten (a protein in wheat and some other grains).People who don’t know they haveceliac disease, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the intestinal lining after gluten ingestion, may have bloating and other symptoms when drinking beverages that contain gluten.
Some Beverages Cause Bloating Through a Buildup of Gas
Drinking certain types of beverages can lead to bloating. The most obvious might be carbonated drinks, such as beer or soda. Champagne, sparkling wine, and hard seltzer also contain carbonation that can lead to bloating. Taking in the carbonation leads to gas in the upper digestive system.
This excess gas could lead to bloating in the stomach and belching (burping). Beer is carbonated, so it can lead to excess gas in the stomach and bloating. Mixing alcoholic drinks with carbonated beverages (soda or seltzer) could also result in excess gas.
Sugar alcoholssuch as fructose, lactose, raffinose, and sorbitol are found in foods such as fruit. However, some sugar alcohols, such assorbitol, may also be in some processed foods and beverages to sweeten them.
You Can Also Gain Weight From Drinking Alcohol
Alcohol has several effects on the body. One of these is the potential for unwanted weight gain.
In general, light to moderate drinking, even on a frequent basis, doesn’t increase the risk of developing obesity.Studies show that heavy drinking is associated with a risk of obesity. This potential for weight gain from heavier drinking might be especially true in teenagers and older adults.
Alcoholic beverages are usually considered empty calories. Beer, wine, and spirits don’t contain any nutrients, so they either add calories to the diet without any benefits orreplace foodor drink that do contain nutrients.
How Long Does Alcohol Bloating Last?
How long bloating and other symptoms after drinking alcohol will depend on how many drinks one had and what they were. Usually, without additional reasons for the symptoms, like a digestive condition, the bloating from alcoholic drinks might only last a few days or even less.
For example, drinking several beers in one night might lead to longer-lasting bloating. Someone who lives with a digestive problem (such asirritable bowel syndrome) might experience more bothersome or longer-lasting symptoms.
When there is actual irritation in the stomach from drinking, bloating or other symptoms might last longer. Drinking alcoholic beverages every day may extend the acute effects and continue the cycle of symptoms.
This could lead to chronic gastritis as the alcohol continuously damages the stomach lining. The stomach may become less effective at absorbing nutrients. People who drink excessively may also not eat enough. These effects can result in ongoing bloating and complications, such as nutritional deficiencies.
How to Get Rid of Alcohol Bloating
Other ways to reduce acute bloating quickly include:
Is Alcohol Bloating Preventable?
The only foolproof way to stop bloating from alcohol is not drinking in the first place.
Other than that, choosing drinks less likely to cause bloating is another option. Avoiding carbonation, artificial sugars, mixed drinks that include lots of ingredients, and drinking through a straw may all reduce the bloating that can occur after drinking.
Drinking slowly and avoidingbinge drinkingmay also help lessen any potential symptoms. Having some food before or while having a drink may also help because it can keep the stomach feeling fuller and slow down how quickly it absorbs the alcohol.
However, even uncarbonated wine or spirits may cause bloating or other symptoms. Alcohol is an irritant.
Drinking water may also help with bloating or other symptoms.A good rule of thumb is to alternate between a glass of water and an alcoholic drink.
When Should You Seek Help for Drinking?
Alcohol use can contribute to the risk of death, as well as a host of other personal, familial, and societal problems. For that reason, it’s important to think about and monitor alcohol use to ensure that it doesn’t become a habit that leads to other difficulties.Here are some signs that it may be time to reevaluate your relationship to drinking and/or seek help foralcohol use disorder:
Where to Seek HelpIf you or someone you know needs help with addressing alcohol use, the following resources are available:Al-Anon Family GroupsAlcoholics AnonymousNational Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD)National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which has a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week helpline you can call at 800-662-HELP (4357)
Where to Seek Help
If you or someone you know needs help with addressing alcohol use, the following resources are available:Al-Anon Family GroupsAlcoholics AnonymousNational Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD)National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which has a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week helpline you can call at 800-662-HELP (4357)
If you or someone you know needs help with addressing alcohol use, the following resources are available:
Summary
Alcoholic beverages can cause bloating for various reasons, including the type of drink, carbonation, its ingredients, and anything added to it. Although it may not be possible to avoid bloating and other symptoms after drinking, avoiding drinks that can cause bloating and cutting back on drinking may help.
There are some ways to reduce bloating, but individual results will vary. It’s important to monitor drinking behavior and consider how it affects health, relationships, and work or school.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health Publishing.Gastritis.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastritis & gastropathy.University of Chicago Medicine.What alcohol is gluten-free?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of celiac disease.Gotfried J.Gas-related symptoms. Merck Manual Professional Edition.Traversy G, Chaput JP.Alcohol consumption and obesity: an update.Curr Obes Rep.2015;4:122-130. doi:10.1007/s13679-014-0129-4Bishehsari F, Magno E, Swanson G, et al.Alcohol and gut-derived inflammation.Alcohol Res.2017;38:163-171.Chumpitazi BP, Kearns GL, Shulman RJ.Review article: the physiological effects and safety of peppermint oil and its efficacy in irritable bowel syndrome and other functional disorders.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2018;47:738-752. doi:10.1111/apt.14519Wilkinson JM, Cozine EW, Loftus CG.Gas, bloating, and belching: approach to evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2019;99:301-309.MyHealth Alberta.Medicines or vitamins that can cause gas, bloating, or burping.Princeton University.Drink smart.Northwestern Medicine.How to beat the bloat.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Understanding alcohol use disorder.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health Publishing.Gastritis.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastritis & gastropathy.University of Chicago Medicine.What alcohol is gluten-free?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of celiac disease.Gotfried J.Gas-related symptoms. Merck Manual Professional Edition.Traversy G, Chaput JP.Alcohol consumption and obesity: an update.Curr Obes Rep.2015;4:122-130. doi:10.1007/s13679-014-0129-4Bishehsari F, Magno E, Swanson G, et al.Alcohol and gut-derived inflammation.Alcohol Res.2017;38:163-171.Chumpitazi BP, Kearns GL, Shulman RJ.Review article: the physiological effects and safety of peppermint oil and its efficacy in irritable bowel syndrome and other functional disorders.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2018;47:738-752. doi:10.1111/apt.14519Wilkinson JM, Cozine EW, Loftus CG.Gas, bloating, and belching: approach to evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2019;99:301-309.MyHealth Alberta.Medicines or vitamins that can cause gas, bloating, or burping.Princeton University.Drink smart.Northwestern Medicine.How to beat the bloat.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Understanding alcohol use disorder.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Harvard Health Publishing.Gastritis.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastritis & gastropathy.University of Chicago Medicine.What alcohol is gluten-free?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of celiac disease.Gotfried J.Gas-related symptoms. Merck Manual Professional Edition.Traversy G, Chaput JP.Alcohol consumption and obesity: an update.Curr Obes Rep.2015;4:122-130. doi:10.1007/s13679-014-0129-4Bishehsari F, Magno E, Swanson G, et al.Alcohol and gut-derived inflammation.Alcohol Res.2017;38:163-171.Chumpitazi BP, Kearns GL, Shulman RJ.Review article: the physiological effects and safety of peppermint oil and its efficacy in irritable bowel syndrome and other functional disorders.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2018;47:738-752. doi:10.1111/apt.14519Wilkinson JM, Cozine EW, Loftus CG.Gas, bloating, and belching: approach to evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2019;99:301-309.MyHealth Alberta.Medicines or vitamins that can cause gas, bloating, or burping.Princeton University.Drink smart.Northwestern Medicine.How to beat the bloat.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Understanding alcohol use disorder.
Harvard Health Publishing.Gastritis.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastritis & gastropathy.
University of Chicago Medicine.What alcohol is gluten-free?
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of celiac disease.
Gotfried J.Gas-related symptoms. Merck Manual Professional Edition.
Traversy G, Chaput JP.Alcohol consumption and obesity: an update.Curr Obes Rep.2015;4:122-130. doi:10.1007/s13679-014-0129-4
Bishehsari F, Magno E, Swanson G, et al.Alcohol and gut-derived inflammation.Alcohol Res.2017;38:163-171.
Chumpitazi BP, Kearns GL, Shulman RJ.Review article: the physiological effects and safety of peppermint oil and its efficacy in irritable bowel syndrome and other functional disorders.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2018;47:738-752. doi:10.1111/apt.14519
Wilkinson JM, Cozine EW, Loftus CG.Gas, bloating, and belching: approach to evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2019;99:301-309.
MyHealth Alberta.Medicines or vitamins that can cause gas, bloating, or burping.
Princeton University.Drink smart.
Northwestern Medicine.How to beat the bloat.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Understanding alcohol use disorder.
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