Concerns
Stomach problems and bloating
Your stomach is bloated by the afternoon, you never quite know how it will behave, and you have started avoiding some foods without knowing for sure why. Perhaps you have been diagnosed with IBS and told to learn to live with it.
It is easy to feel alone with stomach problems. People rarely talk about them, yet they rule daily life: what you eat, where you eat and whether you can face going out. Many people who get in touch with us have lived like this for years.
Does this sound familiar?
- You plan your day around where there is a toilet.
- You have cut out one food after another, but do not know what actually helps.
- You have been diagnosed with IBS, but given no plan for what to do.
- Your stomach gets worse when you are stressed.
- You are tired of being told it is harmless.
Why is it hard to get help?
Healthcare is good at ruling out serious stomach disease, and it should be. When the tests are normal, many are given an IBS diagnosis, and then it often stops there.
Stomach problems are linked to food, the rhythm of meals, stress, sleep, hormones and how the gut absorbs nutrients. That takes time to go through, and the time is rarely there in an ordinary appointment.
With us, it gets that time. We go through your food and your daily life in detail, and we look at values that can be affected by long-term stomach problems.
What happens in the stomach and gut?
The gut is one of the body's most sensitive organs. It has its own nervous system, in constant contact with the brain, and it responds to stress, sleep and hormones. That is why your stomach can react to a hard week as much as to food.
The gut is where nutrients are absorbed. Long-term stomach problems or an irritated gut can mean you take up less iron, B12 and vitamin D than you think, even if you eat well.
What could be behind it?
In our clinic we often see the stomach settle only once the whole picture is looked at: what you eat, when you eat, how you sleep and how stressed you are.
IBS
Recurring stomach pain with diarrhoea, constipation or both. It is diagnosed by a doctor after other causes have been ruled out.
Coeliac disease
Gluten intolerance can cause stomach problems, tiredness and iron deficiency. A blood test can show it, but only while you are still eating gluten.
Helicobacter pylori
A bacterium in the stomach that can cause stomach pain, acid reflux and nausea. It can be tested for in a stool sample.
Stress
The gut and the brain are closely linked. Long-term stress can cause both stomach pain and changes in bowel habits.
The menopause
Bloating and changes in bowel habits are common as hormones change.
Read the guide: Women's health →Absorbing nutrients
Long-term stomach problems can affect how well you absorb iron, B12 and vitamin D.
Read the guide: Vitamin deficiency →What you can do yourself
- Eat calmly and chew well. The pace of a meal affects the stomach more than many people think.
- Eat regularly, and avoid very large meals late in the evening.
- Keep a food diary for two weeks, with what you eat and how your stomach feels. The pattern often says more than you expect.
- Do not stop eating gluten before you have been tested for coeliac disease.
- Move every day. Walking helps the gut work.
- Notice how your stomach reacts to stress, and give yourself calm moments.
What we look at
Your symptoms and your history
When the symptoms come, how they feel, what makes them better or worse, and which investigations you have already had.
Food, meals and daily life
What you eat, when and how fast, how you sleep and how stressed you are. A food diary often says more than people expect.
Tests with a purpose
We only suggest tests that could change the next step. For stomach problems that can be coeliac disease, helicobacter, iron status, B12 and vitamin D.
Tests that may be relevant
How it works
Four steps
- 01
Tell us about you
You fill in a health questionnaire about your symptoms, your sleep, what you eat and your daily life.
- 02
Take your blood test
You give a blood sample at a lab near you, in Stockholm or at any of more than 100 sampling locations across Sweden. We help you choose the tests that answer your questions.
- 03
Go through your results
You receive a personal health report and a session with one of our practitioners, and we make a plan together.
- 04
Follow up
We follow how you are getting on and adjust the plan. A new blood test after three to six months shows how your results have changed.
When to get medical help
Contact your health centre soon if you also have any of these:
- You have blood in your stool or black stools.
- You are losing weight without trying.
- You have difficulty swallowing, or keep vomiting.
- Your bowel habits have changed clearly and lastingly, especially if you are over 50.
- You have severe stomach pain that does not go away. Call 1177, or 112 if it is very severe.
Call 112 in an emergency. Call 1177 for advice on where to get care.
Frequently asked questions
What is IBS?
IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, means recurring stomach pain together with changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhoea, constipation or both. It is common and not dangerous, but it can affect daily life a great deal. It is diagnosed by a doctor, often after coeliac disease and other causes have been ruled out.
Why is my stomach bloated after eating?
It is common and often has to do with the food, the size of the meal and how fast you eat. Some carbohydrates ferment in the gut and produce gas. If the bloating is new, persistent or comes with other symptoms, it is worth looking into.
Should I stop eating gluten?
Get tested for coeliac disease first. The blood test is only reliable while gluten is still in your diet. If you do not have coeliac disease there may still be reasons to look at your diet, but that depends on your symptoms.
Can the menopause cause stomach problems?
Yes. Many women notice more bloating and changes in bowel habits in perimenopause. Sleep and stress also affect the gut in the same years, so it is worth looking at the whole picture.
What is included in a Health Assessment?
A health questionnaire, a personal health report and a short session with one of our practitioners. You add the blood test depending on what you want to look into, and we help you choose. If you have a long-term condition and want to find out whether your diet and lifestyle may be contributing, or you need a referral to our doctor, we also offer longer appointments.
Do I need a referral?
No. You book yourself, and the blood sample is taken at a lab near you. We have sampling locations in Stockholm and at more than 100 places across Sweden.
Would you like help understanding what affects your stomach? Read about the Health Assessment →
Read more
Sources
Reviewed by
Wellth Team
Wellth
Our content is written and reviewed by Wellth, and fact-checked against peer-reviewed research and current Swedish clinical guidelines.
Learn more about our team →Important to know
Wellth does not diagnose or treat disease. We work with diet, lifestyle and preventive health, alongside the care you already have.
Our reports and sessions do not replace medical advice, and a test result should not be read as a diagnosis. We use both standard healthcare reference ranges and optimal ranges. A value can therefore be normal by healthcare standards and still fall outside the range associated with good health. That does not mean disease, but it can be a chance to act early.
Supplements are only recommended by a nutritional therapist as part of a consultation, never automatically from a test result.
If anything in your results needs to be looked at by a doctor, we will tell you clearly. Contact your healthcare provider if you are worried about your health. Call 1177 for advice, or 112 in an emergency.