So You Have A Huge Belly but NOT Fat? – Here Is What You Do!

Do you have a huge belly, but it’s not fat? A non-fat belly (ascites), is a condition where a person has a protruded stomach, but it’s not coming from fat. It’s coming from fluids.  This type of protruded stomach is caused by a damaged liver.

The damaged liver is causing leakage of fluid and accumulation of a protein fluid in the abdominal cavity.

 FIGHT ASCITES

With this condition, there is a replacement of the normal healthy liver cells with fibrous scar tissue, and you end up losing the function of the liver cells.  Cirrhosis doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years to develop.

This could happen from consuming alcohol, or from years of poor eating. It usually starts with inflammation, and typically the person will have a fatty liver as well. The inflammation is part of an immune response, and the body heals with scar tissue.

Typically, what’s done medically, is the lower the person’s sodium, and put them on diuretics.  Here are a few natural things you can do:

1. Lower your carbohydrates

2. Stop consuming alcohol

3. Consume moderate protein and fat

4. Consume cruciferous vegetables

5. Intermittent fasting

6. Give it time (3 years)

TROUSERS tightening? Skirt shrinking?

It’s probably just middle-aged spread. Or possibly not. Because a swollen tummy can – rarely – be something more serious.

Hence the recent reports about the lady whose bloated belly turned out to be caused by a softball sized cancer.

So here’s a guide to what might be making your waistline expand.

Most of us get chubbier as we get older. And that lard tends to gather at your waist.

So if you’re middle-aged, it’s come on gradually and you’re otherwise well, it’s just flab. That means you don’t need to panic — but you do need to exercise and diet.

2. Gut problem

Food intolerance and irritable bowel can make your tummy swell. You might get bellyache and diarrhea, too.

Avoid any foods that trigger the symptoms. But if it continues, or you have other symptoms like weight loss or blood in your poo, see your GP.

3. Osteoporosis

Fragile bones in your back get squashed — so your spine concertinas, and you get shorter.

And that, in turn, pushes your stomach out. So it’s a common cause of “pot belly” in those who find they’re shrinking as they get older.

Not much you can do about the tummy — but you can take treatment to protect your bones from further damage.

4. Pregnancy

Absent periods, feeling sick and tender breasts should give the game away. Yet docs still see cases of “big belly” which turn out to be an unexpectedly bun-filled oven. Maybe mom-to-be simply ignored the obvious, or the other clues just weren’t there.

5. Blocked bowel

This one’s dramatic. If your bowel blocks, nothing can get through. Cue constipation, vomiting and severe bellyache.

Gas and poo accumulate upstream — hence the swelling.

6. Fluid

A little fluid retention, before periods, say, is normal. A gradual and permanent fluid build-up, causing a very swollen, wobbly belly, isn’t. It can be caused by something serious, like liver trouble, heart disease or even cancer.

So see your doc if you feel like you’re carrying the world’s biggest hot water bottle — especially if you’re unwell, too.

7. Bladder swelling

Wee-flow down to a dribble? You may not be emptying your bladder properly and that can make it swell to the size of a basketball.

This is common in men with prostate problems. And it’s another job for the doc.

8. Constipation

If you’re not having a good clear-out when you sit on the loo, eventually you’ll feel — or look — bloated.

Increase your exercise, fluid and fiber levels. And if necessary, take a laxative.

9. Aortic aneurysm

This is a swelling of the main blood vessel in your belly.

You might be able to see this, or feel it as an uncomfortable pulsations especially if you lay on your front. There’s now a screening program for these aneurysms — men aged 65 are invited for an ultrasound scan.

The idea is to spot it early. That way, it can be treated before it causes problems.

10. Growths

This doesn’t just mean cancer. Harmless growths like fibroids or cysts on the ovary can make you balloon up, too.

Though just occasionally, it really can be something nasty. So if your swelling’s increasing, you feel unwell, or you have other symptoms like diarrhea or irregular periods, make that appointment.

So that’s sorted. Now you know whether not being able to see your feet means you really should be seeing your doc.