My patient had constant bloating and popped pills. Yet it was a sign of a hidden condition: Why you must listen to your gut

The other day | had a patient in his late 30s who complained of persistent bloating for over a month, alternate bouts of constipation and diarrhoea and occasional pain.

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He said he would pop gas pills for relief but it would invariably return and that this constant uneasiness in his belly had begun to disrupt his daily functioning and moods. He got worried when he began to lose weight.We ran all tests and found that he had developed pancreatic insufficiency, which means his pancreas was not producing enough digestive enzymes, crucial for breaking down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins and letting the body absorb nutrients. This results in bloating, greasy stools and weight loss. Now if he had only reported his bloating earlier instead of dismissing it as routine indigestion, we would have spotted the early signs of what was really causing the bloating.

1. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)