When to worry about bloating

It's uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing, but this symptom does need closer attention...

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Often, the hardest thing about being a GP is sifting through nonspecific symptoms to find the serious illness lurking beneath.

Bloating is one of these symptoms - it can be harmless and is extremely common, but it can also be a sign of something more serious.

One of the most common causes of bloating that affects most people at some point is excess gas - dietary fibre in food, such as beans, fizzy drinks and the breakdown of artificial sweeteners, can play a part.