Often food-related, a starting point would be to write down what you eat and how your gut feels to find out what causes bloating, burping and gas after a meal or throughout the day. Keeping a food diary for a few weeks could help you make some changes to your eating habits.
This is particularly important during external beam radiation treatment if you have prostate cancer, the aim being to limit your number of stools, bloating and gas and to relieve symptoms such as diarrhea and/or stomach cramps.
Medically reviewed by Urologist-Surgeon Dr. Vincent Trudeau on 02/25/2022
What to do to avoid bloating and gas?
Foods high in fiber, such as whole-grain bread and cereals, nuts, seeds, raw or dried fruits, raw vegetables, caffeine, and dairy products high in lactose can cause bloating and gas.
Rather than eliminating them all systematically, we suggest that you remove them one by one from your diet and take notes of your reaction, for example, when you reintegrate them.
A food diary to find the cause of bloating and flatulence
You may as well be intolerant to onions as to garlic, to vegetables as to fruits, to pasta as to red meats. In short, to manage to find what is causing these bloating, it is recommended to keep a daily food diary indicating at what time and how strong you had flatulence. You will surely find the cause after a month of diligent notes.
The article What foods should I avoid during radiation therapy? precisely gives advice on the types of food to avoid and those to favor to limit bloating and flatulence.
Other Tips
- As Ricardo says so well, eat s-l-o-w-l-y.
- Eat light meals or snacks more often during the day. It is better for your intestine to work as frequently as possible.
- Move! Taking a walk after a meal stimulates your body and therefore your intestines.
- Are you constipated despite being well hydrated? Talk to your pharmacist.
Finally, take a break if you’re stressed or nervous by…breathing through your nose!
Take the time to visit each of our pages on this website, as well as our YouTube channel, in order to get familiar with the disease, our expert lectures and webinars, our section on available resources, the support that is offered to you, our events and ways to get involved in advancing the cause.
You have questions or concerns? Don’t hesitate. You can chat with us or contact us at 1-855-899-2873 to discuss with one of our nurses specialized in uro-oncology. They are there to listen, support and answer your questions, as well as those of your family or loved ones. It’s simple and free, like all of our other services.
Pages on our site that might interest
Want to know more? Just click on the link below.
All About The Side Effects Of Treatments
“Anticancer” Foods For Men
PROCURE blog articles that might enlighten you
Every week, we publish a blog article. Here are a few for you.
I am being treated with radiation therapy: am I… radioactive?
Permanent brachytherapy: what is it exactly?
Can I swim during my treatment(s)?
Written by PROCURE. © All rights reserved – 2022
