10. Bloating and Abdominal Fullness: The Uninvited Guests
We’ve all experienced bloating after a heavy meal or a fizzy drink, but imagine feeling bloated all the time. Like a balloon constantly inflated, your stomach feels perpetually full, even when you’ve hardly eaten.
Why does this happen? Well, think of your stomach as a flexible storage unit. Normally, it expands and contracts as needed. But when there’s an unwanted growth, it pushes against these walls, causing a sensation of fullness or even visible swelling.
What’s tricky is the everydayness of this symptom. Bloating is usually brushed off as the aftereffect of a hearty meal or even hormonal fluctuations. It’s like a frequent visitor whom you’ve stopped noticing, except now it’s overstaying its welcome.
Curiously, this constant fullness can make you feel like you’re losing control over your body. It’s like having an uninvited guest in your home who just won’t leave, no matter how many hints you drop. Your stomach, once a welcoming host to meals, becomes a space already occupied.
And let’s be real; this symptom isn’t just physical—it’s an emotional burden too. It alters how you feel in your clothes, how you move, and how you perceive your body. Bloating doesn’t just occupy physical space; it takes up mental real estate too, turning comfort into a distant memory. (10)
