Why Am I Always Bloated? When Your Gut Feels Off

By Candise Yang, L.Ac., NCCAOM | Serving Oakland, Berkeley, Rockridge, and the East Bay

Bloating. Gas. Irregular BMs. A stomach that seems to "react to everything" these days. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and no, it’s not just in your head.

Many women come into my practice after being told their digestive symptoms are "just stress" or "nothing to worry about." Maybe their labs were “normal,” or their scope didn’t show anything “serious.” But that doesn’t explain why their pants fit differently by evening or why they feel foggy and fatigued after lunch.

If your digestion feels off but no one’s offering real solutions, it’s time to look deeper—and wider.

Common (But Not Normal) Gut Symptoms:

  • Daily or frequent bloating, especially after meals

  • Constipation or loose stools

  • Reflux, burping, or a heavy upper abdomen

  • Food sensitivities or meals that sit like a rock

  • Cramping, urgency, or incomplete elimination

These symptoms are common, but they are not normal. They're signals—your body's way of saying something is out of balance.

What Functional Medicine Looks For

Even when imaging and scopes come back clear, there’s a lot that can still be going on:

  • Low stomach acid → leads to poor protein breakdown and bacterial overgrowth

  • SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) → common in post-antibiotic or post-stress guts

  • Leaky gut → triggers inflammation, food reactions, and immune symptoms

  • Bile flow issues → poor fat digestion, bloating, and hormonal stagnation

  • Dysbiosis → an imbalance in your microbiome that affects everything from digestion to mood

We can assess many of these gently, using symptom patterns, dietary experiments, and optional stool or breath testing—when appropriate.

What Eastern Medicine Sees

From a traditional diagnostic perspective, bloating, irregular digestion, and fatigue often stem from Spleen Qi deficiency, Damp accumulation, or Liver-Spleen disharmony. You may notice:

  • Worse symptoms around stress or your menstrual cycle

  • Puffiness, heaviness, or fatigue after eating

  • Irregular appetite or food aversions

  • Emotional symptoms tied to digestion

Custom herbal formulas, acupuncture, and food therapy work with your body to restore digestive strength, regulate bowel function, and reduce inflammation—without suppressing symptoms.

You Deserve More Than "Try More Fiber" (though getting enough fiber is important!)

If your digestion has become a daily source of frustration or mystery, you don’t need to suffer silently. Whether your symptoms are mild or disruptive, there’s always something we can do to restore gut function and help you feel like yourself again.

In my practice, we build a plan that supports:

  • Repairing the gut lining

  • Balancing the microbiome

  • Improving motility and regularity

  • Reducing bloating and reactivity

  • Nourishing your digestive Qi and core vitality

Let’s Get to the Root

You don’t need another generic handout or restrictive diet. You need a plan that’s tailored to your body, your history, and your healing pace.

→ Book a digestive consult to finally get answers—and a real path forward.