Why am I so bloated?
Not a diagnosis: a head start. These are the three drivers most worth checking first, based on what the evidence says gets missed most often.
Timing is the clue
Within an hour of eating points at the upper gut; evening build-up points lower, often fermentation.
SIBO and the IBS overlap
Bacteria in the wrong place ferment food into gas. Common after food poisoning or antibiotics.
The fibre paradox
"Eat more fibre" makes fermentation-driven bloating worse, not better.
Coeliac screen (before cutting gluten), H. pylori, faecal calprotectin
1. Start a two-minute note so the pattern becomes visible.
2. Take the test list above with you so you can explain the pattern clearly.
3. Read the evidence: Is It IBS or SIBO? Symptom Checklist & Comparison (UK) · Gut Conditions Missed by the IBS Label.
Education, not diagnosis, and never a replacement for your GP or pharmacist. Reference ranges and guidance vary; sudden, severe or worsening symptoms need 111, or 999 in an emergency. By Hussain Sharifi · independent, affiliate-free health research.