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Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Palace Aide Issues King Charles Cancer Update, Says He's Trying to Keep Life "As Normal as Possible"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. There haven't been many updates on King Charles's health since he was diagnosed with cancer in February 2024, but a senior royal aide has spoken out after The King and Queen Camilla visited Canada this week. "The thing you learn about this illness is that you just manage it," the palace staffer said, via Hello! "And that's what he does. Medical science has made incredible advances and I genuinely see no difference in him." The aide continued, "As long as you just do what the doctors say, just live your life as normal as possible and that's exactly what he is doing." The King—who has not revealed the exact type of cancer he has—receives regular outpatient treatments at The London Clinic. "It's no secret that he is still having treatment but because he is incredibly fit, he is just dealing with it all incredibly well," the royal aide said. "As everybody knows he is driven by duty, so he just gets on with it." Indeed, The King is so "driven by duty" that no one can get him to slow down other than Queen Camilla. Per his aide, staffers have been "planning the programme as usual, trying to lighten it a little bit" following Their Majesties' tiring trip to Canada. However, the hardworking monarch doesn't seem to be keen on reducing his schedule, with the staffer noting his team has not had "much success" in that matter. In April, a senior aide to The King said, per The Sun, "We've all tried!" when asked about getting the monarch to relax on his duties. The employee added, "But as people will have seen, The King enjoys his work." Even after he was briefly hospitalized due to side effects from cancer treatment this spring, King Charles was back to duties as usual and traveled to Rome with Queen Camilla for an official state visit. The Queen agreed that her husband "loves his work and it keeps him going." She added, "And I think it's wonderful, you know, if you've been ill and you are recovering, you're getting better and now he wants to do more and more and more. That's the problem."
Telegraph
16-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Six reasons why you're bloated – and how to fix it
Bloating is one of those annoying facts of life – like unexpected bills, surprise rain and colds that develop overnight – that can cut short any good mood or upend any fun plan. Some of us are lucky enough to only ever experience bloating after a big Christmas dinner or an extra slice of cake, while others are burdened by it constantly, no matter how healthily they eat or how much exercise they do. The bloat is an 'extremely common' problem, says Dr George Goodchild, a consultant gastroenterologist at The London Clinic. 'It's normal to experience bloating from time to time, as it's a by-product of digestion, but there are factors that can make it stick for longer or become difficult to shift.' The fact that it is so banal makes it no less frustrating, 'and it can become painful and uncomfortable at times, as we all know', Dr Goodchild says. Here is how to relieve your bloating, why it might be happening, and how to prevent it in the first place. What is bloating? Simply put, bloating 'is a feeling of being excessively full, like having a balloon in your tummy,' says Dr Megan Rossi, the founder of The Gut Health Clinic. This is actually a separate problem from distension, 'which is the physical protrusion in your stomach that you might get after a large meal, where you have to unzip your pants or might even look pregnant'. The two often come together, but they can occur separately, and they have different causes. Both can be a result of constipation, but bloating specifically can be prompted by three other issues in your body, Dr Rossi says: 'Excess gas, trapped gas, or a problem with your gut-brain axis, which is how your brain communicates with your stomach and is the cause of conditions like irritable bowel syndrome'. Distension meanwhile is usually the result of overeating or gas-related bloating, but in persistent cases there can be other causes too. 'One is diastasis recti, where the abdominal muscles separate, which lots of women experience after pregnancy and don't always fully heal from,' Dr Rossi explains. 'This means that whenever they eat, their stomach bulges out and causes a change in the size of their abdomen.' Another cause is a disorder of the gut-brain axis, called abdomino-phrenic dyssynergia. 'Normally after eating a meal, your diaphragm relaxes and your abdomen contracts, to prevent a distended stomach,' says Dr Rossi. 'Someone with this condition experiences the opposite, meaning that they can become very bloated even after one glass of water.' Exactly why all of this happens varies greatly between people, however. 'In my work I've seen that there are 22 different combinations of lifestyle factors and food sensitivities that can trigger bloating,' says Dr Rossi. 'For people who struggle with it persistently, working out how to stop it is a matter of exploration and trial and error.' What causes bloating and how to fix it 1. Not enough fibre, or too much of the wrong kind Constipation causes a lot of bloating cases, says Dr Goodchild, and a major cause of constipation is a diet that's low in fibre – or too high in it, after a period of low fibre intake. 'Not eating enough fibre means that it's hard for your gut to pass waste, meaning that you become constipated, which also traps gas in your stomach. But at the same time, eating too much insoluble fibre can cause constipation too, as this sort of fibre bulks out your stools,' he explains. Fibre is food for your gut bacteria, which produce gas as they feed on it. 'Going from a diet that's low in fibre to one that's high in fibre suddenly causes bloating, as your gut isn't used to it, and there'll suddenly be a lot of bacterial activity,' says Dr Rossi. 'This can produce excess gas, or the gas can get trapped in your stomach if you've been constipated for some time already.' For this reason, gut health experts like dietitian Lucy Kerrison won't tell constipated patients to crack open a tin of prunes: 'If you suddenly eat a lot of fibre after constipation, your gut will continue to ferment that new food and will make your bloating worse,' she explains. Foods containing natural probiotics like kefir and kimchi can contribute to the health of your gut over time, but similarly 'introducing a lot of them at once can make things worse by adding to the gas in your stomach,' Dr Goodchild says. Rather 'I'll advise someone to add a small amount of soluble fibre to their diet, to get things moving, as this can't be fermented by your gut,' says Dr Goodchild. 'I'll commonly suggest that people add a teaspoon of flax seeds to their diet, building up slowly to two tablespoons per day, added to breakfast yogurts, soup or salads, along with more water. This won't work overnight, but patients will see the full effect after a few weeks to a month if they're consistent.' Psyllium husk, a type of soluble fibre made from Plantago ovata seeds, a kind of plant found in the Mediterranean, 'is also very laxating,' says Dr Rossi, being found in many anti-bloating teas and sold as a dietary supplement. Gentle massages and yoga can help, as 'this can help to relieve pressure from the bowel,' says Kerrison. 2. Food sensitivities Bloating can be so frustrating 'because it can seem to happen for such mysterious reasons,' explains Dr Rossi. 'People will notice that they get bloated after eating a specific food, often one that's high in fibre, like chickpeas, and cut it out. We really don't want them to do that, because they're good for us. It's just a case of getting your gut used to them.' It is often those foods that are best for us that can cause sensitivity-related bloating. 'Onions, garlic, chickpeas, leeks, mushrooms, celery, lentils, sweetcorn – all are really healthy and promote the growth of good gut bacteria,' says Kerrison. 'It's important not to cut these out entirely in the long term, as this can cause a bacterial imbalance.' These are high FODMAP foods, says Dr Goodchild, FODMAP standing for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols: compounds that the small intestine struggles to absorb, and so can cause digestive problems, especially in people who have gut conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, which affects one in five people in Britain. Almost a third of adults in Britain have a sensitivity to at least one food, which can trigger bloating as well as constipation, diarrhoea and stomach cramps in some cases. Sensitivity to fruit is also common. 'I'd never want to tell people to cut out fruit, but fructose is something that a lot of people find difficult to digest,' Dr Rossi says. It is possible to work with a sensitive gut. 'I've never met one that couldn't be helped to tolerate just about any food,' says Dr Rossi. Working with a dietitian to pin down your food sensitivities can be helpful, before 'temporarily cutting them out and reintroducing them gradually, such as by having a tablespoon of chickpeas a week and building up'. Those with persistent gut issues might be put onto a low-FODMAP diet by their dietitian or nutritionist. A regimen like this, which involves limiting foods that are high in FODMAPs (such as garlic, onions, apples and dairy products), has been shown to relieve IBS symptoms in 86 per cent of people. The diet is designed to be followed strictly for a period of two to six weeks, before a gradual reintroduction phase, to identify which specific foods are causing digestive problems for an individual. 3. An irritated gut lining Bloating makes your trousers tight, but tight trousers can actually cause bloating too, says Dr Rossi. 'Irritation in the lining of your gut can trap gas in, and common causes of this are that you're constantly stressed, or constantly wearing tight trousers.' In moments of stress, the body releases cortisol, which halts digestion as part of the body's fight-or-flight response. The repeated contractions of your stomach muscles caused by this can lead to an inflamed and irritated gut lining. Over time, chronic stress can lead to the development of IBS because of 'the communication between your brain and your gut,' Dr Rossi says. In conditions such as this, 'the nerve endings in your gut become more sensitive, and just a little bit of food can prompt bloating'. Similarly, wearing trousers that are too tight can put pressure on your stomach muscles and make it harder for them to pass food and gas throughout the day. Wearing trousers with a looser fit and managing stress through breathing techniques and meditation can help reduce bloating. Deep-breathing exercises can both promote the movement of food through your system and relieve anxiety. Peppermint oil capsules, and peppermint tea, 'which can relax tense muscles,' says Dr Rossi, can help relieve cramps, pain and gas build-up in many people an effect found in a number of rigorous scientific studies. Using a hot water bottle or heat patch could also help with this sort of bloating, as 'this should help to increase blood flow to the area and encourage your muscles to relax,' Dr Rossi says. It would also be wise to avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach first thing in the morning as caffeine could further irritate your gut. 'It's better to have a glass of water first at least, and even better to have breakfast first, as this is much easier on your gut,' says Kerrison. 4. Eating too quickly It's not only what we're eating but how we're eating that can make us bloat. 'By eating very quickly, you'll swallow extra gas, adding to your bloating,' says Dr Goodchild. 'You'll also absorb fewer nutrients when you don't chew properly, giving your gut less to work with, and this can also prompt over-fermentation and more gas production inside your stomach itself,' says Dr Rossi. The remedy for this is simply to chew more thoroughly, Kerrison says. 'Chewing your food well, as well as eating small meals frequently rather than large meals infrequently, can reduce bloating by making it easier for your stomach to empty more quickly.' This will not only reduce the build-up of gas in your gut but help your body to absorb more nutrients from your food, improving your health overall. 5. Hormonal changes According to a worldwide study from 2024, almost a quarter of women experience bloating regularly, compared with just over one in 10 men. A big reason for this is that both menstruation and the menopause can prompt bloating: high levels of oestrogen before a woman's period prompt water retention and bloating in the abdomen, while the hormone progesterone slows down bowel movements, making constipation more likely. Women experiencing menopause meanwhile see these same issues with water retention. There isn't much that we can do to counter the work of our hormones. Water retention for any reason can be relieved, however, and one of the best ways to do so is through gentle exercise. 'A gentle walk or gentle yoga can both be helpful to relax your intestine and keep food moving, while reducing water retention by burning some glycogen stores,' Kerrison says. 6. Health conditions Gastrointestinal disorders that cause frequent or persistent bloating are very common in Britain, with a third of people living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and 45 per cent of people saying that they have a chronic gut health problem. IBS is a disorder of the digestive system and while it doesn't always cause bloating, 'about 80 per cent of people with IBS experience bloating regularly', along with stomach cramps and difficulty passing stools, says Kerrison. Other gut conditions that can cause bloating include small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), which causes distension and discomfort in the upper stomach area. 'This is more rare than IBS, but it's likely underdiagnosed,' notes Dr Goodchild. 'Estimates vary, but somewhere between 2 and 20 per cent of people in Britain have SIBO. The overgrowth here usually occurs in people who have other gastrointestinal issues. It is a common side effect of taking proton pump inhibitors, an acid reflux medication that lots of people are given in their 30s and 40s.' Bloating can also be a symptom of coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition that leads to damaging reactions to gluten, or Crohn's disease, which leads to chronic bowel inflammation. 'It's important to seek medical help if you've been consistently bloated, even if it happens first thing in the morning before you've eaten,' says Dr Goodchild. NHS guidelines suggest that people should seek help especially after experiencing bloating every day for three weeks, 'or if you have other symptoms like diarrhoea, weight loss, blood in your stool, changes in your skin colour – especially if you're going yellow – or a fever, as your symptoms could be a result of something more serious,' says Dr Goodchild. FAQs Can I take tablets for bloating? Over-the-counter remedies for bloating or IBS such as Buscopan or Colofac 'can help some patients with bloating in the short term, but in the long term, it's important to avoid dietary triggers,' says Dr Goodchild. Medications can be helpful for symptom relief but won't prevent bloating in the first place. Are bloating remedies sold online safe? Pills and supplements that claim to prevent or relieve bloating are popular online, 'but they are unlikely to be as effective as they claim to be, and before and after photos are probably not real,' says Dr Rossi. 'Some of these products contain digestive enzymes, some types of which can be helpful, but others can actually worsen bloating. You should not take these, though if you have a lactose intolerance, you might instead be prescribed a type of enzyme to prevent painful bloating after eating dairy.' Are there any supplements that I can take for bloating? Peppermint oil and psyllium husk are the only evidence-backed supplements that reduce or relieve bloating, says Dr Rossi. 'Peppermint oil is best taken half an hour in advance of eating a meal to relax your digestive system and prevent bloating in the first place,' she adds.
