Bloating & digestive issues
Bloating is among the most common digestive complaints — and among the most casually dismissed. It deserves a careful diagnosis and a sympathetic, evidence‑based plan.
What causes bloating
Most bloating comes from gas produced when food ferments in the bowel, from the way the gut moves, or from heightened gut sensitivity — the mechanisms behind irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But bloating can also signal coeliac disease, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, food intolerance, or, rarely, something more serious. The job of the first consultation is to separate these efficiently.
How Dr Zeki approaches it
- A careful history — usually the most informative test of all — with targeted blood tests including coeliac serology
- Endoscopy or imaging only where the story or the tests point to it, not as a reflex
- A clear diagnosis, explained — IBS is a positive diagnosis, not a dustbin
Treatment
For IBS and functional bloating, treatment is personalised: dietary strategies including a properly supervised low‑FODMAP approach where appropriate, treatments targeting gut sensitivity and motility, and honest guidance about what works and what is marketing. Where a specific cause is found — coeliac disease, bile acid malabsorption, bacterial overgrowth — treating it is usually transformative.
Seeing Dr Zeki
Consultations take place on Tuesdays at HCA UK at The Shard, with testing and endoscopy at London Bridge Hospital — usually within days. Call 020 3301 4916 or email Dr Zeki's secretary to book. Fees and insurers.