Bloating causes concern for one in six people and many can be treated without drugs or surgery, Newcastle gastroenterologist Magnus Halland says.
Associate Professor Halland, previously a specialist with the Mayo Clinic in the US, said "bloating is incredibly common".
A/Prof Halland will speak about bloating at a conference in Newcastle this weekend, featuring gut health and digestion experts.
More than 100 experts are due to attend the gastroenterology conference, including 16 specialists from the Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic.
More than one third of Australians are estimated to have chronic or relapsing gut symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea.
"About one in six will have bloating at a troublesome level, where it will interfere with their life," said A/Prof Halland, who is now a University of Newcastle lecturer.
"We all get bloated from time to time. Some people have this chronically and it becomes a real issue, where they struggle to study, work or function.
"The issue is when somebody has a bloated abdomen, the first thing we think about is increased gas. That is true in 20 per cent of cases. In 80 per cent of cases there is no extra gas."
Doctors generally attribute the problem to extra gas and prescribe anti-gas treatments.
Some patients will be advised to stop eating foods known to cause gas, while some are tested for an enzyme deficiency that means they don't digest milk or sugars properly.
"And that can really help 20 per cent of patients. It doesn't help the 80 per cent where gas isn't the problem," A/Prof Halland said.
When doctors prescribe a treatment that doesn't work, it "drives anxiety because you're wondering what's wrong and why you're not getting better".
For patients in the 80 per cent group, bloating is "actually a neuromuscular problem".
"It has to do with how your diaphragm and abdominal wall reacts to a meal," he said.
"Simplistically when you eat, your diaphragm should relax allowing more room for food. Your stomach should go up," he said.
"Some people eat and their diaphragm pushes down. When the diaphragm pushes down and you have a full stomach, there's nowhere else to go. You can't bend out your spine, so you bend out the front."
Treatment for this problem is based on behaviour, physical therapy and biofeedback [electronic monitoring of body function to help people regain control].
"You can actually empower patients to go through a treatment program that doesn't involve drugs or surgeries and find solutions that way," he said.
This can involve psychologists, physical therapists and exercise physiologists.
A/Prof Halland said "unrecognised constipation" was also a problem, including people who don't get enough fibre, water and exercise.
"If you're constipated, you won't get anywhere with these symptoms either," he said.
"It's important to drink enough water, particularly in Australia's hot weather. A lot of people don't drink enough water.
"People who walk and run and shake the gut, that's good, it helps the gut wake up and move. A sedentary lifestyle with dehydration is no good."
The conference also had presentations on inflammatory bowel disease, food allergies and obesity.
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