How To Get Rid Of Gas Pains And Bloating
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The average adult passes gas between 13 and 21 times a day. Gas is a normal part of the digestion process. But if gas builds up in your intestines and youre unable to expel it, you may start to feel pain and discomfort.
Gas pain, bloating, and flatus frequency can be exacerbated by anything that causes diarrhea or constipation. Gas can also be caused by:
- swallowing air while you eat or drink
Make an appointment with your doctor if your gas symptoms:
- cause you distress
- change suddenly
- are accompanied with constipation, diarrhea, or weight loss
Your doctor can determine the underlying cause. If you dont already have a primary care provider, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool.
How Long Does Pregnancy Bloating Last
Sorry, but that ate-too-much feeling you’ve been experiencing is a pregnancy symptom that’s likely to get worse as your uterus keeps expanding and pressing on your stomach and intestines.
It’s a bit of a pain for you , but take comfort in knowing that your baby is oblivious to the discomfort of pregnancy bloating and the other pregnancy symptoms you’re experiencing .
When Should I Be Worried About Abdominal Bloating
See your healthcare provider if your bloated stomach:
- Gets progressively worse.
- Persists for more than a week.
- Is persistently painful.
- Comes with symptoms of illness, such as fever, vomiting or bleeding.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
A bloated stomach is not a pleasant feeling. While its a common experience and usually temporary, you may become weary of the cycle. Spending a little focused attention on the problem to identify the cause can be well worthwhile. Try recording your symptoms and possible triggers in a journal. Note diet, hormonal and stress factors. When in doubt bring your notes to a specialist for professional guidance. The different factors that contribute to bloating can be complex and difficult to parse, but medical testing can help. As always, seek medical attention if your symptoms are persistent or severe.
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Relocated Bacteria Decreases Digestion
Digestive ability directly relates to the bacteria in your gut. As we get older, our digestive ability declines.
As we get older, most of the sugar from foods passes through our bodies without being fully metabolized by the body. Gas-forming bacteria then have plenty of fuel for their activities.
Poor digestion, poor food choices, and certain medications may affect where the bacteria in the digestive tract are located. It may not seem like a big deal now, but where bacteria are found in your digestive tract can have lasting effects on your overall health and the amount of room-cleaning gas that leaves your body.
According to medical textbooks, most of the bacteria in your gut are located in your large intestine . However, in unhealthy people, this may not be true.
Small bowel bacterial overgrowth occurs when there is an excessive number of microorganisms present in the small intestine. Bacteria arent stupid theyre just going to go wherever theres food available.
A high sugar intake, stress, poor digestion, and antibiotic usage can cause bad bacteria to move from the large intestines into the small intestines.
Most nutrient and vitamin absorption occurs high in the gut, just beyond the stomach. Having bacteria high in your gut means that theyre competing for your nutrients.
With higher amounts of bacteria irritating the gut lining, then theres the possibility of malabsorption syndromes or IBS pain to occur.
What Causes Bloating In The Stomach
Gas
Gas is a natural byproduct of digestion, but too much intestinal gas means your digestion is gone awry. While you can ingest gasses by swallowing air or drinking carbonated beverages, these gasses mostly escape through belching before they reach your intestines. Gasses in your intestines are mostly produced by gut bacteria digesting carbohydrates, in a process called fermentation.
If theres too much fermentation going on, its because too many carbohydrates werent naturally absorbed earlier in the digestive process, before reaching those gut bacteria. That could be for several reasons. Maybe you just ate too much too fast for proper digestion. Or you might have a specific food intolerance or gastrointestinal disease. Some possible causes include:
Digestive Contents
These can include solids, liquids, and gas. Digestive contents can build up in your digestive system when there is a backup or restriction in your digestive tract or when the muscles that move digestive contents along are somehow impaired. Any build-up of digestive contents along the digestive tract will leave less room for normal amounts of gas to process through. It also leaves less room for other things in your abdomen, including circulatory fluids and fat, making everything feel tighter. Causes of build-up can include:
Hormones
Other Causes
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Complete A Quick Total Body Cleanse
Periodically undergoing a digestive cleanse may be beneficial for some people.
Look for products that offer valuable nutrients such as:
Those nutrients help to balance out the good and bad bacteria inside your digestive tract so theyll be pushed back down to the colon again, where it belongs.
A simple cleanse will do wonders to reduce bloating and flatulence. It will help return the colon and small intestine to a healthier state. That will help prevent it from taking days for food to pass through your body. A shorter transit time through the body means less time for bacteria to produce gas.
Check For Lactose Intolerance
Lactose is a sugar found in milk.
Your body needs an enzyme called lactase to break down lactose. However, most people dont produce enough of this enzyme to break down lactose once they reach adulthood. The resulting condition is called lactose intolerance (
22 ):
- Increasing your fiber intake. Aim for 1830 grams per day of both soluble and insoluble fiber from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
- Drinking adequate fluids. Drink 68.5 cups per day of water and other fluids.
- Exercising regularly. Walking, jogging, swimming, or bicycling for about 30 minutes each day may help keep your bowels moving regularly.
Keep in mind that you may need to increase your soluble fiber intake with caution, as this type of fiber is fermented in your colon and may contribute to bloated feelings .
Additionally, adding fiber to your diet too rapidly may worsen constipation, so its important to increase your intake slowly. Aim for an intake of 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams per day for men .
While constipation may be relieved with medication, certain types like bulk and osmotic laxatives may make bloating worse, so talk with your doctor about your symptoms to determine whats best for you (
39 ).
Finally, high amounts of fats in your intestine may retain gas and increase the sensation of bloating. This may be why people often report feeling bloated after fatty meals .
45 ).
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When To See A Healthcare Provider
Consult a healthcare provider if your gas and bloating is increasing without any changes in diet or you have additional symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss, heartburn, or changes in stool.
There are some medical conditions that can contribute to bloating and gas, such as:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
If your healthcare provider suspects one of these conditions, additional testing may be recommended.
If you suffer from constipation, you are also more likely to experience intestinal gas and bloating. This may be because the gas gets trapped behind the excessive amounts of stool stored in the bottom parts of your colon.
Flatulence that arises may be more odorous due to it making its way around the un-passed stool.
If you deal with chronic constipation, talk to your healthcare provider about developing a treatment plan.
Foods That Cause Bloating
On the other hand, here are the foods that may cause bloating in some people. Some of these foods cause bloating due to gas, and others cause bloating due to their sodium content, which can make you retain water.
Looking for some other ways to beat the bloat? Here are some ways to avoid bloating:
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Opt For Smaller Meals
The more food you pump into your stomach at a sitting, the more gas you’ll be pumping out. Fueling up on six small meals a day or three moderate ones plus two or three snacks will not only keep your nutrition levels constant to better nourish your baby, they’ll prevent your digestive system from getting overloaded, keeping gas pains and heartburn in check.
How Can I Prevent Stomach Bloating
If your stomach bloating is caused by diet or alcohol, you can help prevent it by making some lifestyle changes. Some good general guidelines include:
If the cause of your bloated stomach is something more specific, such as specific food intolerance, perimenopause or a medical condition, you might need a little help with diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Some options include:
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Food Intolerances And Allergies
If your body has difficulty digesting food, your bowel may not empty properly.
This sometimes leads to the production of too much gas and this excess air may get trapped.44
Foods that are more likely to cause problems are:
- FODMAPS – our bodies can find it hard work to digest the sugars in this group of foods This leaves some of us with more gas in our digestive system.
- Wheat – if youre sensitive to gluten or have problems digesting it, foods containing wheat can cause a painful bloated stomach.
- Dairy – if you dont have a sufficient supply of the enzyme to break down lactose in your gut, eating dairy foods can cause a bloated belly.
Bloating And Gas During Your Period
And lastly, to touch on another slightly uncomfortable situation bloating and gas during your period. Eek!
You see, during PMS, theres a high chance of experiencing gastrointestinal issues. These kinds of issues are similar to IBS , and the symptoms usually include abdominal cramping, diarrhea, constipation, and/or excess gas.
So, just like period bloating, we have the intestines and the fluctuation of hormones to blame when it comes to passing more gas before and during your period. Basically, bloating and having excess gas often go hand-in-hand when it comes to PMS and periods, unfortunately.
The good news is, by following some of the tips weve provided above, you can not only perhaps reduce or eliminate period bloating but also, passing excess gas.
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Why Do Some People Experience A Painful Bloated Stomach
Having a constantly bloated stomach doesnt necessarily mean youre producing more gas than usual.
And its not always a symptom of an underlying condition. In some people, its simply an overreaction to normal amounts of gas in the abdomen.
And unfortunately, the reasons why this happens to some individuals and not others arent fully understood.47
Why Is Trapped Gas So Painful
Trapped gas is painful because it creates pressure in your digestive tract. Gas that builds up in your stomach or in the left side of your colon can feel like chest pain. Gas that builds up on the right side of your colon can feel like gallstone or appendicitis pain.
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Drop The Fork And Stop The Soda
To begin with, know that digestion starts in the mouth. Saliva contains digestive enzymes that help break down foods into nutrients for absorption by the body, so the more saliva on food, the better.
One of the easiest tricks is to chew more on your food, which you can do by setting the fork down on your plate until you are done chewing.
Most people pick up their next bite after putting food in their mouths. This creates an urgent need for them to eat faster so they dont miss any bites. So its best to put your fork down, eat the rest of the bite in your mouth, and then pick up the fork again before continuing eating.
If you havent heard the news about how terrible soda is for you yet, then listen up! Stop drinking soda now. According to a National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, soda is THE largest source of sugar and calories in the United States.
Soda causes many health problems for people trying to stay fit and healthy. It even overwhelms some peoples digestion systems. Soda may feed gas producing bacteria. Other simple sugars should be eaten in moderation or not at all, if you can.
Take A Warm Bath Soaking And Relaxing
The heat of the bath can provide relief for a sore abdomen. Relaxation can reduce stress levels, which may allow the GI tract to function more effectively and help reduce bloating.
Quick fixes are not always effective for some causes of bloating. However, people who have frequent bloating may find that certain lifestyle changes can tackle the causes and reduce bloating over time.
People can use these simple steps to try to prevent bloating in the long-term:
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Be Careful Of Portion Sizes
Eating large portions can lead to indigestion and bloating. It puts a lot of pressure on the digestive system and produces a lot of gas, says Kirsten.
So read the packet of pasta or rice, follow the recommended portion size and weigh it out before you cook it. Your body will find the meal much easier to digest.
Start Taking Friendly Bacteria
Friendly bacteria may help by curbing bacteria populations that are associated with bloating, according to a 2011 study in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.24
In addition to a high-fibre diet, fermented foods and drinks, such as kefir and sauerkraut, are a helpful source of beneficial bacteria for the gut.25
Friendly or good bacteria supplements can aid digestion and help counteract the negative effects of bad bacteria in your gut.
Best of all, numerous studies have shown they may help ease symptoms of IBS like pain, gas and bloating.26,27
There are many different types available, so you may need to experiment to find one that works for you.
Fancy some other supplements? Fennel has been used for centuries to help tame tummies: drink it as a tea or take a supplement.28
And peppermint oil can help fight IBS symptoms like cramping or bloating it works by relaxing the muscles of your intestines. Try taking capsules before or during meals.29
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What Naturally Reduces Bloating
You may be able to naturally reduce bloating by eating more slowly, avoiding certain foods and drinks, and exercising more. Peppermint or ginger tea, which have been said to help with digestive issues, could help too. Eating foods with probiotics, like kimchi, kefir, yogurt, and kombucha may help naturally prevent bloating.
Try A Low Fermentation Diet
“Low fermentation eating” could help reduce the symptoms of SIBO, Rezaie said, but more research is needed, according to consultant gastroenterology dietitian Kirsten Jackson.
Highly fermentable foods, such as artificial sweeteners, beans, cauliflower, and broccoli, produce gas, so reducing them could help.
However, it’s worth remembering that beans, cauliflower, and broccoli have lots of other health benefits, including providing fiber which is important for gut health, so you shouldn’t cut them out if you don’t have to.
“As a rule of thumb, diets that have less carbohydrates and more protein lead to less bloating,” Rezaie said.
Protein powder, however, can lead to bloating and digestion issues for some people, personal trainer Stephanie Sanzo previously explained to Insider.
If you’re unsure or regularly bloated to the point of pain, see a doctor who may prescribe medication, an elimination diet, or other treatment.
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Lifestyle Changes To Help Prevent Gas
1. Eat smaller portions of foods that cause you gas
2. Eat more slowly
3. Chew foods well
4. Dont chew gum, smoke or drink through a straw as they can cause excessive swallowing of air
5. Avoid carbonated beverages
Gas pains can be mistaken for certain serious conditions including:
- Pain in the lymph nodes of the throat, armpits or groin
- Unusual fatigue
What About Foods That Lead To Bloating Gas And Flatulence
Some foods cause gas and bloating but theyre not necessarily bad for you. Beans and cabbage are well-known for that.
These foods typically contain a specific fiber thats difficult to digest for us, but the fiber is perfect food for bacteria. Other high-sugar content foods will lead to bloating and flatulence.
Traditional Gas-producing Foods:
- Vegetables: Peas, cabbage, onions, broccoli, radishes, and cauliflower
- Fruits: Apples, prunes, bananas, and dried fruit
- Fiber: Oatmeal and other grains
- Sugar: Any large amount of sugar, especially those contained in soda
One of the best things you can do is to have a food diary where you write about the intake of foods and any gas pains, abdominal bloating, bowel movements, and any other digestive conditions you experience.
That will help you figure out the underlying condition and the foods that will trigger symptoms of gas and bloating.
Read the full article on Foods That Cause Gas.
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