Gas – flatulence Information | Mount Sinai

Flatulence; Flatus

Gas is air in the intestine that is passed through the rectum. Air that moves from the digestive tract through the mouth is called belching.

Gas is also called flatus or flatulence.

Gas is formed in the intestines by the action of bacteria as food is being digested. Gas is also called flatus or flatulence, and is passed through the intestine and out the body through the rectum.

Considerations

Gas is normally formed in the intestines as your body digests food.

Gas can make you feel bloated. It can cause crampy or colicky pains in your belly.

Causes

Gas can be caused by certain foods you eat. You may have gas if you:

• Eat foods that are hard to digest, such as fiber. Sometimes, adding more fiber into your diet can cause temporary gas. Your body may adjust and stop producing gas over time.
• Eat or drink something your body cannot tolerate. For example, some people have lactose intolerance and cannot eat or drink dairy products.

Other common causes of gas are:

• Antibiotics
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Inability to absorb nutrients properly (malabsorption)
• Inability to digest nutrients properly (maldigestion)
• Swallowing air while eating
• Chewing gum
• Smoking cigarettes
• Drinking carbonated beverages
• Talking while eating and eating too rapidly

Home Care

The following tips may help you prevent gas:

• Chew your food more thoroughly.
• Do not eat beans or cabbage.
• Avoid foods high in poorly digestible carbohydrates. These are called FODMAPs and include fructose (fruit sugar).
• Avoid lactose.
• Do not drink carbonated drinks.
• Do not chew gum.
• Eat more slowly.
• Relax while you eat.
• Walk for 10 to 15 minutes after eating.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Contact your health care provider if you have:

• Gas and other symptoms such as stomach pain, rectal pain, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, fever, or weight loss
• Oily, foul-smelling, or bloody stools

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

Your provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history and symptoms, such as:

• What foods do you commonly eat?
• Has your diet changed recently?
• Have you increased the fiber in your diet?
• How fast do you eat, chew, and swallow?
• Would you say that your gas is mild or severe?
• Does your gas seem to be related to eating milk products or other specific foods?
• What seems to make your gas better?
• What medicines do you take?
• Do you have other symptoms, like abdominal pain, diarrhea, early satiety (premature fullness after meals), bloating, or weight loss?
• Do you chew artificially sweetened gum or eat artificially sweetened candy? (These frequently contain indigestible sugars that can lead to production of gas. )

Tests that may be done include:

• Abdominal CT scan
• Abdominal ultrasound
• Barium enema x-ray
• Barium swallow x-ray
• Blood work such as CBC or blood differential
• Sigmoidoscopy
• Upper endoscopy (EGD)
• Breath test

Azpiroz F. Intestinal gas. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 17.

Hall JE, Hall ME. Physiology of gastrointestinal disorders. In: Hall JE, Hall ME, eds. Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 67.

McQuaid KR. Approach to the patient with gastrointestinal disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 123.

Last reviewed on: 5/4/2022

Reviewed by: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Stomach Gas: Symptoms and Treatment

Everyone gets gas. In fact, this condition is so common that most people pass gas up to 20 times a day. And when gas isn’t released through the rectum, it’s released through the mouth.

Gas can be mild and intermittent, or severe and painful. Although symptoms can develop after eating or drinking, not all gas is food-related. Sometimes gas is a symptom of a more serious problem.

Here’s a look at why gas occurs, as well as conditions that can lead to trapped gas in the digestive tract.

Gas causes a number of digestive symptoms, which can vary from person to person. Common symptoms include:

• belching or burping
• stomach cramps
• stomach bloating or a feeling of fullness
• distention, or an increase in abdomen size
• chest pains

Gas can be uncomfortable, but it isn’t usually serious. In most cases, symptoms don’t require medical attention and improve on their own within a few minutes to a few hours.

Gas can develop in your stomach or your intestinal tract. Gas in the stomach often results from swallowing too much air while eating or drinking. This can also happen if you:

• drink sodas or carbonated drinks
• suck on hard candy
• chew gum
• smoke

In addition, loose-fitting dentures can cause you to swallow more air than normal.

In such a scenario, belching or burping is how your body expels stomach gas. If burping doesn’t release gas, the air travels to your intestines, where it’s released from the anus as flatulence.

Gas in the large intestines develops when normal bacteria breaks down certain types of undigested food. Some foods are more easily digested than others. Certain carbohydrates, such as sugar, fiber, and some starches, aren’t digested in the small intestines.

Instead, these foods travel to the large intestines where they’re broken down by normal bacteria. This natural process produces hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and sometimes methane gas, which is released from the rectum.

Therefore, you might experience more gas symptoms after eating certain foods. Foods that can trigger bloating, flatulence, and other symptoms include:

• Brussels sprouts
• broccoli
• beans
• cabbage
• asparagus
• cheese
• bread
• ice cream
• milk
• artificial sweeteners
• potatoes
• noodles
• peas
• apples
• prunes
• peaches
• soft drinks
• wheat

Even if you can’t eliminate gas completely, you can take steps to reduce the amount of gas your body produces.

Prevention

Making dietary changes is an excellent starting point. Keep a food journal to identify foods that trigger gas. Write down everything you eat and drink, and then make a note of any gas symptoms.

Next, eliminate certain foods from your diet one by one to see if gas improves, and then gradually reintroduce these foods one at a time.

You can also prevent gas by swallowing less air. Here are a few tips to try:

• Drink fewer sodas, beers, and other carbonated beverages.
• Slow down when eating and drinking.
• Avoid chewing gum and hard candy.
• Don’t use drinking straws.
• Give up smoking.
• If you wear dentures, see your dentist to make sure your dentures fit properly.

Medications

Along with lifestyle and dietary changes, certain medications can help you manage symptoms.

For example, an over-the-counter (OTC) supplement containing alpha-galactosidase(for example, Beano) can help your body break down carbohydrates in vegetables and beans. Typically, you’ll ingest the supplement before meals.

Similarly, a lactase supplementcan help your body digest the sugar in certain dairy products, thus preventing gas. If you’re already experiencing gas, take an OTC gas relief medication containing simethicone, such as Gas-X. This ingredient helps gas move through the digestive tract.

Activated charcoal may also relieve intestinal gas and bloating. But this supplement may affect how your body absorbs drugs, so speak with your doctor first if you’re taking any medications.

Gas is sometimes a symptom of a digestive condition. These include:

• Inflammatory bowel disease. This term describes chronic inflammation in the digestive tract and includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Symptoms include diarrhea, weight loss, and abdominal pain that can mimic gas pains.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This is a condition that affects the large intestines and causes a variety of symptoms, such as:
  • cramping
  • bloating, gas
  • diarrhea
  • constipation
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. This condition causes excess bacteria in the small intestines. It can also damage the lining of the intestines, making it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients. Symptoms include:
  • stomach pain
  • bloating
  • diarrhea
  • constipation
  • gas
  • belching
• Food intolerance. If you have a sensitivity to milk (lactose) or gluten, your body may have difficulty breaking down these foods. You may experience gas or abdominal pain after eating foods containing these ingredients.
• Constipation. Infrequent bowel activity causes gas to build up in the abdomen, triggering gas pains and bloating. Constipation is described as having fewer than three bowel movements a week. Taking a fiber supplement and increasing physical activity can stimulate intestinal contractions and ease constipation.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD). This occurs when stomach acid backflows into the esophagus. GERD can cause:
  • persistent heartburn
  • nausea
  • regurgitation
  • stomach pain
  • indigestion that feels like gas
• Internal hernias. This is when an internal organ protrudes into a hole in the peritoneal cavity of the abdomen. Symptoms of this condition include intermittent abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
• Colon cancer. Excess gas can be an early sign of colon cancer, which is cancer that develops in the large intestine.

If gas only occurs after eating or drinking and resolves on its own or with the help of OTC remedies, you probably don’t need to see a doctor.

However, you should see a doctor for severe gas that’s persistent or affects your daily routine. Also, see a doctor if other symptoms accompany gas. These symptoms include:

• a change in bowel habits
• weight loss
• persistent constipation or diarrhea
• vomiting
• chest pains
• bloody stools

Everyone deals with gas from time to time. And in most cases, belching, passing gas, and bloating are minor and don’t interrupt life.If you feel that you have more gas than normal, or if you experience severe gas pains, see your doctor to rule out a more serious condition.

Flatulence. Causes and treatment Medical On Group Novosibirsk

METEORISM, “TALKING” INTESTINES, DISCOMFORT, BLOODING AND RUMBLING IN THE STOMACH, GAS – these symptoms are not a disease as such, but may underlie serious disorders of the gastrointestinal tract

Two variants of the manifestation of flatulence can be distinguished:
– In some cases, the main manifestation is a significant increase in the volume of the abdomen (“inflates like a balloon”), while the passage of gases does not occur due to spasms of the large intestine. The main sensations in this case are pain, discomfort and distension in the abdomen.

– The second variant is characterized by constant turbulent passing of gases, which causes embarrassment and significantly limits the quality of life when a person is in society. At the same time, the pain syndrome is slightly expressed, complaints of “rumbling” and “transfusion” in the abdomen predominate.

CAUSES OF METEORISM

The main cause of functional bloating is non-compliance with the principles of a balanced diet, the use of foods rich in indigestible carbohydrates, which are fermented by bacteria in the intestine.

GAS PRODUCTS:

• all kinds of cabbages,
• onion, garlic, asparagus, carrot, parsley
• legumes (beans, peas), beets
• watermelon, peaches, apples, pears, grapes
• pistachios, sesame
• flour products
• carbonated drinks, soy products

Bloating in the abdomen is also provoked by chewing gum and smoking.

Flatulence also occurs when a person eats quickly, swallows food in large chunks or drinks in large sips, talks while eating, and eventually swallows a large amount of air that accumulates in the intestine.

Sometimes excessive “talkativeness” of the intestine is provoked by stressful situations in which there is a spasm of the smooth muscles of the intestine and a slowdown in peristalsis.

Flatulence can also be caused by problems in the oral cavity (eg some missing teeth, deformity of the palate).

In addition to functional flatulence, there is also flatulence in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Bacterial overgrowth syndrome, in which part of the bacteria from the large intestine is thrown into the small, having a sterile environment, which causes the processes of fermentation and putrefaction in the small intestine, in which a lot of gases are always released. To exclude this disease, it is necessary to conduct a study of the intestinal microflora and further treatment with antibacterial drugs may be required.

In case of insufficient secretion of enzymes by the pancreas, undigested food residues enter the lower parts of the digestive tract. There they rot and ferment, which causes gas formation. After examining the analysis of feces, a decision is made on the need to prescribe enzyme preparations.

Also, bloating in the abdomen can disturb in the presence of parasitosis (giardiasis, ascariasis, opisthorchiasis). After a course of anthelmintic therapy, flatulence disappears.

VERY IMPORTANT!
In the presence of flatulence in people after 45 years, it is necessary to exclude organic pathology of the intestine (polyps, tumors of the colon), for which you should visit a gastroenterologist and undergo an examination of the intestine.

Also, be sure to see a doctor if you suffer from persistent flatulence (or acute attacks), accompanied by abdominal pain and weight loss.

Flatulence – symptoms, treatment

Flatulence – symptoms, treatment.

The formation of gas in the intestines is absolutely normal, their presence in a small amount indicates that the intestines are working properly.

During the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), they come out arbitrarily so that a person may not notice it. This usually happens up to 5 times a day. Also, a variant of the norm is the presence of a mild odor, which is due to the presence of sulfur in the composition.

Digestion is responsible for:

• nervous system (all digestive organs are abundantly activated and supplied with blood, starting with the tongue, which perceives all taste qualities and transmits signals to the brain for the release of enzymes, ending with the regulation of peristalsis – the function of the intestines to remove processed food)
• enzymes, which must be in sufficient quantity for complete digestion of food
• bacteria – are an integral part of the gastrointestinal tract and regulate most of the chemical processes, including helping in digestion

Flatulence symptoms in the digestive tract.

A number of symptoms may indicate its presence, such as:

• a feeling of bloating and pain due to distension of the mucous membranes due to accumulated gases
• visual increase in the volume of the abdomen, even when eating a small amount of food
• constant seething in the intestines
• belching of air
• involuntary release of gases

overexertion, change in diet, diet or continuation of that lifestyle, which led to flatulence. Such a clinical picture causes discomfort to a person both physically and affects his emotional and social spheres. This condition affects all people, regardless of age. Nevertheless, the adult part of the population is much more likely to develop it. A person suffering from intestinal flatulence is forced to limit direct contact with people in order not to experience feelings of guilt and shame, more withdrawn into himself. Constant worry and anxiety reduce the quality of life and significantly increase the risk of depression.

Causes of flatulence

Among the many causes of flatulence, two of the most common are distinguished: swallowing a large amount of air and digestion processes, usually caused by disturbed microflora.

In addition, weak peristalsis also affects the manifestation of symptoms, as a result of which gases cannot pass from it. Accumulating, lead to stretching of the intestinal walls, thereby provoking the onset of pain.

Chewing gum, talking while eating, eating too fast, snacking on the go, smoking cigarettes.

An overgrowth of bacteria in the intestines also leads to discomfort.

There is a fairly common myth that legumes cause excess gas, so many people deliberately remove these foods from their diet, depriving themselves of a large amount of micronutrients. This judgment is true only when the intestinal microflora is not prepared to receive this kind of food. When the balance between pathogenic and beneficial microflora is established, the symptoms of flatulence do not appear with moderate use of products of this group. In order to avoid the manifestation of discomfort, you should add small portions of legumes to your diet so that the microflora can adapt. It is for this reason that when a person changes his usual diet, bloating, discomfort and accumulation of gases can be observed.

One of the main sources of gas can be insufficient secretion of enzymes by bacteria necessary for the processing of indigestible sugars in the large intestine. Dairy products, especially in large quantities, cause flatulence due to insufficient enzymatic processing of lactose, which is contained in them.

Enzymes of the hydrolase group are responsible for the assimilation of milk sugar. In particular, it is alpha-galactosidase, which is responsible for the processing of indigestible carbohydrates, breaking them down to galactose (monosaccharide sugar) and sucrose, which are absorbed in the small intestine, not reaching the large intestine, and are used to provide the body with energy, and beta-galactosidase, which accelerates lactose hydrolysis reaction. With a lack of these enzymes, lactose does not undergo the necessary chemical processing and enters the large intestine in the form in which it entered the body and already there, under the action of microflora, it is broken down into organic acids and carbon dioxide. An excess of these products of a chemical reaction contributes to an increase in osmotic pressure, which in turn provokes the accumulation of fluid in the intestine. This mechanism leads to the development of vomiting and diarrhea, and can also be accompanied by pain, causing even more discomfort to a person.

This is particularly common in people with lactase deficiency, both adults and children. Therefore, they require intake from outside of this enzyme in order to avoid the symptoms of flatulence.

Long-term use of antibiotics can provoke the occurrence of flatulence in adults due to the destruction of beneficial microflora, the absence or lack of which will be a substrate for the abundant growth of pathogenic flora.

Flatulence treatment

For successful treatment and prevention of flatulence, many doctors recommend following a number of recommendations:

• Changing the diet towards eating more leafy vegetables and reducing the intake of fast, easily digestible carbohydrates, avoiding carbonated drinks.
• Reduced dairy production. Even in people with normal enzymatic activity, an excess of products of this group leads to excessive gas formation.
• Stop smoking both cigarettes and hookahs.
• Increased physical activity to improve GI motility.
• The use of probiotics – substances that have a positive effect on the growth of beneficial microbiota. The main representatives of such bacteria are Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacterium acidophilus.
• Inclusion of enzymes in the diet (in particular alpha and beta-galactosidase, the ideal concentrations of which are selected in the probiotic complex Lactoflorene Flat Stomach).

• The use of prokinetics – substances that affect intestinal motility. Such natural remedies include lemon balm, chamomile. Some fruits and vegetables, such as melon, grapes, carrots, beets, cabbage, have a similar effect.

Ginger should be singled out as a separate item, which helps to reduce inflammation and eliminate pain, and reduce swelling, due to the content of gingerol (a plant substance contained in the form of essential oil) in its composition. In addition, ginger has a carminative (carminative) effect, i. ensures the removal of gases from the body.

Passiflora extract has a tonic effect not only on the intestinal mucosa, but also on the body as a whole, which contributes to more comfortable digestion and the elimination of nervous tension. Also has anti-inflammatory action.

All herbal extracts, probiotics and enzymes listed can be purchased and consumed individually. However, modern pharmacology has stepped far ahead and simplified the process of therapy. So in the pharmacies of the city and in online stores you can find the probiotic complex Lactoflorene FLAT STOMACH, which includes bifidus and lacto bacteria, digestive enzymes and plant extracts in the required ratio.

In addition, the sachet shape and Duocam’s unique packaging preserve the properties of the product until it is consumed, isolating the probiotics from the rest of the components and preserving their active effect.

Flatulence Prevention

To prevent flatulence, reduce portion sizes, avoid overeating and chew thoroughly;

• Meals should be in a calm environment;
• Eating should be done silently and slowly to avoid swallowing large amounts of air;
• After eating after 30 minutes, moderate physical activity is desirable;
• Reduce consumption of chewing gum and chew it no longer than 10 minutes, due to the content of sorbitol during prolonged chewing, it promotes gas formation;
• If possible, reduce stress levels and ensure quality sleep, which favorably affects intestinal motility and prevents the symptoms of flatulence.