10 Tips to Get Rid of Gas, Pains, and Bloating

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Abdominal gas is quite typical. Often, certain home remedies and supplements can help you release it from your stomach. But if you’re still experiencing discomfort, you may want to see a doctor.

The average adult passes gas between 13 and 21 times a day. Gas is a healthy part of the digestion process. But if gas builds up in your intestines and you’re 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:

• overeating
• swallowing air while you eat or drink
• gum chewing
• smoking cigarettes
• eating certain foods

Make an appointment with your doctor if your gas symptoms:

• cause you distress
• change suddenly
• are accompanied by constipation, diarrhea, or weight loss

Your doctor can determine the underlying cause.

If changing your diet doesn’t completely do the trick, you have several options to try.

1. Peppermint

Research has shown that peppermint tea or peppermint supplements can help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, including gas.

Talk with your doctor before you start using supplements. Peppermint can interfere with iron absorption and certain medications. It may also cause heartburn in some people.

Supplements will have directions about how much you should take on the bottle. For peppermint tea, drink one cup before each meal for the best results.

2. Chamomile tea

Chamomile tea can also help reduce indigestion, trapped gas, and bloating. Drinking chamomile tea before meals and at bedtime may reduce symptoms for some people.

3. Activated charcoal

Activated charcoal is another type of over-the-counter medication that helps eliminate gas trapped in your colon. You take tablets right before and one hour after meals.

4. Apple cider vinegar

Drinking apple cider vinegar may help fight against bacteria that can cause abdominal gas accumulation and discomfort. Dilute a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a beverage, like water or tea. Drink right before meals or up to three times daily as long as needed to reduce symptoms.

5. Physical activity

Exercise can help release trapped gas and gas pain. Try walking after meals as a way to avoid gas. If you have gas pain, jumping rope, running, or walking may help you expel it.

6. Lactase supplements

Lactose is a sugar in milk. People with lactose intolerance can’t digest this sugar. Lactase is the enzyme the body uses to break down lactose. Lactase supplements are available over the counter and can help your body digest lactose.

7. Cloves

Cloves are an herb used in cooking. Clove oil may help reduce bloating and gas by producing digestive enzymes. Add two to five drops to an 8-ounce glass of water and drink after meals.

8. Over-the-counter medications

Simethicone (Gas-X. Mylanta Gas, Phazyme) is an over-the-counter medication that works by consolidating gas bubbles in your stomach, allowing you to expel them more easily.

Follow dosing instructions, and make sure to discuss this medication with your doctor if you’re taking other medications or pregnant.

Another option is Beano, which is an OTC digestive aid containing an enzyme that breaks down sugars in beans and certain vegetables, which can help reduce abdominal gas. It comes as a liquid or a pill. People with galactosemia should ask their doctor before using it.

9. Prescription medications

Depending on the cause of your abdominal gas, there are many medications that your doctor may prescribe.

This includes medications for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

10. Diet

If your gas isn’t caused by an underlying medical condition, it may be caused by what you eat. Food is digested primarily in your small intestine. What is left undigested is fermented in your colon with bacteria, fungi, and yeast as part of digestion. This process produces methane and hydrogen, which are expelled as flatus.

For many people, changing dietary habits is enough to alleviate gas and its accompanying symptoms. One way to determine which foods are giving you gas is by keeping a food diary. Common culprits include high fat or high fiber food, carbonated beverages, and beans and lentils.

Here are 10 foods that can cause gas. Once you figure out what food is causing the gas, you can modify your diet to avoid the culprit.

Some conditions can cause excess gas. They include:

• gastroenteritis
• lactose intolerance
• celiac disease
• Crohn’s disease
• diabetes
• peptic ulcer
• irritable bowel syndrome

If no medical condition is causing the problem, preventing gas may best be accomplished by altering lifestyle habits and diet:

• Sit down during each meal and eat slowly.
• Try not to take in too much air while you eat and talk.
• Stop chewing gum.
• Avoid soda and other carbonated beverages.
• Avoid smoking.
• Find ways to work exercise into your routine, such as taking a walk after a meal.
• Eliminate foods known to cause gas.
• Avoid drinking through straws.

How do you get rid of gas quickly?

One thing that may help abdominal relieve gas a bit faster is to change your body position. Positions to reduce gas can include , for example, which can help push the gas out of the body. Other than that, medications and remedies may take some time to work, depending on the cause of your gas.

How long can trapped gas last?

Usually, trapped gas is released within a few hours. If it’s not, you should seek medical treatment in case you have another more serious medical condition.

What does trapped gas feel like?

Typically you would feel some discomfort and even pain in your stomach. It can affect the left, the right, the upper, or the lower part of your abdomen.

Gas can be painful, but it typically isn’t dangerous. If gas pain or bloating are issues for you, look to your diet and lifestyle to see what changes you can make. In many cases, lifestyle and diet modification may be able to eliminate the issue completely.

Make an appointment with your doctor if you don’t notice a difference after several weeks of lifestyle and diet changes. They can run tests to see if your symptoms are caused by a medical condition.

Trapped Gas: 9 remedies for relief

If you have trapped gas, trying home remedies and moving around may help you pass it. If it lasts a long time or occurs frequently, or you have other symptoms, you may have a health condition that needs treatment.

Trapped gas can feel like a stabbing pain in your chest or abdomen. The pain can be sharp enough to send you to the emergency room, thinking it’s a heart attack, appendicitis, or gallbladder.

Producing and passing gas is a typical part of your digestion. But when a bubble of gas gets stuck inside you, you want to relieve the pain as fast as possible. And if you have other symptoms, it’s a good idea to find out what’s causing the pain.

Read on to learn how to relieve trapped gas, what the causes might be, and tips for prevention.

Certain home remedies for relieving trapped gas work better for some people than others. You may have to experiment to see what works best and fastest for you. Most of the evidence behind these home remedies is anecdotal.

Here are some quick ways to expel trapped gas, either by burping or passing gas.

1. Move around

Walk around or exercise. Movement may help you expel the gas.

2. Get a massage

Try gently massaging the painful spot, which can stimulate gas to move downward and out of the body. In particular, using the “I LOV U” technique may be helpful.

This involves making circular massage movements on your abdominal area in the shape of the letters I, L, U, and O in the direction your bowel movements pass through the colon and small intestine.

3. Do yoga poses

Yoga may help your body relax to aid the passing of gas.

Here’s a pose to start with:

1. Lie on your back and extend your legs straight up with your feet together.
2. Bend your knees and put your arms around them.
3. Pull your knees down to your chest.
4. At the same time, pull your head up to your knees. You can also keep your head flat if it’s more comfortable.
5. Hold the pose for 20 seconds or more.

Certain yoga poses may work better than others.

4. Drink more liquids

Drink noncarbonated liquids. Warm water or herbal tea helps some people. Try peppermint, ginger, or chamomile tea.

Use prepared teabags, or make your own herbal tea by steeping ginger root, peppermint leaves, or dried chamomile.

A traditional Persian remedy advises mixing 10 grams (g) each of ground cumin and fennel with 5 g of ground anise and steeping them in a cup of boiling water for 20 minutes.

5. Try herbs

Natural kitchen remedies for gas include:

• anise
• caraway
• coriander
• fennel
• turmeric

Mix one of these ground herbs or seeds into a glass of warm water and drink.

6. Try baking soda

Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in a glass of water and drink it.

Be careful not to use more than 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Too much baking soda taken when you have a full stomach could lead to a stomach rupture.

7. Drink apple cider vinegar

Dissolving 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drinking it is a traditional remedy for gas release.

Anecdotal evidence suggests this may be effective, but there’s no scientific evidence to support this claim. However, there aren’t any negative side effects to this method.

Many over-the-counter (OTC) remedies exist for gas relief. Again, the evidence for effectiveness may be anecdotal only. You’ll have to experiment to see what works for you.

Here are some products to try.

8. Enzyme preparations

Certain products may help if you are lactose intolerant. But these are usually taken as a preventive measure. These enzyme products include:

• Lactaid
• Digest Dairy Plus
• Dairy Relief

Alpha-galactosidase is a natural enzyme that helps prevent gas from legumes. There’s older evidence that it works to prevent gas and bloating. But again, it’s usually taken as a preventive measure.

Beano is a well-known version of this enzyme, available in tablet form.

9. Adsorbents

Simethicone products have possible benefits in relieving gas, according to some studies. They work by breaking up bubbles in gas.

These products include:

• Gas-X
• Alka-Seltzer Anti-Gas
• Mylanta Gas

Activated charcoal tablets, capsules, or powder may also help reduce gas. The charcoal is activated by heating it to make it more porous, which traps gas molecules in the spaces created. However, these products may have unwanted side effects, such as turning your tongue black.

These products include:

• Activated Charcoal
• CharcoCaps

Trapped gas symptoms usually come on suddenly. The pain can be sharp and stabbing. It can also be a general feeling of acute discomfort.

Your stomach may be bloated, and you may have stomach cramps.

Pain from gas that collects on the left side of your colon can radiate up to your chest. You may think this is a heart attack.

Gas that collects on the right side of the colon can feel like it might be appendicitis or gallstones.

There are many causes of trapped gas bubbles. Most are related to the process of digestion. But some may result from physical conditions that need treatment.

The following chart summarizes the variety of causes of trapped gas:

You can lower your risk of getting a painful trapped gas bubble by watching what and how you eat.

It may be useful to keep a food diary. This can help you keep track of the foods and circumstances that lead to a gas bubble. Then you can avoid those foods or behaviors that seem to give you a problem.

Try eliminating foods one by one so that you can pinpoint possible problems.

Here are some basic tips to start with:

• Stay hydrated.
• Avoid carbonated beverages.
• Drink liquids at room temperature, not too hot or too cold.
• Avoid foods known to cause excess gas.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners.
• Eat slowly and chew your food well.
• Don’t chew gum.
• Don’t smoke or chew tobacco.
• If you wear dentures, have your dentist check on whether they let in too much air when you eat.
• Increase your physical activity.

Try some of the home remedies or OTC remedies for gas, and see what might work for you.

It’s a good idea to see your doctor if you frequently have trapped gas bubbles, if they last a long time, or if you have any worrisome symptoms.

Other symptoms to watch for include:

• unexplained weight loss
• bowel movement frequency changes
• blood in your stool
• constipation
• diarrhea
• nausea or vomiting
• heartburn
• loss of appetite

Your doctor can diagnose other possible conditions. They may also advise you to take a probiotic or a prescription antibiotic.

It’s a good idea to discuss the remedies that you’re already trying, especially any herbal supplements.

What is the best position to relieve gas?

Several poses can help relieve gas, particularly yoga poses. Examples include the child’s pose and knee-to-chest pose.

How long can trapped gas last?

Gas can stay trapped, causing pain, for a couple of hours. If you do not experience relief within that time frame, you may wish to see your doctor in case you have a more serious issue like appendicitis.

Does drinking hot water relieve gas?

Drinking more water, regardless of its temperature, can help you relieve trapped gas.

Trapped gas can be acutely painful. It’s usually not serious but may be a sign of a food intolerance or an underlying digestive problem.

Watching what you eat and taking some preventive measures can help.

Getting rapid relief may take some experimenting with different remedies to see what works for you.

18 Ways to Manage Bloating

September 12, 2018

Bloating is a common problem that usually occurs due to the accumulation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract. Bloating visually increases the size of the abdomen, and makes it sensitive or even painful. Exercise, supplements, and massage can help reduce bloating quickly, and simple lifestyle changes can prevent the bloat from recurring.

The following tips can help people quickly manage the pain and discomfort of bloating at home:

1. Walk

Physical activity will cause the intestines to contract more frequently, which will help release excess gas.

2. Yoga

Certain yoga postures can tighten the abdominal muscles in a way that stimulates the release of excess gas from the gastrointestinal tract. For example, poses such as balasana (child’s pose), ananda balasana (happy child’s pose) and squats are suitable for you.

3. Peppermint

Peppermint capsules may be useful for indigestion and associated gas.

4. Special medications to combat excessive gas formation

Anti-gas medications to help remove excess air from the digestive tract. For example, Simethicone is doing its job well.

5. Massage of the abdominal cavity

This massage will improve the normal functioning of the intestines. However, you should correctly study the course of the massage, and in case of pain, immediately stop it.

6. Essential oils

A 2016 study found that a blend of fennel and turmeric essential oil can effectively fight gas. However, before using essential oils, you should consult your doctor.

7. Warm bath

Soaking in warm water can relieve stomach pain. Relaxation will reduce stress levels and help you deal with gas more quickly.

All of these tips will help solve the problem as a matter of urgency. The following are methods that work in the long term.

8. Eat more fiber

It helps prevent constipation and bloating. The daily norm of fiber for women is 25 g, and for men – 38 g. However, if you consume more than 70 g per day, then you will get the opposite effect.

9. Refusal of carbonated water

Carbonated drinks contribute to the accumulation of gases in the stomach. Carbon dioxide, which is used in the production of such water, as well as sugar and artificial sweeteners, can cause bloating.

10. Taboo on chewing gum

Substances in chewing gum and swallowing large amounts of oxygen during chewing provoke the formation of gases.

11. Increasing daily physical activity

Physical exercise will help to make bowel movements more regular and free the digestive tract from excess gases and water.

12. Regular meals

Many people experience bloating immediately after eating a large amount of food at one time. It is better to divide the meal into small portions and eat more often, so the digestive system will work better.

13. Use of probiotics

Probiotic preparations will help in the regulation of colon bacteria that produce gas and cause bloating.

14. Reducing salt intake

Excess sodium causes the body to retain water. This can cause a bloated feeling in the abdomen.

15. Rule out any kind of illness

In some cases, gas is the result of an illness. Therefore, it is better to undergo an examination and make sure that everything is in order with you.

16. Switching to a diet low in FODMAPs

Study showed that this diet helped eliminate bloating, flatulence, and abdominal pain in 74% of participants with irritable bowel syndrome

17. Keeping a food diary

Some people may be intolerant to some foods. Keeping a food diary will help you figure out which foods your body reacts to.

18. Eliminate food additives and drugs that can cause gas problems

Some supplements, such as iron, can cause constipation and other symptoms of dyspepsia, which can lead to bloating. In addition, various medications can be the culprit for increased gas formation. It is necessary to carefully study the possible side effects in the instructions.

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How to get rid of bloating at home

How to get rid of bloating at home

Which doctor should I contact if the swelling does not go away?

Common causes of bloating

Bloating, or flatulence, is associated with excessive accumulation of gases in the gastrointestinal tract. Many factors can provoke this problem: nutrition, imbalance of intestinal microflora, pathologies of the digestive system.

In this article, the reader will find ways to deal with bloating at home and with the help of a doctor.
Main causes of bloating:

1. Wrong diet

2. Gas-producing products

3. Intestinal dysbacteriosis

4. Digestive system diseases

5. Hypolactasia

6. Irritable bowel syndrome

7. Delayed stool 9 0091

Improper diet, such as frequent consumption of fatty, spicy foods or overeating, can cause bloating. Gas-producing foods, including cabbage, beans, and carbonated drinks, contribute to the formation of gases in the intestines. Gut dysbiosis, or disruption of the gut microflora, can lead to more gas and bloating.
Bloating can also be associated with diseases of the digestive system such as gastritis, ulcers or celiac disease.
Hypolactasia is a condition in which the body does not produce enough lactase to digest dairy products. May cause bloating after consumption.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disorder of the digestive system characterized by alternating constipation and diarrhea with bloating. Stool retention or constipation can contribute to the accumulation of gases and cause bloating.

How to get rid of bloating at home

Bloating can be a problem for many, but thankfully, there are several proven home remedies for bloating. We will look at how to get rid of it with and without drugs.

With medication

Our gastroenterologists have compiled the TOP-5 drugs that will help you quickly get rid of flatulence.
1. Espumizan – contains simethicone, which helps to break down gas bubbles in the intestines, making them easier to exit the body. This is a safe remedy and is suitable even for newborns.
Contraindications: individual intolerance to the components of the drug.
2. Sub Simplex – similar to Espumizan, contains simethicone and is effective in destroying gas bubbles. Can be used in children and adults.
Contraindications: allergy to drug components.
3. Mezim Forte – contains pancreatin, an enzyme that facilitates digestion and reduces gas formation. Suitable for adults and children over 3 years old.
Contraindications: acute pancreatitis, exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, allergy to drug components.
4. Lactulose is a probiotic drug that stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, improving its function and reducing bloating. Lactulose is also a mild laxative.
Contraindications: galactosemia, mechanical intestinal obstruction, individual lactulose intolerance.
5. Festal is a combined preparation containing the enzymes of pancreatin, choline and glyceryl trioleate. These components facilitate digestion and reduce gas formation. Festal is recommended for adults and children over 6 years of age.
Contraindications: acute pancreatitis, exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, allergy to drug components, hepatobiliary diseases.

No drugs

1. Change your diet. First of all, you should pay attention to nutrition. Avoid gas-producing foods such as cabbage, beans, and sodas. Instead, include foods that contain probiotics, such as yogurt and kefir, in your diet, which normalize the intestinal microflora and reduce bloating. Proper chewing of food also plays an important role. The smaller the chewed foods, the easier they are to digest and the less likely it is to form gases. Thus, it is necessary to chew food thoroughly and avoid snacking on the go.
2. Be more active during the day. Physical activity improves digestion and reduces bloating. Regular walks, yoga or swimming will help speed up the process of assimilation of food and removal of gases from the body. The legs-to-chest position (bringing the knees to the chest while lying on the back) can be of particular benefit, as it stimulates the intestines and facilitates the release of gases.
3. Try a massage. Abdominal massage is also an effective method of combating bloating. Gently massaging the abdomen in a clockwise direction will help relax the intestines and improve their work. Massage can be done on your own or contact a professional.
4. Helps with warmth. Thermal procedures, such as a hot bath or applying a warm heating pad to the stomach, help to relax the muscles and improve the process of removing gases. It is important to remember that thermal procedures should be used only in the absence of contraindications, such as inflammatory processes in the intestines.