How Do You Get Gas
There are three main ways that gas enters your digestive system:
In some cases, gas may pass out of your system with no issue, but if you are struggling with bloating or gas pain, you can try one of the science-backed methods below for relief.
Excess Gas Can Build Up
Gas is a normal part of digestion, but if it builds up in your intestines, it may cause bloating and pain. Gas happens when food that is not digested is broken down in your colon. This process produces methane and hydrogen, which you pass naturally as gas.
If you do experience bloating due to gas, modifying your food intake may help. Here are some common drinks and foods that can cause bloating:
- Foods high in fiber or fat
- Fried and spicy dishes
- Carbonated drinks, such as soda or beer
- Lactose found in milk, cheese and yogurts
Over-the-counter supplements can even trigger bloating.
Lime Or Lemon Juice Baking Soda And Water
Some studies suggest that mixing lime or lemon juice in water with a pinch of baking soda can help relieve heartburn and indigestion by reducing stomach acidity.
Pros and cons
While this home remedy may help with an upset stomach, it may not taste pleasant. Additionally, consuming too much baking soda
Basil leaves also contain high linoleic acid levels, which have anti-inflammatory properties.
Pros and cons
Basil is usually available to purchase in grocery stores, gardening stores, and online.
However, those in food deserts may have to rely on online stores if they find it difficult to source fresh basil.
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Can Sleep Apnea Make Flatulence Worse
In some cases, the way you sleep can contribute to excessive gas buildup in your system.
People with sleep apnea are mostly mouth-breathers, and they swallow a lot of air when theyre snoring during their sleep, Dr. Lee notes. So, they wake up with gas pain because theyve been swallowing air all night.
You should talk to your doctor if you suspect you have sleep apnea.
Avoiding Smoking And Drinking Alcohol
Smoking and alcohol indigestion and other gastrointestinal conditions, such as gastrointestinal reflux disease .
Pros and cons
Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol intake improves peoples quality of life and reduces the risk of certain health conditions, such as cancer.
However, avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol can be difficult, and people may require extra support.
Learn more about quitting smoking and drinking:
- greasy foods
Pros and cons
Avoiding difficult-to-digest foods may help ease the stomach and reduce discomfort and pain. Additionally, more easily digestible foods such as fruit and vegetables may help promote a healthy, balanced diet.
However, avoiding richer or heavily preserved foods may be more difficult for people who do not have the time to source fresher food or those who live in a food desert.
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What About The Symptoms Of Gas Pain In Particular
So, about that last symptom on the list up there. For the most part, your GI tract is efficient at getting rid of gas, Kyle Staller, M.D., M.P.H., a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, tells SELF. Sometimes you might not even notice it, or it might make its presence known with a harmless burp or fart. But other times, gas can cause spasms and distension in your GI tract during the digestive process, which can be pretty painful, Jamile Wakim-Fleming, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF.
Pain can obviously come in a lot of different forms. Gas pain in particular, however, can include abdominal cramps and the feeling of knots in your stomach, the Mayo Clinic explains. Depending on the location, it can even be easy to mistake gas pain for other health conditions. For instance, Johns Hopkins Medicine says gas pain that shows up on your right side might feel similar to gallstones or appendicitis.
It Could Be Constipation
While youre spending a lot of time at home, you may not be moving as much as you usually do. You may also be eating different foods. This can lead to constipation. You may be constipated if you experience:
- Fewer bowel movements than normal for you
- Stool that is lumpy or looks like pebbles
- Difficulty passing stool or a feeling that you still need to go after youre finished
Fortunately, you can make a number of at-home changes to help relieve your constipation. These include:
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Get To The Root To Banish Belly Bloat For Good
Intestinal gas is a fact of life everyone deals with at some point. That being said, constant, excessive gas and painful bloating could be a sign of something deeper going on. Get tested for SIBO and/or IBS, and make sure you are not dealing with an underlying food intolerance such as gluten sensitivity or lactose intolerance. An elimination diet can be helpful for discovering your own personal food sensitivities.
Supplementing with gut-supporting vitamins and nutrients is another great way to support optimal digestive health, repair a leaky gut, and encourage a healthy balance of gut bacteria. My Gut Health Collectionfeatures a range of products that support your gut by maintaining a healthy intestinal barrier, fighting belly bloat, supporting your intestinal lining, and promoting the growth of good bacteria. By adding these supplements to your smoothies, you can supercharge their gut-repairing powers!
Getting to the root of your digestive troubles and choosing the right supplements and foods that prevent gas will help you beat belly bloating and gas for good, so you can regain your confidence and live life symptom-free!
How To Get Rid Of Gas
Often, your gas is 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:
- foods with high fat content
- fried or spicy food
- artificial ingredients commonly found in low-carbohydrate and sugar-free products, such as sugar alcohol, sorbitol, and maltitol
- beans and lentils
- cruciferous vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli
- prunes or prune juice
- foods containing lactose, such as milk, cheese, and other dairy products
- fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols molecules found in a wide range of foods, such as garlic and onion, that may be hard to digest
- over-the-counter fiber drinks and supplements
Once you figure out what food is causing the gas, you can modify your diet to avoid the culprit.
If changing your diet doesnt completely do the trick, you have several options to try.
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How Long Does Stomach Flu Last
Depending on the cause of your stomach infections, your symptoms may last anywhere from 110 days. Understanding how long stomach flu lasts can help you determine whether youre suffering from a stomach virus, food poisoning, or another condition.
Viral gastroenteritis symptoms typically appear within 13 days of infection, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. While symptoms usually last between 12 days, they can last as long as 10 days.
A More Serious Condition Such As Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common condition that causes abdominal pain with bloating, diarrhea or constipation. The cause of IBS is unknown, but it may be brought on by certain triggers, including:
- Bacterial infections
- Food sensitivity
- Stressful events
If you think you may have IBS, reach out to your doctor for an evaluation. Many times, lifestyle modifications and medicines can help ease symptoms. You may also try some at-home techniques to relieve your bloating.
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Stomach Flu Causes And Risk Factors
What are stomach flu causes? A number of different viruses can cause viral gastroenteritis or stomach flu including noroviruses and rotaviruses. First, lets talk about the norovirus, which is said to be the number one cause of viral gastroenteritis in children and adults. If your stomach flu is caused by the norovirus, then the period during which you are contagious starts from the time you start to feel sick up until three days after you are better with some individuals being contagious as long as two weeks following their recovery. The norovirus causes stomach flu symptoms within a day or two of being exposed to the virus. On the plus side, most people who have the stomach flu due to norovirus feel better within 24 to 48 hours.
Another virus, the rotavirus, is the top cause of stomach flu in kids and infants, but it can also affect adults. Symptoms usually begin within one to three days of exposure. However, with this virus at the root, the stomach flu can be caught from someone before symptoms appear and even up to two weeks following recovery! Astrovirus and enteric adenovirus can also cause stomach flu.
How do you catch these viruses and end up with the stomach flu? The stool and vomit of infected individuals contain the viruses that cause stomach flu. The viruses that can cause a case of the stomach flu can easily spread from close contact with infected individuals through the following:
So how do you get rid of the stomach flu?
Consider If Dairy Is Actually The Culprit
If you’re currently in the fetal position dealing with gas pain, think back to how much cheese, milk, and ice cream you had recentlyeven if you don’t think you’re lactose intolerant. You can spend years having zero issues when you drink a venti latte in the A.M., followed by a grilled cheese sandwich at lunchuntil you suddenly do.
As most people age, they start making less lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose, the sugar in dairy products, Dr. Staller says. This is one cause of lactase deficiency and lactose intolerance. As your digestive systems bacteria try to break down lactose without enough lactase to do the job, you may experience annoying symptoms like more painful gas than usual.
Many people in their 20s and 30s have symptoms and dont suspect that its the dairy products, Dr. Staller says. If you think dairy is behind your painful gas, try cutting it out for a few weeks and see where that gets you.
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What Natural Or Home Remedies Help Relieve Excessive Flatulence Or Gas
Flatulence is most often related to diet, and sometimes to those habits that cause a person to swallow air. One home remedy is to begin to try to remove problem foods from the diet. For many people, this is a trial-and-error procedure on how to relieve and/or prevent excessive gas or flatulence.
Natural and home remedies may or may not cure or eliminate chronic, increased, constant or extreme flatulence . In some people, home remedies may help reduce symptoms. Individuals are encouraged to discuss home remedies and gas symptoms with their health-care professional.
Ways To Get Rid Of Gas Immediately
Burping and flatulating are two ways in which the body gets rid of gas. The average person produces one to four quarts of gas every day and typically flatulates 14 times per day.
Here are 6 ways to get rid of gas immediately:
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Try Natural Digestive Aids
There are many kinds of natural digestive aids available now in the form of over-the-counter supplements. These contain digestive enzymes which work with your bodys own enzymes, helping to make digestion faster and more efficient.
Certain types of supplements may contain the specific enzymes useful for breaking down complex carbohydrates in beans and other gas-producing foods. Talk to a naturopath or health practitioner about a quality supplement that contains the right blend of enzymes to suit your diet.
How Do I Debloat My Stomach
What can I drink to reduce bloating? What foods dont cause gas and bloating? If you want to know how to get rid of bloating in a day, then look no further. With this lengthy list of more than 50 tips, tricks, & advice, you can learn how to get rid of a bloated stomach in 24 hours. Every person is different, so your perfect belly bloat detox may be different than someone elses. Youll be surprised to know that there is an answer for how to stop bloating and constipation.
1. Drink Enough Water
One of the most important parts of a belly boat detox is making sure you drink enough water. Keep bottled water on hand and make sure to keep yourself hydrated at all times. Your body will become used to it and stop retaining water as it regulates within your body.
2. Probiotics
Every health guru vouches for probiotics for a good reason. They are beneficial for your gut bacteria. Eating probiotics regularly will provide bloating relief and help cure uncomfortable gas.
3. Reduce Sodium Consumption
Salt is known to retain water, so when you eat too much salt it will cause your body to retain water a big cause of bloating. Make an effort to eat less salty foods. Not only will your body retain less water, your taste palate will adjust as well.
4. Include Potassium
Potassium is a vitamin well-known for its ability to reduce bloating. This is because it naturally regulates the sodium levels within the body.
5. Eat Fruits with High Water Content
6. Cut Out Artificial Sweeteners
7. Salmon
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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:
- Heart disease
- Pain in the lymph nodes of the throat, armpits or groin
- Unusual fatigue
What Causes Bloating And Gas
As I discussed above, dehydration, a high-fiber or fatty diet, and chewing gum or drinking from a straw can contribute to digestive symptoms such as bloating and gas. Food allergies and intolerances can also contribute to excess bloating and gas common offenders include dairy, gluten, and sugar.
If removing inflammatory foods, drinking more water, and eating smaller portions doesnt get rid of your bloating and gas, or if you continue to feel pain from excess bloating and gas, you may have an underlying health issue such as SIBO or IBS.
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Just To Be Super Clear: What Are The Symptoms Of Gas
Since you probably have a hunch, lets start here. When you have a meal or snack, your food passes through your gastrointestinal tract. Your GI tract is made up of your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine , and anus, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explains.
Since you take in air as you eat, drink, talk, chew gum, and all of that fun stuff, that air has to pass through your GI tract as well. As it goes through your body, gas can cause a series of not-so-pleasant symptoms, including:
- Burping
- Abdominal pain
Food Poisoning And Bloating
While vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration are the typical and more severe indicators of foodborne illness, bloating is a potential symptom that may cause a significant amount of pain and discomfort. Abdominal bloating, which is a sense of gassiness or distension, is typically caused by large meals, swallowed air or extra gas that is made by gut bacteria and incompletely digested foods. Bloating from food poisoning can also be related to excessive gas production in the intestines caused by chemical reactions related to the foodborne illness.
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