Tuesday, March 19, 2024

What Causes Bad Gas In Stomach

What Causes Intermittent Abdominal Bloating/distention

What Causes Intestinal Gas? | Stomach Problems

Excessive gas

Excessive production of gas by bacteria is a common cause of intermittent abdominal distention and bloating. Theoretically, bacteria can produce too much gas in three ways.

  • First, the amount of gas that bacteria produce may vary from individual to individual. In other words, some individuals may have bacteria that produce more gas, either because there are more of the bacteria or because their particular bacteria are better at producing gas.
  • Second, there may be poor digestion and absorption of foods in the small intestine, allowing more undigested food to reach the bacteria in the colon. The more undigested food the bacteria have, the more gas they produce. Examples of diseases that involve poor digestion and absorption include lactose intolerance, pancreatic insufficiency, and untreated celiac disease.
  • Third, bacterial overgrowth can occur in the small intestine. Under normal conditions, the bacteria that produce gas are limited to the colon. In some conditions, these bacteria spread back into the small intestine. When this bacterial spread occurs, food reaches the bacteria before it can be fully digested and absorbed by the small intestine. Therefore, the colonic-type bacteria that have moved into the small intestine have a lot of undigested food from which to form gas. This condition, in which the gas-producing bacteria move into the small intestine, is called bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth .

Health Conditions That Can Cause Gas

Certain health conditions may cause a person to produce more gas or experience gas pain. Examples

typically involve belching, flatulence, and bloating. These symptoms are common, especially during or after a meal.

Gas symptoms do not usually cause distress. However, excessive intestinal gas that is unable to escape may cause a person to experience an intense sharp stabbing pain or a general feeling of abdominal discomfort.

When gas accumulates in the intestines, people may mistake the pain for a different condition. For example, gas that collects on the left side of the colon may present as chest pain, whereas gas that collects on the right side of the colon may feel similar to gallbladder pain.

In some cases, people may also experience additional symptoms such as constipation and diarrhea.

What Is Wind Made Up Of

Over 90% of wind in the gut is made up of five gases: nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane. The remaining 10% contains small amounts of other gases.

Nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide: the nitrogen and oxygen comes from swallowed air whilst the carbon dioxide is produced by stomach acid mixing with bicarbonate in bile and pancreatic juices. When these gases move into the small intestine most of the oxygen and carbon dioxide are absorbed into the blood stream and the nitrogen is passed down the large bowel . In other words, the vast majority of gut wind originates from swallowing or digestion, not from bacterial fermentation.

Hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide: the small intestine is the place where the food we eat is digested and absorbed the residues, such as dietary fibre and some carbohydrates, then pass through to the large bowel. The colon contains different kinds of bacteria which are essential to good health and which ferment material from the small intestine, producing large volumes of gasses such as hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide. Most of these gases are absorbed into the blood stream and eventually excreted in the breath but the rest is passed as flatus.

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What Is The Treatment For Excessive Flatulence Or Gas

The goal of treatment of flatulence is to reduce gas and smelly odor. Medical intervention includes treatment with antibiotics if bacterial overgrowth of the GI tract is suspected or evidence of parasitic infection is seen.

  • Some promising studies have investigated feeding nonoffensive strains of bacteria to push out the bacteria that are offensive, although no established treatments are available at this time.
  • Regulation of bowel function is essential. Constipation should be treated with increased dietary fiber or certain laxatives.
  • In cases where anxiety causes the person to swallow air, the doctor may suggest the person seek mental health counseling to change habit patterns.

Why Is My Stomach Bloated

Stomach Gas: Causes, Picture, Symptoms and Treatment

The most common cause of stomach pain and bloating is excess intestinal gas. If you get a bloated stomach after eating, it may be a digestive issue. It might be as simple as eating too much too fast, or you could have a food intolerance or other condition that causes gas and digestive contents to build up. Your menstrual cycle is another common cause of temporary bloating. Sometimes a bloated stomach can indicate a more serious medical condition.

Read Also: How To Lose Weight In Your Chest And Stomach

Diseases Causing Increased Gas

Most people with gas-related symptoms have increased sensitivity to gas or have one of the causes of increased gas production mentioned above. However, occasionally these symptoms can be caused by diseases of the bowel. Sometimes, the illness can be short-lived. For example, acute gastroenteritis , often caused by infection with a virus, can result in a short-term condition associated with increased gas.

Occasionally, gas-related symptoms can be features of long-term diseases. All of them can cause at least one gas-related symptom .

Examples include:

Coeliac diseaseCoeliac disease is caused by intolerance to a protein called gluten which is found in certain foods containing wheat, barley and rye. It principally affects the part of the gut called the small intestine. It can occur at any age. Symptoms are relieved by avoiding gluten-containing foods. See the separate leaflet called Coeliac Disease.

DiverticulitisDiverticulitis occurs when small pouches in the wall of the large bowel become infected. See the separate leaflet called Diverticula .

Short bowel syndromeShort bowel syndrome can be a complication of bowel surgery. If more than half the small bowel is removed during surgery this can cause difficulties in food absorption.

GiardiasisThis is caused by infection with a germ called giardia. One of the symptoms is belching up foul-smelling gas.

Youre Eating Large Meals Too Quickly

Its simply a fact that large, fatty meals take a long time to digest and, therefore, hang out longer in your gut and build up more gas than smaller, less fatty meals. That lengthy digestion can lead to the classic post-burger-and-fries feeling of bloat and gassiness. On top of that, eating quickly increases the chance that youll inhale some air along the way, just adding even more gassiness.

That doesnt mean you cant eat large meals , but it does mean that you might just have to accept some discomfort along the way.

If youd rather skip that feeling, you can stick with more frequent smaller meals rather than less frequent larger meals. And no matter what youre eating, you can do your best to eat mindfully, paying attention to every bite and how it affects your body without rushing.

Read Also: How To Avoid Stomach Pain

Bacteria Buildup And Digestive Tract Infections

When your body digests food, it extracts nutrients and sends them to the bloodstream. The waste products are sent to the colon. Disrupting the digestion process can cause an overgrowth of bacteria.

Some bacteria can cause infection in the intestines and digestive tract. This may cause a higher volume of gas than normal and a strong-smelling odor. People with digestive tract infections also often have abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Visit your doctor to determine you have a bacterial infection. If you do, theyll prescribe antibiotics to clear the infection and get you feeling better.

What Causes Bloating In The Stomach

What Causes Excessive Gas?

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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When Stomach Pain Is An Emergency

Stomach pain can sometimes be caused by a life-threatening condition. Some examples are:

These emergencies usually cause pain that feels extreme. Your stomach pain may be urgent if:

  • You are pregnant
  • Your pain started within a week of abdominal surgery
  • Your pain started after a procedure in your stomach area, such as an endoscopy
  • You have ever had surgery on your digestive tract, such as gastric bypass, a colostomy, or a bowel resection
  • Your pain started shortly after an abdominal trauma
  • Your abdomen is bruised or rapidly expanding

Even if you don’t have these symptoms, get help if you feel unusually severe pain.

Sometimes stomach pain is mild at first but gets worse after a few hours. You may also develop other symptoms. Get help right away if you have any of these symptoms along with stomach pain:

  • Extremely hard abdomen
  • Inability to have a bowel movement, along with vomiting
  • Pain in neck, shoulder, or between shoulder blades
  • Vision changes

If you have these symptoms, call for an ambulance or have someone drive you to the emergency room. You should not “wait and see” or take medicine for the pain. Get help right away.

Why Does Wind Burping Flatulence And Bloating Occur

The reasons for wind, burping, flatulence and bloating fall broadly speaking into three categories, mechanical, dietary and other conditions.

Burping

Every time we swallow we take some air into the stomach. A burp is an involuntary expulsion of wind by the stomach when it becomes distended from an excess of swallowed air. Eating rapidly, which can occur when you eat hot foods, gulping food and drink, drinking a lot of liquid with meals, chewing gum, smoking or wearing loose dentures all promote air swallowing. Some people, when swallowing saliva to relieve heartburn, swallow air at the same time. Other people swallow air without noticing it, especially when they are tense. Fizzy drinks including beer cause belching because they release gas into the stomach.

Chronic or repetitive burping

In this case air is not swallowed into the stomach but sucked into the gullet and rapidly expelled. Repetitive belching like this can last for minutes at a time and is very embarrassing. The cure lies in realising the cause. Air cannot be sucked in when the jaws are separated, so repetitive belching can be temporarily controlled by firmly clenching something like a pencil between the teeth.

Some people develop air swallowing and belching in the hope of relieving chest or abdominal discomfort. In fact more air is swallowed than is belched, so worsening the situation.

Rumblings/grumblings or noisy gut

Flatus

Other causes may include:

Bloating

Also Check: What Is Pain On The Right Side Of Your Stomach

What Is Flatulence Or Intestinal Gas

The definition of flatulence is gas , usually in excess, that is present in the intestinal tract and usually removed from the body by passing out through the anus, often accompanied by sound and odor when the gas is expelled by the body. Common terms for flatulence include terms such as farts, breaking wind, and passing gas. Some individuals include belching under flatulence.

  • The primary components of gas are five odorless gases: nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and oxygen.
  • The characteristic smelly odor is attributed to trace gases such as skatole, indole, and sulfur-containing compounds.
  • The flammable character of flatus is caused by hydrogen and methane. The proportions of these gases depend largely on the bacteria that live in the human colon that digest, or ferment, food that has not been absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract before reaching the colon.
  • An estimated 30-150 grams of this undigested food reach the colon in the form of carbohydrate every day. But this amount can vary with diet and how well the GI tract is functioning.

A condition termed “vaginal flatulence” is the release of air trapped in the vagina during or after sexual intercourse that sounds like flatulence when expelled from the vagina, but does not contain waste gases and has no specific odor. It is not flatulence, but termed so because of the sound emitted when the air escapes the vagina.

Other Reasons For Bloating

7 Foods That Cause Gas In Stomach

There are also functional reasons that can cause bloating: You may have low levels of digestive enzymes, bile, or gastric juices which prevents efficient breakdown of your food.

The more undigested food that ends up in your intestines, the more gas and bloating you will experience. Digestive enzyme supplements can help these issues and as for increasing your stomach acids, your best bet is to limit the use of antacids.

An imbalanced gut microbiome can also influence digestive function and health. Undigested foods that make it to your gut will be broken down by bacteria, but not always the beneficial ones.

| Related: The Top 5 Vitamins You Need for Constipation Relief |

SIBO, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, is a similar problem that commonly causes gas, burping, acid reflux, and bloating. SIBO can result from a lack of stomach acid or when the resident bacteria grow out of balance.

Probiotics can help to regenerate a healthy balance, but you also need to avoid foods that trigger disruptions in the digestive tract.

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When To See Your Doctor

If your gas and bloating concern you, get in touch with your doctor to discuss your symptoms. They will check your history and symptoms to see if they point towards a health condition that can cause excessive gas. Many of these are treatable.

Before your visit, keep a diary of what you are eating, drinking, and doing. Write down when you have excessive gas and see if you can can count how many times you fart per day.

Let your doctor know about any new or uncomfortable symptoms you are having along with gas. Your doctor will explore your symptoms, general health, and medical history while making their diagnosis. They may also ask to do diagnostic tests depending on your symptoms.

Common Causes Of Bad Breath From The Stomach

Bad breath is a common and an embarrassing condition, which can also cause anxiety about social interactions. Its not a wonder that our local stores are overflowing with mints, gums, mouthwashes, and tablets for bad breath from the stomach. However, these products simply mask the real problem and are therefore only temporary measures. Thats why you have to find out what causes bad breath from the stomach.

When it comes to bad breath, most of us know how to avoid repeat offenders such as periodontal infections, gum diseases, tooth decay, and strong-flavored foods. But did you know that bad breath can emanate from your stomach?

If you know how to tell if you have bad breath. then its high time you found out what causes it from stomach.

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    Do You Bloat And Pass Gas After Eating Foods With Wheat Barley Or Rye

    It could signal a more serious condition called celiac disease, an immune reaction that, over time, damages the lining of your small intestine and keeps nutrients from being absorbed into the body.

    According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, 2.5 million Americans go undiagnosed and may be at risk for long-term health complications, such as the development of other conditions, including type I diabetes, dermatitis herpetiformis , anemia, osteoporosis, infertility and miscarriage, migraines and intestinal cancers.

    Swallowing Too Much Air

    What Causes Stomach Bloating? | Stomach Problems

    This is called aerophagia. You may not be aware of it but you may be swallowing air frequently or in large amounts. This often happens in people who are under stress. It can be aggravated by chewing gum and smoking. Usually, air swallowed in this way passes into the gullet and down into the stomach.

    However, sometimes air is sucked into the back of the throat and is burped out before it reaches the oesophagus. This is known as supragastric belching.

    Some people swallow air deliberately to cause belching, as they find this helps to relieve symptoms of indigestion.

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    How To Get Rid Of Stomach Gas

    Although stomach gas is not life-threatening, it can be extremely embarrassing. Therefore, persons suffering with excessive gas in the stomach can rely on below measures to rid excessive gas buildup.

    1. Apple Cider Vinegar

    You can always rely on apple cider vinegar to treat indigestion and stomach gas. There are many enzymes in ACV responsible for alkalizing your body and promoting better digestion.

    Take a glass of warm water and add 2 tsp. of ACV to it. Mix well and leave it for a few minutes to cool to room temperature. Then, drink twice a day. You can use this remedy even when you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

    2. Ginger

    One of the best remedies to deal with stomach gas is to use some ginger. It has antiemetic properties, so it reduces nausea and works amazingly well to help expel intestinal gas. Some studies have also found that ginger may trigger the process of gastric emptying. It also helps soothe the intestinal tract.

    Take equal amounts of ground ginger, cardamom, and fennel. Mix well and add a teaspoon of this mixture along with some asafetida to a cup of water. Have it twice a day to relieve indigestion. You can also drink ginger tea or simply chew on raw ginger pieces for relief.

    3. Baking Soda and Lemon

    Also called sodium bicarbonate, baking soda acts as an antacid and helps expel stomach gas. Combine it with lemon juice to make it even more effective.

    4. Cinnamon

    5. Fennel

    6. Change the Diet

    7. Other Remedies

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