What Causes Stomach Gas After Eating

What Are The Complications Of Intestinal Gas

Extra gas can cause pain, discomfort and embarrassment, but its usually not a serious health problem. Gas buildup can sometimes feel more worrisome, though. Gas on the left side of the colon can cause chest pain that you might mistake for a heart attack. Gas buildup on the right side can mimic pain from gallstones or appendicitis. A health professional should check out these symptoms for any concerning underlying cause.

Symptoms: How To Know If Ibs Is Causing Your Stomach Cramps And Gas:

Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by 30048-8/fulltext?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F” rel=”nofollow”> reference):

• Abdominal pain that occurs at least one day per week in the past 3 months :
• The onset stomach cramps have to be associated with at least 2 of:
• Defecation: defecation may improve your abdominal pain .
• Change in your stool form: the stool becomes harder or softer.
• Change in stool frequency: onset of stomach cramps is associated with diarrhea, constipation, or a mix of both.

Although Gas is not in the ROME IV of diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, it is one of the most frequent features of irritable bowel syndrome. Gas and bloating are more common in people with IBS with constipation or mixed type.

Visit The Sydney Gut Clinic

If stomach cramps are persistent and if you experience them very often, it is necessary to treat the underlying cause behind them. Schedule an appointment with us to get an accurate diagnosis of your condition.

At Sydney Gut Clinic, we have a team of gastrointestinal specialists trained to identify the causes behind symptoms you experience and direct you to the best treatment options.

• Vomiting

Which conditions can cause stomach cramps?

Stomach cramps are often a result of your body reacting to medical complications in the digestive tract. Most of the time they are triggered as a result of certain types of food.

If cramps occur outside your dietary habits, it may mean a different gastrointestinal condition like inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal obstruction, or even food poisoning and intestinal infections. Visit a gastrointestinal specialist to get an accurate diagnosis of the stomach cramps you experience.

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Natural And Other Remedies For Gas

Two products on the market can help with food-related gas and bloating. Both products are packaged forms of the enzymes needed to break down the problematic carbohydrates. Lactase, found in products such as Dairy Ease and Lactaid, can be taken with dairy foods to help break down lactose and lessen gas. Beano helps digest the indigestible carbohydrate in beans and other gas-producing vegetables.

Natural remedies for gas include:

• Peppermint tea

Behaviors Food Choices And Activity

Eating behaviors and other habits such as gum chewing, gulping foods and drinking with eating can cause us to swallow air. Bulky foods such as lettuce, cabbage, and dense breads not chewed into small enough pieces increase swallowed air.

Typically, swallowed air contains oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. It tends to not have a foul smell, but it does contribute to the discomfort associated with gas.

People vary widely in how sensitive they are to gas production. Keeping a food record to document incidences of gas in relation to foods eaten can shed light on whether food or behavior may be aggravating the situation.

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Diet Makes You Gassy After Eating

Feeling bloated after eating can be caused by certain foods for some people. Foods rich in fibre like whole grains, legumes, and some vegetables – although healthy – can lead to bloated bellies.

Although your gut bacteria are well equipped to break down the fibre in your diet to beneficial metabolites, the process can also lead to the production of gas. Suddenly increasing your fibre intake means you may also be greeted with some odoriferous flatulence, bloating, and some discomfort.

Salt, another major component of the Western diet, is a major contributor to bloating because it tells your body to hold onto water. Other things like taking in lots of air when you eat or drinking carbonated drinks increases the gas build-up in the body, making your belly feel like an inflated balloon.

Foods That Can Trigger Stomach Upset

As noted above, certain types of food and drink are often to blame for an upset stomach after eating, whether its pain due to indigestion or heartburn. While it might be a bummer to find out that some of your favorite mealtime choices are the cause of your discomfort, ultimately making changes in your diet can help give you some much-needed relief.

Here are some foods that commonly cause indigestion:

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When Gas Is A Symptom Of Something Else

If excessive gas is persistent or severe, consult your doctor it could be a sign of a more serious digestive condition, such as:

• Lactose intolerance This is the inability to digest lactose, the sugar found in milk and milk products. I test with a milk challenge, says Bickston. The patient drinks a pint or two of milk it can be any percent fat. What follows tells the patients whether they should limit their milk intake. If avoiding milk reduces your symptoms you may be lactose intolerant.
• Irritable bowel syndrome Patients who meet the diagnostic checklist for irritable bowel syndrome suffer more pain at the lower levels of the abdominal cavity, he says.
• Colon cancer Excess gas is rarely the main symptom of patients with colon cancer, Bickston notes. But it does trigger my reflex to remind patients to get screened for colorectal cancer.
• Upper gastrointestinal disorders Occasional belching is normal, but frequent belching may be a sign of an upper gastrointestinal disorder. These include peptic ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease , or gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying.

Also, warns Bickston, if you’ve had abdominal surgery, a hernia, or significant weight loss or weight gain, never dismiss your gas-like symptoms as normal. Get them checked out.

As annoying as it might be, some gas is a natural by-product of the bodys digestive system. But if your gas is excessive, painful, or chronic, talk to your doctor about possible causes and remedies.

Everything I Eat Gives Me Gas Why

When you get gas from everything you eat, there are a number of conditions or foods that can cause this to happen. The best way to find out is to eliminate any foods that may cause gas, first. If this doesnt solve the issue, you may need to see your doctor to be evaluated for any conditions that may be causing the problem. Some causes of gas after eating include:

1. Fluid in the Abdomen

If you have a condition that causes fluid buildup, you may experience excess gas in the abdomen. These include cirrhosis of the liver, congestive heart failure, or even your monthly period that causes bloating.

2. Intestinal Obstruction

A hernia or scar tissue in the abdomen may cause excessive gas. An intestinal obstruction keeps waste products from leaving the body, which continues to break down in the body. This will cause too much air in the intestines no matter what you eat.

3. Digestive Diseases

“Everything I eat gives me gas, why?” You ask. Certain digestive diseases will slow down digestion and create excessive gas in the abdomen. These include gallbladder disease, pancreatitis, Crohns disease, cystic fibrosis, and abdominal cancers.

4. Digestive Bacteria

Bacteria aid our digestive system and help to break down the foods we eat. Some bacteria can have the ability to produce increased gas from digestion. Everyone handles bacterial digestive actions differently. While one person may not experience any gas, another may be more sensitive to the waste products of the bacteria.

5. Sugars

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Why Is My Stomach Bloated

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.

Does The Smell Mean Anything

The smell is a result of the gasses made in your small intestine and colon during digestion. This mainly depends on the food you eat.

Some food items may cause your gas to smell worse than others. For example, animal proteins, like eggs and meat, can cause foul-smelling gas. Soluble fiber, like that found in fruits and vegetables, can cause gas too, but it won’t smell as bad.

A foul smell doesn’t mean anything by itself, but it can be quite embarrassing when it happens around other people.

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Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is an increase in the number of bacteria or a change in the type of bacteria in your small intestine. These bacteria can produce extra gas and may also cause diarrhea and weight loss. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is most often a complication of other health conditions.

Causes Of Diarrhea After Eating

Having diarrhea right after you eat is called postprandial diarrhea. You might experience this for a few days, in which case it is acute, or you may have had it for a long time and it is a chronic condition.

Diarrhea after you eat can be caused by many things, ranging from the stomach flu to a more serious disease. So its important to bring any new or ongoing digestive symptom to your doctors attention so that you can get the treatment you need.

This article discusses several reasons why you may be having diarrhea after you eat. It also provides some steps you can try when you have diarrhea to help you feel better and possibly prevent more bouts of diarrhea in the future.

Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin

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What Tests Might I Need

After the initial exam, your provider will recommend other tests to confirm a diagnosis:

• Ultrasound or CT scan: These imaging scans show your abdominal area in more detail.
• Paracentesis: Youll get a local anesthetic before this procedure. Your provider inserts a needle into your abdomen to remove fluid. The fluid is analyzed for signs of cancer, infection, portal hypertension and other conditions.

What To Do For Acute Diarrhea

Follow these tips when you have a bout of diarrhea:

• Stay hydrated. Your body doesnt absorb fluids and minerals when you have diarrhea because of how quickly stool is passing through your system. Make sure to drink extra water, clear fruit juice, or broth to replace these fluids.
• Dont rush to use an over-the-counter diarrhea product such as Imodium or Kaopectate. These products should not be used if you have a fever or there is mucus or blood in your stools. Pepto Bismol may be an option but check with your doctor first. None of these medications should be given to children without their pediatricians approval.

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What Causes Gas & Bloating

There are two main causes of gas in the digestive tract .

What Does Abdominal Distension Indicate

A distended abdomen is either an organic or a functional problem. An organic problem can be explained by physical evidence, like a disease. Functional problems are observable but unexplained.

Organic causes

Organic causes of abdominal distension might include:

• Pregnancy.
• Menstruation, which causes water retention.
• Significant recent weight gain, which tends to be stored as intra-abdominal fat and may restrict digestion.
• An obstruction of the small or large bowel, causing a build-up of gas and waste matter.
• Partial paralysis of the stomach , causing a build-up of digestive contents.
• Inflammation of the abdominal lining .
• A build-up of fluid in the abdomen caused by liver disease .
• Organ enlargement from inflammation or a growth.
• Internal bleeding .

Functional causes

Functional reasons for a distended abdomen tend to involve digestive problems that cause gas and/or digestive contents to accumulate. Causes might include:

• Constipation causing a build-up of feces and back-up of digestive contents.
• Urinary retention causing a build-up of urine.
• A disorder of the muscle contractions involved in digestion , causing digestive contents to back up.
• Abdominal muscle weakness, which causes the abdominal contents to sag outwards and downwards .

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Gas In The Lower Abdomen

Below are some potential causes of gas in the lower abdomen.

Fermentation

A person experiencing symptoms of gas in the lower part of their belly or abdomen may be experiencing gas from fermentation.

Stomach acid helps to break down food and pass it on to the intestines. The intestines break down the food even further in a process that sometimes releases gases. These gases either make their way to the stomach and leave the body as a burp or travel through the intestines and leave the body as flatulence.

Some foods may produce gas more than others. The list some common foods that may cause gas, including:

• greens, such as kale, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts
• vegetables, such as onions, cauliflower, and broccoli
• beans, including black, pinto, and kidney beans
• dairy products, such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream
• high fiber foods, such as whole grains and fruits
• sugar substitutes and sweeteners, such as sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol

Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is an umbrella term for a group of digestive symptoms that can cause pain, discomfort, and changes in bowel movements.

A person with IBS may experience an excessive amount of intestinal gas. This excess gas may lead to abdominal pain, bloating, and flatulence. Other possible symptoms of IBS include:

• constipation

In extreme cases, the small intestine may be unable to absorb sufficient nutrients from food. This may lead to complications, such as weight loss and anemia.

Food intolerances

• bloating

• clove

Red Sings: When To See Your Doctor For Your Stomach Cramps And Gas

The above 7 conditions are the common causes of stomach cramps and gas. But this is not the complete list of causes. Some other medical conditions can cause stomach cramps and gas. Some of these medical conditions may be dangerous and require emergency medical consultation.

They include :

• Intestinal obstruction.

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Symptoms Of Upset Stomach

Signs of indigestion can vary from individual to individual. Sometimes, indigestion makes you feel full too soon while eating a meal, or you may feel uncomfortably full after eating a meal.1 Other symptoms include:

• Pain in the upper abdomen
• Burning in the upper abdomen
• Bloating

• Eat smaller, more frequent meals
• Limit or avoid fried, greasy or sweet foods
• Avoid activity after eating
• Try over-the-counter medications if youre experiencing heartburn1,2

You may be sensitive to certain foods. One suggestion is to keep a food diary, track your food intake, and record when and how you experience indigestion symptoms. Weve listed some common trigger foods in the next section for your reference.

If your symptoms are severe or frequent, there may be a chance you have an underlying digestive health condition. Talk to your doctor as soon as possible if youre concerned about your digestive health.

How Common Is Stomach Bloating

Between 10% and 25% of otherwise healthy people complain of occasional abdominal bloating. As many as 75% describe their symptoms as moderate to severe. About 10% say they experience it regularly. Among those diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome , it may be as much as 90%. Up to 75% of women experience bloating before and during their period. Only 50% of people who experience bloating also report a distended abdomen.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Bloating

Symptoms of bloating include:

• The skin around your stomach may feel stretched and tight

Depending on the cause, bloating may be accompanied by other symptoms as well.

Abdominal bloating will continue until the food in an overfull stomach is digested or accumulated gas is released. This can take hours or days.

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How Is Intestinal Gas Managed Or Treated

• Alpha-galactosidase , an enzyme to break down hard-to-digest foods.
• Bismuth subsalicylate for adults with upset stomach and diarrhea.
• Lactase enzymes for lactose intolerance .
• Probiotics to get rid of bad gut bacteria.
• Simethicone to reduce intestinal gas buildup that causes bloating.

Prescription medications may help if you have a motility problem like IBS. Antibiotics can treat bacterial overgrowth in the intestines that cause excess gas and bloating.

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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.