Gas, Bloating, and Burping

Overview

Gas (flatus), bloating, and burping are all normal conditions. Gas is made in the stomach and intestines as your body breaks down food into energy. Gas and burping may sometimes be embarrassing. Bloating, which is a feeling of fullness in the belly, can make you uncomfortable. Many people think that they pass gas too often or have too much gas. But it's rare to have too much gas. Changing what you eat and drink can sometimes cut down on gas and relieve discomfort caused by gas.

Belching or burping (eructation) is the voluntary or involuntary and sometimes noisy release of air from the stomach or esophagus through the mouth. Burping 3 or 4 times after eating a meal is normal. It's usually caused by swallowing air. Other causes of burping include nervous habits or other medical conditions, such as an ulcer or a gallbladder problem.

All people pass gas, but some people produce more gas than others. It's normal to pass gas from 6 to 20 times a day. This may embarrass or annoy you. But a lot of intestinal gas usually isn't caused by a serious health condition.

Common causes of gas and bloating include:

• Swallowed air. If swallowed air isn't burped up, it passes through the digestive tract. Then it's released through the anus as flatus. Swallowing a lot of air may cause hiccups.
• Foods and drinks such as beans, broccoli, carbonated drinks, and beer. The amount of gas and the odor that different foods cause vary from person to person.
• Lactose intolerance. A person who can't easily digest lactose, a type of natural sugar found in milk and dairy products, can have both gas and bloating as well as other symptoms.
• Constipation. It can cause bloating but generally doesn't increase gas.
• Medicines or nutritional supplements. Both prescription and nonprescription medicines, as well as dietary supplements, can cause bloating and gas as side effects.
• A medical condition, such as a bowel obstruction or Crohn's disease.
• Changes in hormone levels. It's common for people to have bloating right before their periods. That's because their bodies retain fluid.
• Pregnancy.

Dyspepsia is a medical term that is used to describe a vague feeling of fullness, gnawing, or burning in the chest or upper belly, especially after eating. A person may describe this feeling as "gas." Other symptoms may occur at the same time, such as belching, rumbling noises in the belly, increased flatus, poor appetite, and a change in bowel habits. Causes of dyspepsia can vary from minor to serious.

In some cases, a person may dismiss serious symptoms, such as symptoms of a heart attack, as "just gas" or indigestion.

Self-Care

How can you care for gas and bloating?

• Keep a food diary if you think a food gives you gas. Write down what you eat or drink. Also record when you get gas. If you notice that a food seems to cause your gas each time, avoid it and see if the gas goes away. Examples of foods that cause gas include:
  • Fried and fatty foods.
  • Peas, lentils, and beans.
  • Vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, radishes, and raw potatoes.
  • Fruits such as apricots, bananas, melons, peaches, pears, prunes, and raw apples.
  • Wheat and wheat bran.
  • Carbonated drinks, fruit drinks, beer, and red wine.
  • Packaged foods that contain lactose, such as breads, cereal, and salad dressing.
  • Sugar and sugar substitutes.
• Try soaking beans in water overnight. Drain the soaking water, and cook the soaked beans in new water. This may help decrease gas and bloating.
• If you have problems with lactose, avoid dairy products such as milk and cheese.
• Try not to swallow air. Do not drink through a straw, gulp your food, or chew gum.
• Take an over-the-counter medicine. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
  • Food enzymes, such as Beano, can be added to gas-producing foods to prevent gas.
  • Antacids, such as Maalox Anti-Gas and Mylanta Gas, can relieve bloating by making you burp. Be careful when you take over-the-counter antacid medicines. Many of these medicines have aspirin in them. Read the label to make sure that you are not taking more than the recommended dose. Too much aspirin can be harmful.
  • Activated charcoal tablets, such as CharcoCaps, may decrease odor from gas you pass.
  • If you have problems with lactose, you can take medicines such as Dairy Ease and Lactaid with dairy products to prevent gas and bloating.
• Get some exercise regularly.

Treating hiccups at home

Hiccups are usually harmless and go away without any treatment. But if hiccups are making you uncomfortable, here are some safe and easy things you can do at home to help manage your symptoms.

• Swallow a teaspoon of dry granulated sugar.
• Hold your breath, and count slowly to 10.
• Breathe repeatedly into a paper bag for a short time.
• Quickly drink a glass of cold water.

When to call for help during self-care

Call a doctor if any of the following occur during self-care at home:

• Symptoms are not relieved by home treatment and medicine.
• Swallowing problems don't improve.
• Weight loss continues for no reason.
• Symptoms occur more often or are more severe.

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