Excess gas can cause abdominal pain, flatulence, and embarrassing situations. Gas production in the digestive system is directly related to the food we eat and how we eat it, therefore changing diet and eating habits is the most effective method to avoid gas production in the long term. Read on for the following information to treat gas-related symptoms and make changes to prevent this condition from occurring and getting worse
Step
Method 1 of 3: Relieve Fast
Step 1. Let it out
If gas pain occurs, trying to hold it in the body out of courtesy will only make the pain worse. Remember that the average person passes gas ten times a day, and exhaling is not abnormal, even if time and place are not favorable.
- You can also find a toilet and stay there until the gas pain subsides. If possible, stay at home and wait for the condition to recover completely before going outside.
- When you are in a comfortable place, relax the muscles and change positions so that the gas can be released from the body smoothly.
Step 2. Glue something hot
Gas causes an uncomfortable feeling of tightness in the stomach area, and this pain can be reduced by applying heat.
- Fill a bottle with hot water, lie down on the bed or on the couch, and hold the bottle to your stomach. The heat will help relieve the tightness in the stomach.
- Hot showers can also help relieve pain from gas in the stomach and constipation.
Step 3. Drink ginger tea or peppermint tea
Both types of tea serve to relieve stomach pain and help the digestive process. Boil some mint leaves or chopped ginger, strain the hot tea into a cup, then drink little by little.
Step 4. Eat garlic soup
Garlic stimulates the gastric system and helps relieve gas quickly. Chop some fresh garlic cloves and fry them in a little olive oil. Add chicken or vegetable stock, after boiling use low heat to heat it. Eat the hot soup.
Step 5. Use activated charcoal tablets
Activated charcoal can relieve your symptoms by absorbing excess gas in your digestive tract. For best results, take these tablets between meals. Give it a few hours after taking other medications or supplements because activated charcoal can block its absorption by the body.
Consult your doctor first before using activated charcoal if you are also taking other medications or supplements
Step 6. Try using Beano (alphagalactosidase)
This dietary supplement can help the body digest carbohydrates more effectively thereby reducing symptoms of bloating or flatulence. Beano and other supplements containing alfagalactosidase are available at most pharmacies and health food stores.
Beano can also prevent flatulence when taken with food
Step 7. Buy over-the-counter drugs at the pharmacy
There are many choices of drugs to treat indigestion that are sold in pharmacies. Because you are already experiencing pain in the stomach due to excess gas, choose one of the drugs to be taken after eating instead of before eating.
Method 2 of 3: Taking Precautions
Step 1. Try to avoid consuming allergens
Many cases of food allergies that cause flatulence. Try avoiding allergens for 3-6 weeks and see if your symptoms improve. After that, continue eating these foods one by one and see if your symptoms appear again. Food ingredients that commonly trigger problems include:
- Foods that contain gluten such as wheat, barley, and rye products.
- Dairy products.
- Corn.
- Soya bean.
- Sugar.
- Alcohol.
- Refined carbohydrates.
- Foods that are rich in certain sugars. For more information, please refer to the following table:
Step 2. Avoid foods that irritate the digestive system
There are certain foods that cause gas, and some people are more sensitive to them than others. If you have frequent gas problems, you need to avoid or limit the following foods:
- Legumes. Peanuts are difficult to digest because they contain sugars called oligosaccharides which are difficult for the body to digest because the body does not produce enzymes capable of doing this. The oligosaccharide molecules remain intact in the digestive process and give rise to gas in the small intestine.
- Foods that are high in fiber. Fiber has many health benefits, but eating large amounts of whole grains, fruits and vegetables can cause gas. Don't stop eating these beneficial foods altogether, but you may need to avoid the trigger foods.
- Dairy products that contain lactose. Some people are lactose intolerant; a glass of milk drunk in the morning may be a gas trigger.
- Soda and other carbonated drinks.
- Fried foods and other fatty foods.
- Artificial additives. Sweeteners such as sorbitol and mannitol cause gas and diarrhea.
- Chewing gum.
- Alcohol.
- Vinegar.
- Caffeinated drinks.
- Spicy food.
- Processed, fatty foods.
Step 3. Consider other hard-to-digest triggering substances that can produce gas
Taking fiber supplements, laxatives, or antibiotics can cause gas. This substance is able to irritate the stomach and eliminate the bacteria needed to digest food.
Step 4. Chew food properly
Taking more time to chew each incoming food will help break down the food before it enters the stomach and intestines, lightening the workload on your digestive system. Chewing with your mouth closed will also help, as swallowing a lot of air can trigger gas.
Step 5. Eat protein first
Changing the order in which foods need to be eaten can prevent gas production. Eating protein with or before fiber and carbohydrates allows your digestive system to work properly.
- When you eat, your stomach produces hydrochloric acid to digest protein. If the salad or bread goes into the stomach first, the acid will be utilized before you swallow the meat, fish, or other protein. The protein then ferments and triggers gas and flatulence.
- Health food stores sell hydrochloric acid supplements that can be taken by mouth to aid protein digestion. This supplement should be taken after meals, so that your stomach first has the opportunity to produce more acid.
Step 6. Eat fermented foods
To properly digest food, the digestive tract needs a healthy supply of bacteria. Fermented foods supply the body with the types of bacteria it needs to digest other foods.
- Try eating yogurt, kefir, and dairy products of other cultures. Make sure the label states that the product contains probiotics.
- Kimchi, sauerkraut, and other fermented vegetables also have beneficial probiotic properties.
Step 7. Use a probiotic supplement
Probiotics will support the growth of good bacteria while reducing bad bacteria in the digestive tract. Healthy intestinal flora will reduce the symptoms of bloating and gas in the stomach.
- Consult your doctor before starting to use probiotic supplements and ask what supplements are best suited for you.
- Purchase supplements that have been certified by a third party such as the USP, NSF, or Consumer Lab.
Method 3 of 3: Treating Chronic Gas
Step 1. Pay attention to the symptoms that occur
If you pass gas frequently throughout the day, or if the pain from gas is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, or other severe symptoms, you may have a chronic problem that cannot be relieved by dietary changes or supplements.
- Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disease and causes chronic pain when eating certain foods.
- Crohn's disease and celiac disease are digestive disorders that are triggered by certain foods.
Step 2. Visit a doctor
If you feel that your symptoms go beyond the common problems caused by eating nuts and fiber, see your doctor immediately to find out what the real problem is. To prepare for a visit to the doctor,
- Keep a journal of the food you eat every day. Record every food you eat for a few weeks before your visit to the doctor. Make notes in the order in which food enters the body.
- Get ready to undergo a number of tests and answer questions from your doctor about your diet and lifestyle.
Tips
- Light exercise can relieve constipation. Try a brisk walk or swim to get your digestive system working.
- Avoid swallowing too much air, stop chewing gum and drink through a straw. This simple habit might trigger gas.
