

Several companies make products to help reduce gas odors. Foods associated with strong gas odors are broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and beer. If you are concerned about odor, dietary changes may help.People with poorly fitting dentures swallow more air. If you wear dentures, make sure they fit properly.Discuss your stress with your doctor treating your stress will decrease gas. If you feel stressed, there is a good chance you are swallowing more air.Try smaller but more frequent meals, and eat slowly.Do not discontinue any medication without your doctor’s approval.

If so, ask your doctor if another type of medication can be used. Ask your pharmacist if any of your medications might be responsible for gas.Each agent works differently, and your local pharmacist can recommend one that might help you. Some agents target stomach gas and others target gas from foods. Several over-the-counter products exist, including Beano, lactase supplements (eg, Lactaid), simethicone (eg, Gas-X, Mylanta), and activated charcoal tablets.You do not have to eliminate all dairy products look for lactose-free labels. Because you may have a problem digesting lactose and not know it, consider a lactose-free diet for 2 weeks and see if it makes a difference.Avoid the artificial sweeteners sorbitol and mannitol found in diet and sugar-free foods these can produce excess gas.Meats, fish, nuts, and berries don’t produce much gas. While this may help, most people are more likely to live with excess gas than adhere to strict diets. Decrease your intake of even a few gas-producing foods (see Table 2).If you are producing excess gas, there are several things that might help. If your daily number is lower than 20, then you have normal gas production. When we are sleeping, we pass gas produced by bacteria, but not gas from swallowed air. If you have a bed partner, they can tell you if you pass gas during sleep. The first step is to keep a diary for 2 weeks, noting the number of times you pass gas each day. Many people mistakenly believe they produce excess gas when in fact they do not. More than 75 medications are linked to excess gas, including commonly used over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, antidepressants, calcium supplements, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and hormone replacement medications. Medications, such as antibiotics, can change the number or types of bacteria in our bodies, which may lead to excess gas. Bacteria in the colon likewise feed on undigested lactose, producing gas. In addition, up to 30% of adults have problems digesting a type of sugar called lactose found in milk and other dairy products. Some of our healthiest foods (fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains) are also some of the most gas producing. Beans are a well-known example of a food that challenges our digestion they are notorious gas producers. As bacteria in the colon digest these foods, they release gas. Our bodies cannot fully digest certain sugars and carbohydrates. We burp about 50% of this air, and the rest passes through the intestines and is released from the rectum. Eating fast, eating too much, or feeling stressed increases the amount of air we swallow.
#BLOATED STOMACH AND FEELING SICK AND TIRED HEADACHE FULL#
More than 1 cup of air is swallowed when we drink a full glass of water. A lot of air is also swallowed when we chew gum or drink with a straw. We automatically swallow up to 2 quarts of air each day, usually while eating and drinking. Most people are surprised to learn we swallow air. There are 2 main causes of intestinal gas: swallowing air and bacteria that digest food. –ºGas is released in 1 of 3 ways: burping, from the rectum, or by being absorbed into the blood stream and exhaled from the lungs. –ºWomen produce more foul-smelling gas than men. A man’s flatulence measures about one half cup per incident a woman’s measures about one third cup. –ºMen produce more gas than women because males are generally larger.

There is no relationship between a gas's odor and its sound. –ºIntestinal gas is a mixture of 5 gases, but only 1% of the gas is responsible for odors. –ºHealthy people pass gas 10 to 22 times each day men and women pass gas about the same number of times each day. Table 1 presents facts about gas some may surprise you.

Along with physical symptoms, many people with excess gas socially isolate themselves, fearing they will accidently release gas in front of others. Many people find flatulence funny, but excess gas is no joking matter holding it in can cause stomach cramps, abdominal pain, dizziness, and headaches. While everyone does it, discussing it is socially taboo, and parents teach kids from an early age to pass gas in private. Patients with flatulence can experience abdominal pain, stomach cramps, dizziness, and even headaches.įlatulence is intestinal gas from the rectum it is both normal and necessary.
