Intestinal Gas: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
The air in your digestive system is called intestinal gas (flatulence), or just gas as it is generally referred to. Intestinal gas is a normal part of digestion, produced when food is broken down in the stomach and intestines. It contains gases like oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen.
Some gas is swallowed while eating or drinking, and the rest is produced by bacteria in the large intestine when they break down undigested food. The body naturally releases gas through burping or passing gas.
Gas trapped intestines can cause discomfort or bloating, especially if not passed out. Excessive intestinal gas may result from certain foods, digestive disorders, or slow digestion. This can lead to intestinal gas pain, causing sharp cramping or a bloated feeling.
While it is a common and natural process, too much gas can sometimes lead to discomfort. On average, individuals produce 1 to 3 pints daily and pass gas about 14 times a day.
Symptoms of Excessive Intestinal Gas
- Bloating: Feeling of fullness or tightness in the abdomen.
- Belching: Frequent burping after eating or drinking.
- Flatulence: Excessive passing of gas.
- Abdominal Discomfort: Cramps or pain in the stomach area.
- Feeling of Pressure: A sensation of pressure or heaviness in the abdomen.
- Indigestion: Difficulty in digesting food, often accompanied by gas.
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Get A Second OpinionCauses of Intestinal Gas
You can rest easy knowing that there are only two significant ingestion causes of air from intestinal gas and bacterial breakdown of substances found in certain types of food. You could have excessive flatulence if you pass gas more often than this regularly.
Swallow Air
We all swallow a little air during the normal course of the day. This air is usually released through burping. However, it can also reach the large intestine and be released through the rectum in flatulence.
If you swallow more air frequently, you may experience excessive flatulence, which can cause belching.
Reasons for flatulence, you may swallow more air than normal include:
- Bubble gum
- Sucking on objects such as pen caps, candy
- Drinking carbonated drinks
- Eating or drinking too fast
- Smoking: cigarettes, cigars, and pipes
- Poorly fitting dentures
Diet Options
Your dietary choices can lead to flatulence and excessive intestinal gas. Foods that cause too much intestinal gas include:
- Beans
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Raisins
- Prunes
- Apples
- Foods rich in fructose or sorbitol, such as fruit juices
These foods can take a long time to digest, causing the unpleasant odor associated with flatulence. Some foods that the body cannot completely absorb, too.
This means that they pass from the intestines to the colon without being fully digested first. The colon has a large number of bacteria, which then break down food, thus releasing intestinal gases.
Bacterial Breakdown
When certain substances in our food, particularly carbohydrates like simple sugars and starches, aren't fully digested or absorbed, they reach the large intestine, where bacteria break them down.
This process releases carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, and nitrogen gas. While some gases may be absorbed into the bloodstream and exhaled, most are expelled through the anus.
The main components of food that can trigger the release of intestinal gas are:
- Fructose: Found in fruits, vegetables, and processed foods like high fructose corn syrup, it can cause gas in 15-25% of people, especially when consumed in excess.
- Lactose: Present in dairy, it causes gas in lactose-intolerant individuals due to the lack of the enzyme lactase.
- Raffinose: Found in beans, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, it ferments in the intestines, causing gas.
- Sorbitol: A sugar alcohol in fruits and sugar-free foods, it causes gas in 8-12% of people who can't absorb it.
Lists Foods that Cause Too Much Gas
- Beans and Lentils: High in fiber and hard-to-digest carbs.
- Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc., contain fiber and sugars that cause gas.
- Dairy: Milk, cheese, and yogurt can cause gas in lactose-intolerant people.
- Carbonated Beverages: Soda and sparkling drinks introduce excess air.
- Onions and Garlic: Contain compounds that cause gas.
- Whole Grains: Fiber and carbs in whole grains can lead to gas.
- Fruits: Apples, pears, and cherries may cause gas due to sugar alcohols.
- Processed Foods: Artificial sweeteners like sorbitol in packaged foods cause gas.
Digestive Disorders That Cause Excessive Intestinal Gas
Too much intestinal gas means flatulence or burping more than 20 times a day, which can sometimes signal a digestive disorder such as:
- Constipation
- Celiac disease
- Eating disorders
- Lactose intolerance
- Gastroparesis
- Colon cancer
- Functional dyspepsia
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Intestinal obstruction
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Ovarian cancer
How to Diagnose Intestinal Gas?
Your doctor may ask about your diet and symptoms of trapped gas, as diets are a major intestinal gas cause. Recording your food and drink intake can help identify the problema. They may also request information on your intestinal gas frequency.
After reviewing your symptoms and medical history, the doctor may conduct tests to diagnose the cause of your excess intestinal gas:
- Imaging tests like CT scans, MRIs, or ultrasounds can detect digestive tract issues.
- Contrast X-rays with barium may enhance abnormalities in the digestive tract on X-ray images.
- Endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopy or upper endoscopy use a camera-equipped tube to examine the digestive tract.
- Blood work can detect infections or other health issues contributing to gas.
- Breath tests may diagnose lactose intolerance by measuring hydrogen levels after consuming a glucose solution.
Treatment for Intestinal Gas(Flatulence)
Treating the underlying condition can provide relief if another health issue causes your gas pains. Otherwise, bothersome gas is usually treated with dietary measures, lifestyle modifications, or over-the-counter medications for intestinal gas.
Although the answer differs for everyone, most individuals will find some relief with a little trial and error.
Diet
Diet changes can help reduce the amount of gas your body produces or help gas move more quickly through your system.
Drugs
The following products can reduce gas symptoms in some people:
- Alpha-galactosidase (Beano, BeanAssist, others) helps beans and other vegetables dissolve carbohydrates. Take the supplement just before eating.
- Lactase supplements help you digest the sugar in dairy products (Lactaid, Digest Dairy Plus, others) (lactose). These reduce the symptoms of gas if you are lactose intolerant
- Talk to your doctor before using lactase supplements if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Simethicone helps break up gas bubbles (Gas-X, Mylanta Gas Minis, others) and can help gas pass through your digestive tract. Little clinical evidence of its efficacy in relieving gas symptoms is available
When to See a Doctor for Gas
- Severe Pain: Persistent, intense abdominal pain.
- Ongoing Bloating: Bloating that doesn’t improve.
- Bowel Changes: Diarrhea or constipation with gas.
- Unexplained Weight Loss: Losing weight without reason.
- Blood in Stool/Vomit: Presence of blood in stool or vomit.
- Breathing Difficulty: Shortness of breath with gas or bloating.
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Book an AppointmentPrevention of Excessive Gas
- Eat Slowly: Avoid swallowing air by chewing food thoroughly and eating slowly.
- Limit Gas: Producing Foods: Reduce intake of beans, cruciferous vegetables, dairy, and carbonated drinks.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water to help with digestion and reduce bloating.
- Exercise Regularly: Physical activity can help prevent gas buildup and improve digestion.
- Avoid Artificial Sweeteners: Cut back on foods containing sorbitol and other sugar alcohols.
- Consider Probiotics: These can help balance gut bacteria and improve digestion, reducing gas.
- Manage Stress: Stress can affect digestion, leading to increased gas and bloating, so try relaxation techniques.
Home Remedies for Intestinal Gas
If food contains excessive carbohydrates that are difficult to absorb, consider replacing them. To prevent intestinal gas, choose digestible foods like potatoes, rice, and bananas, to help keep intestinal gas managed. If you experience persistent discomfort, consult a doctor for proper gas pain diagnosis. Here are few home remedies for intestinal gas:
- Keep a food diary: This will help you identify your triggers. After you identify some foods that are causing you excessive flatulence, you can learn to avoid them or eat less.
- Eat less much: Eat five to six small meals daily instead of three larger ones to help your digestive process.
- Chew properly: Avoid doing anything that could increase the amount of air you have.
- Swallow: This includes ensuring you chew your food properly and avoiding chewing gum or smoking.
- Exercise: Some people find exercise helps promote digestion and prevent flatulence.
