Gas in the stomach and intestines is something that everyone has. The gas consists of air that you swallow or that forms in the large intestine when the body breaks down food. Having gases can cause your stomach to swell and cause you pain, but is usually not dangerous and is rarely due to a serious illness.
Symptoms of gas in the stomach and intestine
It is different how you experience gas in the stomach and intestine. The same amount of gas can cause a person great discomfort, while another does not feel it at all.
It may cause you one or more of the following symptoms if you have a lot of gas in the digestive tract:
- Feeling bloated and noisy in your stomach.
- You have a stomach ache and get a stomach ache.
- You’re raping.
- You bargain.
It can sometimes accumulate so much gas that your stomach gets bigger and that you need to unbutton clothes that sit tight.
Gas can be collected anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Most commonly, gas is collected where the colon curves, to the right or left at the top of the stomach. If the gases are collected on the right side of the large intestine, the symptoms can be reminiscent of the symptoms that can be experienced in gallstones. If the gases are collected on the left side, the symptoms may be reminiscent of those that can occur in heart problems.
Read more about the gastrointestinal tract in the text How the digestive organs work.
When should I seek care?
Most people who have gas problems do not need to seek care. The trouble usually goes by itself.
Contact a health care center if you have had a gas problem for over two weeks and especially if any of the following is true of you:
- You are over 50 years old and get symptoms from your stomach that you have not had before.
- Losing weight quickly or have less desire to eat.
- You need to go to the bathroom at different times than you usually do, or if the texture of the poo has changed.
Wait until it becomes every day if it’s weekend. You can contact many receptions by logging in.
What can I do for myself?
You can do the following to reduce the amount of gas in the digestive tract:
- Affect how much air you swallow.
- Affect the amount of gas formed in the large intestine.
- Release the gas that is present by scratching or farting.
Many people find it embarrassing to shout or haggle, but it is important to let the gas come out. You can get very sore if large amounts of gas accumulate in the stomach.
Reduce the amount of cooled air
Here is a list of what you can do to reduce the amount of air you swallow:
- Avoid chewing gum and sucking on hard candies.
- Eat more slowly and chew your food well.
- Drink smaller quantities or avoid drinking carbonated drinks.
- Try to notice if you swallow more air in stressful situations, and then try to stress less.
- Stop smoking or reduce smoking if you smoke.
A denture that does not sit well in your mouth can also cause you to swallow more air. Contact a dentist if you have a denture that is not seated properly.
Eat less of some food
The amount of gas in the gastrointestinal tract is increased by foods that contain large amounts of fiber or difficult to digest carbohydrates. Examples of hard-to-digest carbohydrates are fructose and sorbitol, a sweetener used in light products.
The same type of food can cause different amounts of gas and different symptoms in different people. Therefore, try to notice and avoid eating the foods that cause you increased difficulties.
Here are examples of foods that can produce more gas in the digestive tract:
- Different types of cabbage such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower.
- Peas.
- Wheat bran.
- Beans.
- Onion.
- Products sweetened with sweeteners.
- Milk and cream if you have hypersensitivity to milk sugar, so-called lactose intolerance.
Burp
Often the hassles are alleviated when you rap.
Sometimes you may want to kill, but without anything coming up. Some may then try to elicit a rape by swallowing air themselves. But it is usually not that good because the amount of air that comes up is often not as great as the amount that is cooled. It can lead to an increase in the amount of air in the stomach, and thus also the trouble.
Even children up to one year need to eat after eating. It reduces the risk of them getting stomach pains.
Change your habits
There are also other things you can do to reduce the amount of gas in the digestive tract, such as the following:
- Try to poop regularly as the gases come out with the stool.
- Be physically active. Then the gases automatically move forward in the intestine.
- Eat less fat, because the fat causes the stomach to drain to the bowel more slowly.
- Avoid medicines that may cause constipation. Constipation makes the gas more difficult to pass through the intestine.
- Bargain when you need to. Failure to release the gas when needed can increase the inconvenience.
Read more about constipation and what you can do yourself.
Treatment of gas in the stomach and intestine
The treatment of gas in the stomach you receive depends on why you have an increased amount of gas in your stomach. Often you can find out the cause yourself.
There are no drugs that cause the gas in the gastrointestinal tract to disappear, but there are drugs that can reduce the symptoms.
Medicines with simethicone
Medicines containing the active substance simethicone can help if you get stomach upset and stomach aches from the gases. The drug causes the gas bubbles in the intestine to break When the gas bubbles disappear, the tummy tuck also decreases.
Simetikon gives the best effect after a couple of days of use.
You can buy Simetikon without a prescription at a pharmacy.
Medicines with lactose if you have lactose intolerance
Medicines containing the enzyme lactase can help if you have lactose intolerance and have eaten or drank anything containing lactose. Read more in the text on lactose intolerance.
Activated carbon does not help
Activated carbon is of no use and is therefore not recommended.
What happens in the body?
Everyone has gas in the gastrointestinal tract. Most of all gas consists of cooled air. Every time you swallow, some air comes down. On average, you swallow about 70 times per hour, so it can be such a large amount of gas that it gives symptoms. When you sleep you swallow almost no air at all.
The gas you do not pick up stays in your stomach for a while and then empties into smaller portions to the small intestine, where the gas passes quickly. Sometimes some gas can also form in the small intestine. In the large intestine, the gas is collected in slightly larger quantities before being released via the rectum. The gases thus cause the most trouble from the stomach and from the large intestine.
The blood takes up a small part of the gas that is in the intestines. The gas is then transported to the lungs, leaving the body with the exhaled air.
Read more about the gastrointestinal tract in the text How the digestive organs work.
Bacteria in the colon form gas
In the large intestine, there are bacteria that are necessary for the body to feel good. The bacteria from some useful substances, such as vitamin K, which is needed for blood to clot.
The bacteria also ferment the food that is not broken down and then gas is formed. Examples of foods that produce a lot of gas are different types of cabbage and beans.
Some of the gas produced in the large intestine disappears by being used by other bacteria in the large intestine.
For the most part, barbs are odorless
Fermentation in the large intestine forms gas in the process which always passes out through the rectum. Usually, it does not smell, only a small part of the gas gives unpleasant odors. Gas containing sulfur compounds may cause the smell.
Most people find that they have problems with potties if they need to puddle very often, at an inappropriate time or if the potties smell bad.
You usually haggle up to 20 times a day. Especially during the night, the gut releases a lot of gas without you noticing. That is why the stomach is often smaller in the morning.
Sour rebounds as you rap
Sometimes a portion of the gastric juice can follow up when you are raping, called gastric juice reflux. It can cause heartburn, acid reflux, and possibly inflammation of the esophagus. More formation of saliva can cause you to swallow more often. This, in turn, can cause you to have more trouble with raping.
Swollen after a bigger meal
The fact that one can feel swollen after a larger meal depends on the total amount of gas in the entire gastrointestinal tract. Even small amounts of gas in the intestine can cause intestinal cramping, especially after eating.
Other causes of increased gas volume
Gas trouble is almost never due to disease if the symptoms are just because you have a troublesome amount of gas in your stomach, and if you feel relieved after having rap or fart.
Lactose intolerance or celiac disease
Lactose intolerance and celiac disease can increase the amount of gas in the stomach. But then you often have other symptoms, such as diarrhea.
Gluten intolerance is the other name of celiac disease
Sensitive bowel – IBS
Having a sensitive bowel can produce more gas in the stomach. Other symptoms are stomach pain and having diarrhea or constipation. You may also find that you have more gas in your stomach, even though the amount of gas is actually the same. This is because the bowel can become more sensitive.
Another name of sensitive bowel is IBS.
Dyspepsia – sensitive stomach
One symptom of dyspepsia is being bloated and stretched in the stomach. It can sometimes be confused with gas problems. Another name for dyspepsia is a sensitive stomach.
Stop in the gut
A serious disease does not cause swelling of the stomach.
It is rare, but sometimes it can be caused by a stop in the intestine, so-called bowel wrists. Then you also have a lot of pain and feel very ill.
All diseases that cause a stop in the intestinal tract can cause gas problems, but a stop also causes other problems. In Crohn’s disease, you have had diarrhea and other intestinal problems before you have gas problems. Cancer can also cause a bowel obstruction, but then you have usually had changed stool habits well before the gas trouble. Colon cancer very rarely occurs before the age of 45.
Drug
Some medicines may have the side effect of causing you to become constipated. Constipation can make the gas more difficult to pass through the intestine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any medicines and are unsure if the drug may cause constipation.
Pregnancy
Getting more symptoms of gases in the gastrointestinal tract is common, especially during the later part of pregnancy and a few days after birth. This may be because the fetus takes up a large space so that the gas gives more symptoms. Gas problems can also be due to the bowels working more slowly during pregnancy due to hormonal changes.
Contact your midwife if you are pregnant and have problems with gases.
Investigations
There are no tests or studies that can directly show why you have increased amounts of gases in the gastrointestinal tract. However, various examinations can help to find the cause of the inconvenience or to allow the doctor to exclude disease.
You may do one or more of the following tests if you have other symptoms from your stomach at the same time:
- blood samples
- X-ray examinations
- gastroscopy
- colonoscopy.
Influence and participate in your care
In order for you to be active in your care and to make decisions, it is important that you understand the information you receive from the healthcare personnel. Ask questions if you don’t understand. You can also ask to have the information printed so that you can read it peacefully.
You have the opportunity to get help from an interpreter if you have a hearing loss