Reduce Stomach
Gas The Natural Way
By
Scott Michaels
Are there natural ways to reduce the gas you pass? Try
preventive measures first. Learn how to move gas through your
intestines more readily.
While there are several reasons you may find yourself to be
gassy, there are many solutions for reducing belching,
flatulence, abdominal bloating and pain. Excess gas commonly is
associated with irritable bowel syndrome. Other serious
gastrointestinal disorders usually produce other symptoms
besides just being "gassy."
Doctors usually recommend a plan to help move gas through the
intestines more readily, combined with preventive measures,
such as eliminating certain foods from your diet and avoiding
chewing gum. Although many products on store shelves promise to
help, their success is not guaranteed and often depends on the
individual. There are also prescription medicines and some
alternative therapies.
Keeping a diary of the foods and beverages you consume can help
you systematically eliminate one food or group of foods at a
time to determine which may be most responsible for your
symptoms. One of the first questions at the top of the list
would be 'Could this be related to dairy products?'. If it is,
the first step should be to eliminate these products from your
diet for about seven days. If you feel better, then try to add
dairy products back to your diet in smaller amounts to see if
you can tolerate them.
There are some recommended home remedies and lifestyle
changes.
Chew more slowly and thoroughly because gas can be a sign of
undigested food, the enzymes in saliva begin the first stage of
breaking down food in the body's absorption process. Avoid foods
you know cause indigestion. Common food sources of gas include
Brussels sprouts, bran, beans, milk products, cabbage,
artificial sweeteners, carbonated beverages and alcohol. Take a
short walk after you eat to prevent gas accumulation.
Maintaining a regular exercise schedule in the form of
walking,
jogging and calisthenics will help stimulate the passage of gas
through the digestive tract. Perform chest-to-knee stretches.
Lying on your back, bring your right knee to your chest. Hold
for 10 seconds and, then repeat with the other knee.
If those remedies don't provide relief, your doctor may
recommend that you take an over-the-counter antacid, activated
charcoal, or a lactase or bismuth product.
Antacids contain aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide (known
as Milk of Magnesia), calcium carbonate, or other ingredients
individually or in various combinations. Antacids help to
control the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, a
condition in which the stomach's juices (acid and digestive
enzymes) flow backward, or reflux, into the esophagus.
Tablets of activated charcoal may provide relief from gas in
the colon. Studies have shown that when taken before and after
a meal, lower-intestinal gas is reduced.
However, activated charcoal can cause black stools and
constipation. While these are harmless side effects, black
stools can be confusing to a physician, because color changes
in stool can be a sign of a serious illness. Evidence
concerning the benefit of activated charcoal is contradictory.
Its effect in alleviating symptoms of intestinal gas has been
supported by some studies yet refuted by others. As a result,
physicians may recommend that patients consider trying
activated charcoal to see whether its use results in some
symptom relief. The usual dose is two to four tablets taken
just before eating and one hour after meals.
Gas is often a symptom of lactose intolerance, which makes
digesting dairy products difficult. It occurs when the body has
too little of the enzyme lactase in the small intestine to break
down lactose, the main sugar in milk and milk-based products.
Although lactose intolerance can happen at any age, it tends to
affect most people as they grow older. Lactase comes in liquid
or tablet form. Adding a few drops to milk before drinking or
chewing lactase tablets just before eating helps people who
have difficulty breaking down lactose.
Bismut has salts to relieve inflammatory conditions of the
stomach and intestines and can sometimes relieve gas. It also
reduces the odor of unpleasant smelling gas caused by hydrogen
sulfide, a sulfur-containing compound. Like activated charcoal,
bismuth may result in black stools. Take before or after meals,
on either an empty or full stomach.
In summary, stomach and intestinal gas is normal. Excess gas
can be distressing, but rarely is it caused by a serious
medical disorder. If your symptoms cannot be easily controlled
or you have additional problems such as abdominal pain, change
in bowel habits, or rectal bleeding, you need to contact your
doctor's office.
About The Author: While there are several reasons you may find
yourself to be gassy, there are many solutions for reducing
belching, flatulence, abdominal bloating and pain. Excess gas
commonly is associated with irritable bowel syndrome.
http://www.stomachgashelp.info
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