Gas and gas pains[flatulence or farts]

Gas and gas pains can strike at the worst possible moment — during an important meeting or on a crowded elevator. Although passing intestinal gas (flatus) usually isn't serious, it can be embarrassing.

Anything that causes intestinal gas or is associated with constipation or diarrhea can lead to gas pains. These pains generally occur when gas builds up in your intestines, and you're not able to expel it. Most people pass gas at least 10 times a day.

The good news is that although you can't stop gas and gas pains, a few simple measures can help reduce the amount of gas you produce and relieve your discomfort and embarrassment.

Symptoms;

For most people, the signs and symptoms of gas and gas pain are all too obvious. They include:

• Voluntary or involuntary passing of gas, either as belches or as flatus

• Sharp, jabbing pains or cramps in your abdomen. These pains may occur anywhere in your abdomen and can change locations quickly and get better quickly.

• A 'knotted' feeling in your abdomen.

• Swelling and tightness in your abdomen (bloating)

• .Sometimes, gas pains may be constant or so intense that it feels like something is seriously wrong.

Gas can sometimes be mistaken for;

• Heart disease

• Gallstones

• Appendicitis

Causes;

High-fiber foods that commonly cause gas and gas pains include:Gas forms when bacteria in your colon ferment carbohydrates that aren't digested in your small intestine. Unfortunately, healthy, high-fiber foods are often the worst offenders. Fiber has many health benefits, including keeping your digestive tract in good working order and regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels. But fiber can also lead to the formation of gas.

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Beans and peas (legumes)

Fiber supplements containing psyllium, such as Metamucil, may cause such problems, especially if added to your diet too quickly. Carbonated beverages, such as soda and beer, also cause gas.

Other causes of excess gas include:

• Swallowed air. You swallow air every time you eat or drink. You may also swallow air when you're nervous, eat too fast, chew gum, suck on candies or drink through a straw. Some of that air finds its way into your lower digestive tract.

• Another health condition. Excess gas may be a symptom of a more serious chronic condition. Examples include diverticulitis or an inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Excess gas and bloating may also be a symptom of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine from conditions such as diabetes.

• Food intolerances. If your gas and bloating occur mainly after eating dairy products, it may be because your body isn't able to break down the sugar (lactose) in dairy foods. Other food intolerances, especially to gluten — a protein found in wheat and some other grains — also can result in excess gas, diarrhea and even weight loss.
• Artificial additives. It's also possible that your system can't tolerate artificial sweeteners, such as sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol, found in some sugar-free foods, gums and candies. Many healthy people develop gas and diarrhea when they consume these sweeteners.

                

Risk factors:

• You're more likely to have problems with gas if you:
  • Are lactose or gluten intolerant
  • Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes
  • Drink carbonated beverages
  • Have a chronic intestinal condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel dise

Tests and diagnosis:

During the physical exam, your doctor may check your abdomen to see if it's distended and listen for a hollow sound while gently tapping your abdomen. A hollow sound usually indicates the presence of excess gas.

Treatments and drugs:

If your gas pains are caused by another health problem, treating the underlying condition may offer relief. Otherwise, bothersome gas is generally treated with dietary measures, lifestyle modifications or over-the-counter medications. Although the solution isn't the same for everyone, with a little trial and error, most people are able to find some relief.

Diet

The following dietary changes may help reduce the amount of gas your body produces or help gas move more quickly through your system:

                                 

• Try to identify and avoid the foods that affect you the most.

Foods that cause gas problems for many people include beans, onions, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, artichokes, asparagus, pears, apples, peaches, prunes, sugar-free candies and chewing gum, whole-wheat bread, bran cereals or muffins, milk, cream, ice cream, ice milk, and beer, sodas and other carbonated beverages.

• Try cutting back on fried and fatty foods. 

Often, bloating results from eating fatty foods. Fat delays stomach emptying and can increase the sensation of fullness.

• Temporarily cut back on high-fiber food

 Add them back gradually over several weeks. For most people, it takes about three weeks for your body to get used to extra fiber. But, some people never adapt.

• Go easy on fiber supplements. 

Try cutting back on the amount you take and build up your intake gradually. If your symptoms remain, you might try a different type of fiber supplement. Be sure to take fiber supplements with a glass of water and drink plenty of liquids throughout the day.

• Reduce your use of dairy products.
  Consuming small amounts of milk products at one time or consuming them with other foods also may make them easier to digest. In some cases, however, you may need to eliminate dairy foods completely.

 Try using low-lactose dairy foods, such as yogurt, instead of milk. Or try using products that help digest lactose, such as Lactaid or Dairy Ease.

Over-the-counter remedies

Some products may help, but they aren't always effective. Consider trying:

• Beano. Add Beano to beans and vegetables to help reduce the amount of gas they produce. For Beano to be effective, you need to take it with your first bite of food. It works best when there's only a little gas in your intestines.

• Lactase supplements. Supplements of the enzyme lactase (Lactaid, Dairy-Ease), which helps you digest lactose, may help if you are lactose intolerant. You might also try dairy products that are lactose-free or have reduced lactose.

• Simethicone. Over-the-counter products that contain simethicone (Gas-X, Gelusil, Mylanta, Mylicon) help break up the bubbles in gas. Although these products are widely used, they haven't been proved effective for gas and gas pain.

• Activated charcoal. Charcoal tablets (CharcoCaps, Charcoal Plus, others) taken before and after a meal also may help. Like simethicone, there's no definitive evidence that charcoal relieves gas. In addition, charcoal may stain the inside of your mouth and your clothing if the tablets get on your clothes.

Lifestyle and home remedies:

• Eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly and don't gulp. If you have a hard time slowing down, put down your fork between each bite.

• Avoid chewing gum, sucking on hard candies and drinking through a straw. These activities can cause you to swallow more air.

• Check your dentures. Poorly fitting dentures can cause you to swallow excess air when you eat and drink.

• Don't smoke. Cigarette smoking can increase the amount of air you swallow.

• Exercise. Physical activity may help move gas through the digestive tract.

Natural way to stop farts: