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What is gas eatburn indigestion?
Everyone has gas and eliminates it by burping or passing it
through the rectum. However, many people think they have too much
gas when they really have normal amounts. Most people produce
about 1 to 4 pints a day and pass gas about 14 times a day.
Gas is made primarily of odorless vapors—carbon dioxide, oxygen,
nitrogen, hydrogen, and sometimes methane. The unpleasant odor of
flatulence, the gas that passes through the rectum, comes from
bacteria in the large intestine that release small amounts of
gases containing sulfur.
Although having gas is common, it can be uncomfortable and
embarrassing. Understanding causes, ways to reduce symptoms, and
treatment will help most people find relief.
What causes gas?
Gas in the digestive tract—the esophagus, stomach, small
intestine, and large intestine—comes from two sources:
* swallowed air
* normal breakdown of certain undigested foods by harmless
bacteria naturally present in the large intestine, also called the
colon
Swallowed Air
Aerophagia, or air swallowing, is a common cause of gas in the
stomach. Everyone swallows small amounts of air when eating and
drinking. However, eating or drinking rapidly, chewing gum,
smoking, or wearing loose dentures can cause some people to take
in more air.
Burping, or belching, is the way most swallowed air—which contains
nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide—leaves the stomach. The
remaining gas moves into the small intestine, where it is
partially absorbed. A small amount travels into the large
intestine for release through the rectum. The stomach also
releases carbon dioxide when stomach acid mixes with the
bicarbonate in digestive juices, but most of this gas is absorbed
into the bloodstream and does not enter the large intestine.
Breakdown of Undigested Foods
The body does not digest and absorb some carbohydrates—the sugar,
starches, and fiber found in many foods—in the small intestine
because of a shortage or absence of certain enzymes that aid
digestion.
This undigested food then passes from the small intestine into the
large intestine, where normal, harmless bacteria break down the
food, producing hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and, in about one-third
of all people, methane. Eventually these gases exit through the
rectum.
People who make methane do not necessarily pass more gas or have
unique symptoms. A person who produces methane will have stools
that consistently float in water. Research has not shown why some
people produce methane and others do not.
Foods that produce gas in one person may not cause gas in another.
Some common bacteria in the large intestine can destroy the
hydrogen that other bacteria produce. The balance of the two types
of bacteria may explain why some people have more gas than others.
Which foods cause gas?
Most foods that contain carbohydrates can cause gas. By contrast,
fats and proteins cause little gas.
Sugars
The sugars that cause gas are raffinose, lactose, fructose, and
sorbitol.
Raffinose
Beans contain large amounts of this complex sugar.
Smaller amounts are found in cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli,
asparagus, other vegetables, and whole grains.
Lactose
Lactose is the natural sugar in milk. It is also found in
milk products, such as cheese and ice cream, and processed foods,
such as bread, cereal, and salad dressing. Many people,
particularly those of African, Native American, or Asian
background, normally have low levels of lactase, the enzyme needed
to digest lactose, after childhood. Also, as people age, their
enzyme levels decrease. As a result, over time people may
experience increasing amounts of gas after eating food containing
lactose.
Fructose
Fructose is naturally present in onions, artichokes,
pears, and wheat. It is also used as a sweetener in some soft
drinks and fruit drinks.
Sorbitol
Sorbitol is a sugar found naturally in fruits, including
apples, pears, peaches, and prunes. It is also used as an
artificial sweetener in many dietetic foods and sugar-free candies
and gums.
Starches
Most starches, including potatoes, corn, pasta, and wheat, produce
gas as they are broken down in the large intestine. Rice is the
only starch that does not cause gas.
Fiber
Many foods contain soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber
dissolves easily in water and takes on a soft, gel-like texture in
the intestines. Found in oat bran, beans, peas, and most fruits,
soluble fiber is not broken down until it reaches the large
intestine, where digestion causes gas.
Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, passes essentially unchanged
through the intestines and produces little gas. Wheat bran and
some vegetables contain this kind of fiber.
What are some symptoms and problems of gas?
The most common symptoms of gas are flatulence, abdominal
bloating, abdominal pain, and belching. However, not everyone
experiences these symptoms. The type and degree of symptoms
probably depends on how much gas the body produces, how many fatty
acids the body absorbs, and a person's sensitivity to gas in the
large intestine.
Belching
An occasional belch during or after meals is normal and releases
gas when the stomach is full of food. However, people who belch
frequently may be swallowing too much air and releasing it before
the air enters the stomach.
Sometimes a person with chronic belching may have an upper
gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, such as peptic ulcer disease,
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or gastroparesis, also
called delayed gastric emptying.
Sometimes people believe that swallowing air and releasing it will
relieve the discomfort of these disorders, and they may
intentionally or unintentionally develop a habit of belching to
relieve discomfort.
Gas-bloat syndrome may occur after fundoplication surgery to
correct GERD. The surgery creates a one-way valve between the
esophagus and stomach that allows food and gas to enter the
stomach but often prevents normal belching and the ability to
vomit. It occurs in about 10 percent of people who have this
surgery but may improve with time.
Flatulence
Another common complaint is too much flatulence. However, most
people do not realize that passing gas 14 to 23 times a day is
normal. Too much gas may be the result of carbohydrate
malabsorption.
Abdominal Bloating
Many people believe that too much gas causes abdominal bloating.
However, people who complain of bloating from gas often have
normal amounts and distribution of gas. They may just be unusually
aware of gas in the digestive tract.
Doctors believe that bloating is usually the result of an
intestinal disorder, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The
cause of IBS is unknown but may involve abnormal movements and
contractions of intestinal muscles and increased pain sensitivity
in the intestines. These disorders may give a sensation of
bloating because of increased sensitivity to gas.
Any disease that causes intestinal inflammation or obstruction,
such as Crohn’s disease or colon cancer, may also cause abdominal
bloating. In addition, people who have had many operations,
internal hernias, or bands of internal scar tissue called
adhesions may experience bloating or pain. Finally, eating a lot
of fatty food can delay stomach emptying and cause bloating and
discomfort, but not necessarily too much gas.
Abdominal Pain and Discomfort
Some people have pain when gas is present in the intestine. When
pain is on the left side of the colon, it can be confused with
heart disease, which sometimes causes abdominal pain. When the
pain is on the right side of the colon, it may mimic gallstones or
appendicitis.
What diagnostic tests are used to find the cause of gas?
Because gas symptoms may be caused by a serious disorder, those
causes should be ruled out. Health professionals usually begin
with a review of dietary habits and symptoms. The health
professional may ask the patient to keep a diary of foods and
beverages consumed for a specific time period.
If lactase deficiency is the suspected cause of gas, the health
professional may suggest avoiding milk products for a period of
time. A blood or breath test may be used to diagnose lactose
intolerance.
In addition, to determine if someone produces too much gas in the
colon or is unusually sensitive to the passage of normal gas
volumes, the health professional may ask a patient to count the
number of times he passes gas during the day and include this
information in a diary.
Careful review of diet and the amount of gas passed may help
relate specific foods to symptoms and determine the severity of
the problem.
Because the symptoms that people may have are so variable, the
health professional may order other types of diagnostic tests in
addition to a physical exam, depending on the patient's symptoms
and other factors.
How is gas treated?
Experience has shown that the most common ways to reduce the
discomfort of gas are changing diet, taking medicines, and
reducing the amount of air swallowed.
Diet
Health professionals may tell people to eat fewer foods that cause
gas. However, for some people this may mean cutting out healthy
foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and milk
products.
Health professionals may also suggest limiting high-fat foods to
reduce bloating and discomfort. Less fat in the diet helps the
stomach empty faster, allowing gases to move into the small
intestine.
Unfortunately, the amount of gas caused by certain foods varies
from person to person. Effective dietary changes depend on
learning through trial and error how much of the offending foods
one can handle.
Reducing Swallowed Air
For those who have chronic belching, health professionals may
suggest ways to reduce the amount of air swallowed. Two options
are to avoid chewing gum and to avoid eating hard candy. Eating at
a slow pace and checking with a dentist to make sure dentures fit
properly should also help.
Points to Remember
Although gas may be uncomfortable and embarrassing, it is not life
threatening. Understanding causes, ways to reduce symptoms, and
treatment will help most people find some relief.
*
Everyone has gas in the digestive tract.
*
People often believe normal passage of gas to be excessive.
*
Gas comes from two main sources: swallowed air and normal
breakdown of certain foods by harmless bacteria naturally present
in the large intestine.
*
Many foods with carbohydrates can cause gas. Fats and proteins
cause little gas.
* Foods that may cause gas include
o beans
o vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, onions,
artichokes, and asparagus
o fruits, such as pears, apples, and peaches
o whole grains, such as whole wheat and bran
o soft drinks and fruit drinks
o milk and milk products, such as cheese and ice cream, and
packaged foods prepared with lactose, such as bread, cereal, and
salad dressing
o foods containing sorbitol, such as dietetic foods and sugar-free
candies and gums
*
The most common symptoms of gas are belching, flatulence,
bloating, and abdominal pain. However, some of these symptoms may
be caused by an intestinal disorder, such as IBS, rather than too
much gas.
*
The most common ways to reduce the discomfort of gas are changing
one’s diet, taking digestive enzymes to help digest carbohydrates,
and reducing the amount of air swallowed.
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