If you are feeling sudden abdominal discomfort after a meal then you might be experiencing gas in your stomach. This can be unpleasant and uncomfortable, but no need to worry as this can be solved with a few different tricks.
First, avoiding more gas is a must. Then, burping is the best way to relieve a lot of the abdominal pressure that might be causing your discomfort. If burping doesn’t do it then there are a whole host of natural remedies that you can put to work in order to reduce that gas.
Finally, in this article, we will look at some tips for how to reduce gas in the future as well.
Signs of Gas in the Stomach
You might have gas if you are feeling abdominal discomfort such as:
- Tight feeling in the abdomen
- Feeling of butterflies or bubbles in the stomach
- Bloating in the abdomen
- Cramping in the stomach
- Pain or pressure in the abdomen
- Feelings of a knot in the stomach
- Constant burping or flatus
Step 1. Reduce Gas Intake
Gas might come from a variety of different factors including behavioral things like eating too quickly and swallowing air, or drinking and eating foods that might cause gas to form in the gut. Since what you put into your body is the main reason for gas in the stomach it would be reasonable to avoid putting air directly into your stomach and eating foods that might cause gas creation. These are your first steps to reduce gas in the stomach.
- Avoid swallowing more air. If you have gas in the stomach then you might have been eating too quickly and ended up swallowing air. Slow down your eating and take time to chew food adequately before swallowing it. It’s also important to avoid smoking and not to drink through a straw, as both bring air into the stomach.
- Sit down and relax while eating. Rushing through a meal can cause issues with digestion. Many times digestive issues lead to gas and discomfort. Also, if you are relaxed the likelihood of overeating will decline which decreases the chances of having gas after eating.
- Stay away from carbonated beverages. Carbonation is one of the quickest ways to add air straight into your stomach. If you have been drinking a carbonated drink and have yet to burp then this is the cause of your problem.
Step 2. Help Get Gas Out
Once gas is in your stomach it needs a place to go; otherwise it will just remain stagnant, causing pressure and discomfort until your body can absorb it or evacuate it.
Helping the evacuation process along with behavioral measures, medicines, and other natural remedies are your best options for finding relief.
- Try to burp. Getting the extra air out of your stomach is the fastest way to get relief. Your body does this by burping.
- Move around. One way to help a burp along is to get moving. This can get those gases to the top of your stomach and be ready to be expelled.
- Wait. Hang in there for a little bit. Your stomach doesn’t like all the extra pressure of the gas either. Eventually, it will get you to burp. While you’re waiting, be sure to avoid the other contributors mentioned above such as carbonated beverages and smoking.
- Try a natural remedy. While you could reach for an antacid, you may want to try a natural option first to help reduce your gas.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Some options for over-the-counter gas relief are:
- A product called Beano helps to digest the sugar in beans, bran, legumes, and vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, Brussel sprouts, and cauliflower.
- Digestive enzymes such as lactase, lipase and protease break down starches, proteins, lactose, and fats that cause issues of indigestion that result in gas.
- Lactase Supplements specifically help break down lactose for those who struggle with dairy products
- Antacids help gas to be more easily passed by reducing bubbling in the stomach
Quick Herbs That Reduce Gas
You could reach for an antacid to help with your gut discomfort, but herbs are nature’s natural gut treatment. Carminative herbs and bitter herbs have been used in the treatment of digestive troubles for a long time.
In fact, they have been used to treat not just acute abdominal discomfort, but also long-term digestive discomfort as well. Generally, many of these herbs can be found together in specialized teas that you can steep and enjoy.
Here are a few ingredients to checkout:
- Gentian
- Anise
- Chamomile
- Dandelion root
- Caraway
- Fennel
- Burdock root
- Peppermint
- Bitter Orange
- Onion
- Garlic
Other Natural Remedies
- Activated Charcoal when taken before or after eating a meal helps to eliminate gas that is stuck in the colon and relieve symptoms of gas pain.
- Clove Oil helps to calm digestive issues resulting in adding issues of gas bloating as well as indigestion and motion sickness.
- Peppermint Tea can help indigestion and reduce the pain from gas that comes from overeating.
- Probiotics Supplements promote healthy bacteria in the gut and digestive tract. Adding probiotics can relieve discomfort from gas by reducing pain, bloating, and flatulence. There are also foods that are rich in probiotics that may help gas by adding indigestion such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and kimchi.
- Apple Cider Vinegar, either a supplement or in its raw form, may help to relieve symptoms of gas such as weight loss, diarrhea, and constipation, by improving the bacteria and acid in the gut.
- Ginger combats many digestive issues including gas from poor digestion. When adding it to sparkling water, it may help produce a burp and eliminate gas from the stomach.
- Asafoetida is a spice that has been used as a supplement in traditional medical practices to relieve flatulence. Frequently used in Eastern and Indian foods as well as to combat the gassy effects of beans and legumes in their cuisine.
Step 3. Prevent Gas Production
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) occurs when bacteria startings growing in the small intestine. Watch for foods that trigger gas. Each person is individual so a simple elimination diet may add in figuring out which foods should be avoided. If you have already ingested foods that have caused gas there are many physical and natural remedies to help, see the previous section.
But here are some of the main categories of foods that cause gas:
Fermented Foods
Fermented foods and foods that cause fermentation like soluble fiber are the biggest contributors to gas production in the gut. This is because most of your gut bacteria are reliant on the foods you cannot digest for yourself - like fiber. They digest the fiber, helping them live, and you get nutrients and gas out of the deal.
Simple Sugars
Monosaccharides and Disaccharides can be great fuel for the gas-producing bacteria in your gut. Specifically, fructose and lactose are some of the greatest contributors to gas production. This means that staying away from dairy products such as cheese and ice cream, fruit such as peaches, or corn-derived sweets might be a good idea.
Fats
Not all fats cause gas, but some do. One bacteria in the gut called Bilophila wadsworthia is considered to be one of the biggest gas producers in your gut. This bacteria is mostly responsible for digesting fats, specifically milk fats. Just another reason why milk is not your ally in reducing gas production.
Alcohol Sugars
Believe it or not, alcohol is processed very similarly in your body to sugars, meaning it will also produce a lot of gas too. Staying away from alcohol, especially fermented drinks or carbonated drinks like beers and ales, are a must.
Alcoholic beverages are not the only place where you might find alcohol-based sugars. They are commonly used as artificial sweeteners for different processed products since normal sugars have become so demonized by the health food industry. Gums and mints are usually especially guilty of relying on these alcohol sugars.
Summary
If you are experiencing abdominal discomfort then it could be due to gas. Gas in the stomach mostly comes from drinking carbonated beverages and/or eating too quickly and swallowing air.
You could wait until your body is ready to burp or help it along with natural remedies, movement, or trying to force one. If evacuating the gas through a burp isn’t quite enough then do try out the natural remedies and consider trying out a low flatulence diet.
Limiting specific food groups that make the composition of your gut microbes produce more gas is a great approach.
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