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Gas-Be-Gone
Gas-Be-Gone -- Posted by Gumbo on 10-07-04 04:53
Gas-Be-Gone
Does Beano work? Are there natural ways to reduce the gas you pass? Try
preventive measures first. If they don't work, 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.
John R. Saltzman, M.D., associate director of endoscopy at Boston's Brigham
and Women's Hospital, says this should be the first approach to resolving
extreme gas 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," Dr. Saltzman says. "If
you feel better, then try to add dairy products back to your diet in smaller
amounts to see if you can tolerate them."
Here are some recommended home remedies and lifestyle changes from Harvard
Medical School's Family Health Guide:
a.. 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.
b.. Eat in a stress-free environment. Relaxation is known to reduce
flatulence and burping.
c.. 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.
d.. 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.
e.. 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
Antacids contain aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide (known as Milk of
Magnesia), calcium carbonate, or other ingredients individually or in
various combinations.
"Generally, antacids are not a treatment for excessive gas. However some
patients have excessive gas that is part of gastroesophageal reflux
disease," Dr. Saltzman says.
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.
Some antacids contain simethicone, a foaming agent that joins gas bubbles in
the stomach so that gas is more easily burped away. Simethicone is
recommended for treating gas in the upper intestine.
"People do use simethicone by itself, even without the antacids," Dr.
Saltzman says. "It's safe, worth trying, but not universally beneficial."
Here are some of the commonly used antacids found on store shelves. (See
labels for recommended dosages.)
Brand-name antacids without simethicone:
a.. Maalox
b.. Mylanta Gas
Brand-name antacids with simethicone:
a.. Di-Gel
Products with simethicone as the main ingredient:
a.. Equalize Gas Relief Drops
b.. Flatulex Drops
c.. Gas-X
d.. Little Tummys
e.. Maalox Anti-Gas
f.. Micon-80
g.. Mylanta Gas
h.. Mylicon
i.. Mytab Gas
j.. Phazyme
Activated Charcoal
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.
"A physician may, in talking to a patient, ask if their stool color changes.
If a patient describes a black color of the stool, this may suggest
gastrointestinal bleeding," Dr. Saltzman says. "It should be mentioned if
you are taking activated charcoal, so we can evaluate the significance of
stool color appropriately. "
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
Products: CharcoCaps, CharcoAid
Lactase
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.
"Essentially the only adults in the world who can digest milk products into
adulthood are those who descend from northern Europe," Dr. Saltzman says.
"Most patients with descendants from Asia, Africa and Native America have
trouble."
But in many cases, the deficiency of lactase means you may lose only some of
your enzyme, which means that your intestine may tolerate some dairy
products.
"So if you have yogurt, you may be able to tolerate it fine, but if you have
two slices of pizza you are having problems," he says.
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.
One caution: Be sure to take calcium supplements if you avoid dairy
products.
Products: LactAid, Lactrase, and Dairy Ease
Beano
Beano is an over-the-counter preparation of alpha-galactosidase, an enzyme
that metabolizes certain complex carbohydrates. It helps the body digest the
sugar in beans and many vegetables.
"We do not have the ability to digest beans well, which in some people
causes a lot of gas," Dr. Saltzman says.
Beano is not useful for gas caused by foods other than beans, he adds. The
product comes in liquid form. Three to 10 drops are added to a serving of
food just before eating to break down the gas-producing sugars.
Bismuth
This chemical element 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.
"It's safe for gas if the recommended dosage on the box is followed, and
it's worth trying," Dr. Saltzman says.
Like activated charcoal, bismuth may result in black stools. Take before or
after meals, on either an empty or full stomach.
Product: Pepto-Bismol
Prescription Medications
Your doctor may prescribe medication if you have a motility disorder or
irritable bowel syndrome.
Pro-motility drugs (also called pro-kinetic drugs, such as metoclopramide,
brand name Reglan) may help gas move through the digestive tract rapidly.
However, metoclopramide can have significant side effects.
"One of the big problems I find is that anxiety causes involuntary air
swallowing," Dr. Saltzman says. Treating anxiety helps decrease air
swallowing and the symptoms of excess stomach gas.
Smoking cigarettes and chewing gum are among the hard-to-break habits that
result in an accumulation of gas. But the good new is that this state of
discomfort is temporary. "Those symptoms are present during the day and they
go away during night," he says.
You may have harmless bacteria that produces gas in the intestines, or
sluggish bowels that slow the body's ability to get rid of air. Your doctor
may try antibiotic therapy if you have been diagnosed with bacterial
overgrowth.
Herbal Therapies
Some people get relief from the discomfort of excess gas by drinking a cup
of water with a drop of peppermint extract. Also, relief may be found in
chewing fennel seeds, or sipping teas with peppermint, anise or chamomile
after a meal.
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.
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