How do u get rid of gas in your stomach

Gas symptoms include burping, passing gas, sharp belly pain, and bloating. While unpleasant or even embarrassing, these are all normal bodily functions. In fact, the average person passes gas up to 23 times a day.

However, if your gas is bothering you, some simple things can help relieve gas pain. Keep in mind, though, if your gas pain doesn't go away quickly, or you also have other worrisome symptoms, there may be more going on.

If weight loss, constipation, or diarrhea accompany your gas pain, be sure to contact your healthcare provider.

While gas is produced as part of the normal process of eating and digestion, some health conditions can cause more gas than expected. Some conditions that may cause extra gas include:

• Crohn's disease
• Celiac disease
• Lactose intolerance
• Gastroenteritis (stomach infection)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

If your gas makes you uncomfortable, working with your healthcare provider to find out the cause is key to relief. For example, you may need a lactase supplement if you have lactose intolerance.

This article offers some common ways to relieve mild gas pain at home and ways to prevent it.

How to Get Rid of Gas Immediately

There are several natural remedies and some over-the-counter medications that can help relieve gas quickly. Things that may be helpful include:

• Herbal teas like spearmint, ginger, or anise
• Apple cider vinegar added to tea or water
• Fennel seeds
• A heating pad or warm bath
• Gentle exercise
• Deep breaths
• OTC medication, such as simethicone or activated charcoal

Learn more about these tips and a few others that may help.

Natural Remedies

In order to relieve gas and bloating, you will need to get yourself to fart or burp. There are several ways to get rid of gas naturally, some of which may work better for you than others.

Don't Hold Gas In

If your symptoms are related to trapped gas, don't worry about modesty. Instead, go to a private place and let out a big burp. Or find a bathroom and relieve yourself. The less gas there is in your system, the less likely it will cause you pain.

Move Your Bowels

If you can have a bowel movement, do it. Don't wait until you are in the comfort of your own home. In the end, having a bowel movement will help in two ways:

• It gets the muscles in your large intestines moving. This will encourage the gas to make its way out of your system.
• A ​bowel movement empties the rectum of any stored stool. This frees up the area so that the trapped intestinal gas can move.

Try Tea

Spearmint, ginger, and anise teas are all known to help get rid of gas naturally. That said, avoid anise if you have recurring diarrhea since it may have a mild laxative effect. This can, however, be helpful if you think constipation might be adding to your gas pains.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is another natural ingredient used by many people to relieve gas, bloating, and indigestion. Simply add one tablespoon of ACV to a cup of tea or warm water. You can drink this mixture regularly or any time you feel particularly gassy.

Chew Fennel Seeds

Fennel seeds are known for relieving intestinal gas naturally. A safe amount is thought to be approximately 1 teaspoon. Try chewing some seeds and see if they are helpful for you.

There is mixed information regarding the safety of eating extra fennel when pregnant or breastfeeding. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it may be best to play it on the safe side and choose a different option to get rid of gas.

Apply Heat

Heat can be very emotionally soothing. In addition, heat helps to relax the muscles in your gut and relieves pain. You can use a heating pad, hot water bottle, or relax in a hot bath to get rid of gas and gas pain.

If you use a heating pad or hot water bottle, put a layer of clothing between your bare skin and the heat to protect your skin from a burn. If you have frequent gas pain, you may want to take a heating pad with you to work.

Move Your Body

Gentle exercise can help ease gas pain. Walking is the easiest option since you can do it practically anytime, anywhere.

Walking helps to relax the muscles in your abdomen. These relaxed muscles can help trapped gas make its escape.

Yoga is another great option if you have space and privacy. Several yoga poses, such as child's pose (Balasana) and happy baby (Ananda Balasana), are known for helping trapped gas move through the intestines.

Take Some Deep Breaths

Deep breathing may help relieve gas. But this only tends to work if it's something you practice regularly.

Since deep breathing from the diaphragm is so effective for reducing stress, it's worth taking the time to learn how to do it. You can then use this breathing technique as needed for future gas attacks.

Why Is Trapped Gas So Painful?

Trapped gas is painful because it creates pressure in your digestive tract. Gas that builds up in your stomach or in the left side of your colon (large intestine) can feel like chest pain. Gas that builds up on the right side of your colon can feel like gallstone or appendicitis pain.

OTC Gas Medication

Some people find that over-the-counter (OTC) products, such as simethicone and activated charcoal, are helpful for relieving gas. Of the two, simethicone is considered the better option, although experts are not quite sure how it works.

Brand names for simethicone include:

• Maalox Anti-Gas
• Mylanta Gas
• Gas-X
• Phazyme

You should know that activated charcoal may result in constipation, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Therefore, its use is somewhat controversial within the medical community.

In addition, if you decide to try activated charcoal, you may find that it turns your stool black. However, black stools from charcoal supplements are not something to be concerned about.

As with any OTC product, check with your healthcare provider before use. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should generally avoid these products.

Prevention

Once you find a way to relieve your gas pain, it's a good idea to try to identify what might have been the cause. That way, you can avoid future problems.

The most common culprit of gas is swallowing too much air. To prevent excessive air swallowing, try avoiding these things:

• Chewing gum
• Drinking soda and other fizzy drinks
• Eating or drinking too quickly
• Talking while eating
• Drinking through a straw
• Smoking

Diet

Changing your diet can also help prevent gas problems. Since high-fiber foods can contribute to gas, you may be tempted to cut them out of your diet. However, your gut needs fiber to function well, and high-fiber foods contain essential vitamins and minerals. So moderation is your best bet.

Some examples of high-fiber foods include:

• Vegetables (especially asparagus, artichokes, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, corn, and potatoes)
• Lentils
• Kidneys beans
• Peas
• Certain fruits (for example, apples, peaches, pears, bananas, raspberries, and strawberries)
• Whole grains

You may also consider taking an OTC product called Beano. This product contains alpha-galactosidase, the enzyme that helps your gut digest high-fiber foods.

Talk to your healthcare provider before taking any OTC treatments or supplements to be sure they are safe. For example, Beano breaks down indigestible sugars into simpler sugars. This may be a concern if you have diabetes.

Dairy products such as milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt may also contribute to extra gas for some people. So can fruit juices and sugar-free candies that contain sorbitol, mannitol, or xylitol.

In the end, it's a good idea to keep a food diary since everyone is different. What may cause gas in one person won't in another.

Summary

While some gas is normal, too much gas can cause pain and embarrassing symptoms. Finding out why you have extra gas can help you come up with solutions.

It's best to work with your healthcare provider to learn why you are experiencing discomfort. There may be an underlying medical condition that needs to be addressed.

For milder gas, there are some things you can do to relieve your symptoms at home. Relieving yourself as soon as you need to pass gas or have a bowel movement, walking, applying heat, and taking deep breaths can all help relieve gas pain.

You may also find OTC remedies and supplements helpful. But talk to your healthcare provider before taking them to be sure they are safe for your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can certain foods help get rid of gas?

  Drinking tea and chewing fennel seeds might provide relief from uncomfortable gas. However, avoiding certain foods may help you avoid gas if you are sensitive to sugars known as FODMAPs. These are foods that quickly ferment in the colon, such as dairy, fructose, and high-fiber foods.

• How can you get rid of stomach gas quickly?

  Various over-the-counter products alleviate or prevent gas related to occasional problems such as overeating or food sensitivity. These include:

  • Beano, an enzyme that breaks down food
  • Pepto-Bismol, brand name for bismuth subsalicylate, an antidiarrheal medication
  • Lactaid, an enzyme to help you digest milk
  • Culturelle, probiotics that fight bad gut bacteria
  • Mylanta or Gas-X, brand names for simethicone, which helps gas pass more easily
    

• Are there herbal treatments that help with bloating?

  Yes. Herbal treatments such as peppermint, chamomile tea, anise, caraway, coriander, fennel, and turmeric may help relieve bloating.

• How long does gas pain last?

  Gas pain shouldn't last more than a few hours. Contact your healthcare provider if your pain does not improve within 24 to 48 hours, or if you have bloating for more than two days.

• Why do I have gas after surgery?

  Anesthesia used in surgery slows down the digestive system so that your body does not pass gas. Farting when you wake up from surgery is a good sign that your digestive system is returning to its normal functioning.