
These activities can cause you to swallow more air.
Avoid chewing gum, sucking on hard candies and drinking through a straw. If you have a hard time slowing down, put down your fork between each bite. Eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly and don't gulp. Try eating smaller portions of problem foods to see if your body can handle a smaller portion without creating excess gas.
Many of the foods that can cause gas are part of a healthy diet. Making lifestyle changes may help reduce or relieve excess gas and gas pain. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic Clinical trialsĮxplore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. Charcoal may stain the inside of your mouth and your clothing. Also, it may interfere with your body's ability to absorb medications.
Activated charcoal (Actidose-Aqua, CharcoCaps, others) taken before and after a meal may reduce symptoms, but research has not shown a clear benefit. There is little clinical evidence of its effectiveness in relieving gas symptoms. Simethicone (Gas-X, Mylanta Gas Minis, others) helps break up the bubbles in gas and may help gas pass through your digestive tract. Talk to your doctor before using lactase supplements if you're pregnant or breast-feeding. These reduce gas symptoms if you're lactose intolerant. Lactase supplements (Lactaid, Digest Dairy Plus, others) help you digest the sugar in dairy products (lactose). You take the supplement just before eating a meal. Alpha-galactosidase (Beano, BeanAssist, others) helps break down carbohydrates in beans and other vegetables. The following products may reduce gas symptoms for some people: To help prevent constipation, drink water with your meals, throughout the day and with fiber supplements. If you use a fiber supplement, talk to your doctor about the amount and type of supplement that is best for you. Avoid or reduce your intake of carbonated beverages. Cutting back on fried or fatty foods may reduce symptoms. Dietary fat delays the clearance of gas from the intestines. Eliminate or reduce sugar substitutes, or try a different substitute. You also may try dairy products that are lactose-free or take milk products supplemented with lactase to help with digestion. Reducing dairy products from your diet can lessen symptoms. Talk to your doctor to ensure you maintain a healthy intake of dietary fiber. You may avoid high-fiber foods for a couple of weeks and gradually add them back. You can experiment with which foods affect you most. High-fiber foods that can cause gas include beans, onions, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, artichokes, asparagus, pears, apples, peaches, prunes, whole wheat and bran. Reducing or eliminating the following dietary factors may improve gas symptoms:
You may need to eliminate some items or eat smaller portions of others. Keeping a diary of your diet and gas symptoms will help your doctor and you determine the best options for changes in your diet. Dietĭietary changes may help reduce the amount of gas your body produces or help gas move more quickly through your system.
Painful gas trial#
Although the solution isn't the same for everyone, with a little trial and error, most people are able to find some relief. Otherwise, bothersome gas is generally treated with dietary measures, lifestyle modifications or over-the-counter medications. If your gas pains are caused by another health problem, treating the underlying condition may offer relief. Depending on your exam and presence of other signs and symptoms - such as weight loss, blood in your stool or diarrhea - your doctor may order additional diagnostic tests.