Baking Soda Home Remedies for Stomach Gas

Oftentimes some of the most useful and inexpensive medical remedies are items that most of us keep at home. Baking soda is a useful item to have on standby, and can be an effective remedy for stomach acid and gas.

Use of Baking Soda

• Everyone has experienced excess gas at one time or another. Sometimes digestive gas can be caused by an excess of stomach acid, or by particular foods. Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is often used as an antacid remedy. It works by neutralizing stomach acid and by producing tiny carbon dioxide bubbles. These tiny bubbles allow the body to get rid of excess gas, hence the antacid "belch."

  When gas becomes a problem, use this at-home treatment: dissolve completely 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into 4 ounces of water. Drink mixture every two hours, or as directed by a doctor.

Warnings With Using Baking Soda

• Baking soda also contains sodium, which can cause unwanted side effects, paricularly if you are on a sodium-restricted diet. First, be sure that the baking soda is completely dissovled in the water. Consuming undissovled baking soda, especially on a full stomach, can cause serious digestive injury. Children under the age of five should not ever consume baking soda. Adults should not use baking soda for more than two weeks for symptoms, nor should they consume more than 3 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda in a 24-hour period. Eldery adults should not consume more than 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda in a 24-hour period. Consult a doctor if severe stomach pain develops as a result of using baking soda.