How to Prevent Flatus Incontinence

While passing gas is normal, it can be embarrassing. Learning how to control it will make you feel more comfortable, especially while out in public. Once you understand the causes, you can lessen the occurrences. Intestinal gas comes from both swallowed air and by the normal breakdown of certain undigested foods. While swallowing air from eating too rapidly or talking while eating mostly results in belching, this could lead to passing gas. However, the main cause is the types of foods you eat. While foods that cause gas in one person may not cause gas in another, certain foods are likely culprits.

Instructions

Limit Carbohydrates

• 1

  Eliminate certain foods from your diet. Sugars, starches, and fiber generally cause more gas, while fats and proteins cause less. The mixture of gases with the type of bacteria in your colon produces gas.

• 2

  Avoid foods containing certain types of sugars. These are beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, whole grains, milk, ice cream, and processed bread, cereal, and salad dressing. Onions, artichokes, pears, apples, and peaches also have sugars that could cause gas. Presoaking beans will reduce the likelihood that they will cause gas. Make sure to discard the cooking water.

• 3

  Bypass most starches. While most starches such as potatoes, corn, noodles and wheat produce gas, rice does not.

• 4

  Stay away from soluble fibers, ones that dissolve in water. Foods in this category are oat bran, beans, barley, nuts, seeds, lentils, peas and most fruits. Insoluble fiber that is unchanged in the digestive process will produce little gas. These foods are wheat bran, whole grains, greens, green beans, eggplant, celery, and fresh herbs.