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Remedies for Upper GI Gas

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) gas can cause many problems including discomfort or embarrassment. For many people, the condition isn't serious enough to seek medical help; however, the condition generally persists as long as people don't seek treatment. While you can solve many minor gas problems with a change in diet or habits, you should always discuss serious or painful gas with a doctor.

  1. Change Your Diet

    • Certain foods, both healthful and unhealthful alike, can lead to upper GI gas. These foods include cdertain fruits, vegetables, whole grains, milk, spicy foods, caffeine, carbonated drinks and beer. The difficult part about changing your diet to assuage GI gas is that food affects each person differently.

      To find out which foods increase your gas, create a food journal to keep track of what you eat. Notice at what times of day and after which meals you get gassy. After a few weeks, try to cut out any foods that cause your condition to worsen. Always replace healthful foods with alternatives that provide the same vitamins. Additionally, if your food journal shows that you must cut out several healthful staples, speak to a nutritionist or doctor first.

    Avoid Trapped Air

    • Chewing gum, hard candy, eating quickly, drinking while eating and loose-fitting dentures all have something in common: they increase the amount of air you swallow, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). Swallowing air can also lead to chronic belching. By cutting out or altering any of these activities, you are likely to decrease upper GI gas. Eat more slowly, have loose-fitting dentures fixed and refrain from drinking while eating.

    Use Over-the-Counter Medicines

    • For nonprescription remedies, the NDDIC suggests taking supplementary digestive enzymes, such as lactase for those with a sensitivity to dairy products. If you find that you are sensitive to beans and certain vegetables, the NDDIC recommends Beano, which contains an enzyme that dissolves certain gas-producing sugars.

    Try Prescription Medications

    • Often, prevalent gas signifies a more significant digestive problem, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In addition to gas, IBS causes stomach pain, diarrhea and constipation. For treatment of IBS, doctors use a variety of medicines; however, in the case of upper GI gas, anti-flatulents may be the most effective.

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