How to Avoid Gas & Bloating

Gas and bloating affects everyone from time to time. But people who deal with food intolerances or other digestive conditions may deal with gas and bloating more frequently. Rather than live with flatulence, stomach pain, abdominal tightness and other symptoms of gas and bloating, consider methods to prevent discomfort. This will likely call for preventative measures and avoiding certain triggers.

Things You'll Need

• Enzyme supplement
• Fiber supplement

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Instructions

• 1

  Check your diet. Certain foods are known to trigger gas and bloating. Prevent discomfort by keeping a record of your daily meals. Track when symptoms occur, and remove foods one at a time to see if your condition improves. Reintroduce foods to see if symptoms return. Common causes of gas and bloating include otherwise healthy choices such as broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and fruits.

• 2

  Use a digestive enzyme. Rather than avoiding your favorite foods, take a digestive enzyme before each meal to help your body digest troubled foods and prevent gas and bloating.

• 3

  Lay off sodas. The carbonation in soda can bring on bloating and gas. Drink noncarbonated drinks such as water or juice to reduce discomfort.

• 4

  Minimize the amount of air you swallow. Talking with a mouthful of food, chewing gum and using a straw can increase air in the stomach, which triggers gas and bloating.

• 5

  Drink lactose-free milk. Like certain beans, vegetables and fruits, lactose in dairy products is difficult for some people to digest and triggers gas and bloating. Switch to lactose-free dairy products or swallow a dairy enzyme supplement to help avert symptoms.

• 6

  Treat constipation. Irregular bowels can produce stomach bloating and extra gas in the intestinal tract. Add a fiber supplement to your diet to help increase bowel activity and avoid stomach discomfort. Good sources of fiber include bran cereal, fruit and vegetables. Take in 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day to avert gas and bloating.