How to Stop Gas Pains

From the 8-year-old who giggles to the 38-year-old who's embarrassed, expelling gas is a universal bodily function. Gas in the intestinal tract has a variety of common causes, most of which are harmless. According to the Mayo Clinic, most people produce about 3 pints of gas daily and expel some a dozen or more times daily. The millions of bacteria that live in your digestive system produce sulfur as a by-product of their activity, adding to the unpleasant odor caused by other gases. Gas that is not expelled can cause pain and a bloated feeling.

Instructions

• 1

  Avoid the causes of gas in your body as much as you can. Chew your food slowly; eating quickly or gulping food will cause you to swallow some air, which causes gas. Avoid smoking, which also causes you to take in air. Some foods cause gas to form as they are digested, especially foods that are fibrous. Unfortunately, many foods you should eat because of their nutritional benefits, such as fruits and vegetables, can cause gas. Especially troublesome for some people are legumes (such as beans and peas), onions, broccoli, asparagus, pears, apples, peaches, whole wheat bread and bran cereals. Drinks that can also be a problem for some people include beer, sodas and milk. Sugar-free candies and chewing gum, fried foods and foods with high fat content are also likely to result in more gas for some. Fat delays stomach emptying that can increase the feeling of fullness.

• 2

  Visit a physician if the pain and bloated feeling persist for more than a few days. Your doctor needs to examine you to rule out more serious conditions such as celiac disease, diverticulitis, lactose intolerance (an inability to digest dairy products) or an inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.

• 3

  Experiment with teas that may help you reduce the pain of excessive gas. Only some of the large number of ingredients used to make tea seem to be effective in soothing gas pain. Among the ingredients commonly used for this purpose are fennel, ginger, anise, peppermint and chamomile. Most drug stores and grocery stores carry these types of teas.

• 4

  Try over-the-counter medicines. Beano works best when taken with your first bite of food. Lactase supplements, such as Lactaid or Dairy Ease, help you digest lactose if you are lactose intolerant. You may benefit from using products that contain simethicone, such as Gas-X, Gelusil or Mylanta. Charcoal tablets, such as CharcoCaps and Charcoal Plus, may also help.

• 5

  Exercise. According to the Mayo Clinic, some people report relief of gas symptoms by engaging in mild physical activities. Since we all differ in our reactions to food, stress and activity, experiment to determine what works best for you.