Having gas is a normal digestion process, but it can get painful if you don’t get rid of the gas in your stomach. Sometimes it can get trapped and cause you extreme discomfort. Finding out what causes gas pain can help eliminate your gas problems quickly.
The most typical cause of gas pain is when you take food that produces much gas in your digestive tract. Generally, changing your food habits and diet can help reduce gas pain.
Symptoms of gas pain
- Passing gas
- Burping or belching
- Experiencing pain and cramps in the stomach and abdomen area
- Feeling bloated
- Distention in your abdomen
In some extreme cases, you might experience rectal bleeding, chronic diarrhea, and nausea, which leads to intestinal gas problems. Prolonged and severe gas pain can also manifest as chest pain, in which case, consult a doctor immediately.
Causes of gas pain
Food
When you ingest food full of carbohydrates and starch, your small intestine cannot properly digest the food, which then gets passed to the large intestine. Here, the food breaks down, producing gasses that get retained in your digestive tract. You can eliminate the gas through burping or pass it as flatulence.
Swallowing too much air
When you eat, smoke, drink, or even chew gum, you swallow a lot of air that can produce gas when it gets retained in the stomach.
Digestive disorders
People with chronic digestive problems such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Celiac disease have problems digesting food, which is why there is excessive gas production in the large intestine, which can become painful.
Infections in the intestines
Infections like giardiasis cause the bacteria in your intestines to overgrow. This can contribute to excessive gas retention, causing gas pain.
Treatment of gas pain
Your doctor will prescribe treatment plans for you depending on the cause of your gas pain. Generally, changing food habits is the solution for better digestive health, such as avoiding foods that give you gas.
Changing your food habits include:
- Chewing slowly and properly before swallowing
- Eating your food at a slower pace
- Limiting your sugar intake
- Cutting back on highly carbonated beverages, such as soda
- Avoid chewing gum and eating candies
Other health conditions such as lactose intolerance can also be a risk factor for gas pain. For such reasons, the best solution is to avoid food that contains lactose.
If the cause of your gas pain is due to intestinal diseases such as IBS, doctors can prescribe medicine to help manage the digestive process. Alpha-galactosidase is a type of enzyme that you can ingest to help digest food that is difficult for your intestines to break down.
It is recommended that you take probiotics and supplements if you experience gas pain often. This will help grow healthy bacteria in your stomach, allowing you to digest your food better.
You can also opt for natural remedies such as drinking refreshing herbal teas like peppermint tea. You can also take OTC medications like antacids to reduce bloating and eliminate gas through burping.
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