Flatulence is passing gas through the anus. For the average adult this happens about
6-20 times per day. What causes gas to be released this way? Often the cause is swallowing
air. It also comes from intestinal bacteria that produce carbon dioxide and hydrogen (both
odorless, by the way) in the course of breaking down carbohydrates in the food you eat.
The tiny amounts of other, more pungent gases gives flatus its characteristic odor. Eating
certain foods, like peas, beans, and certain grains produces more gas than eating other
foods. All roughages in the diet will produce flatulence. A high-roughage diet,
especially, will do this. When increasing dietary fiber in your diet, do so gradually.
This will lessen the increase of flatus. Gas may signal a variety of other
problems worth looking into. These include:
Lactose intolerance (inability to properly
digest milk, cheese, and other dairy products)
Bacterial overgrowth in the intestines
(often caused by certain antibiotics)
Abnormal muscle contraction in the colon.
Is the flatulence accompanied by severe, steady pain in the upper
abdomen, nausea and vomiting, or yellowing of the skin or eyes? |
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| Has the flatulence occurred only after taking a prescribed
antibiotic? |
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Eliminate or go easy on food items that often cause gas. Well-known offenders
include:
Apples
Apricots
Beans and peas (dried, cooked)
Bran
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Dairy products (for persons allergic to
lactose)
Eggs
Eggplant
Onions
Popcorn
Prunes
Raisins
Sorbitol
{Note: Eliminate or go easy on only the foods that affect you personally. With the exception of sorbitol, the foods listed provide nutrients, so should not be cut out altogether.}
Keep a list of all the foods you eat for
a few days and note when and the number of times you have gas. If you notice that you have
excess gas after drinking milk, for example, try cutting down on it, or eliminate it from
your diet. See if the flatulence persists. Do the same for other foods that you think are
causing you to have gas.
If you are lactose-intolerant use
lactose-reduced dairy foods or add an over-the-counter lactose-enzyme product such as
Lactaid. This can be in drops or tablet form that you add to or take with dairy products
to help you digest the lactose they contain.
Avoid swallowing air at mealtimes.
Don't drink through straws. Avoid
carbonated beverages and chewing gum. These things can cause more air to get into your
stomach.
The medication simethicone may help reduce
flatulence by dispersing gas pockets (and preventing more from forming). It has no known
side effects. Simethicone is available by prescription as well as over-the-counter under
the brand name Mylicon.
Over-the-counter products (Bean-O and
Phazyme 95) may curb flatulence caused by eating some foods such as baked beans.
HEALTH AT HOME - Your Complete Guide to Symptoms, Solutions, and Self-Care © 1999 by Don R. Powell. American Institute for Preventive Medicine.
Date updated 02/01/99