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Continue Shopping10 Simple Steps to Get Rid of Gas
On average, people pass gas up to 20 times a day, and when adding foods that are known to cause excess gas into the equation, the number drastically rises. For a lot of people, the symptoms associated with gas can be so extreme that they are often mistaken for other diseases by some medical professionals, including heart disease and appendicitis.
Learning what causes gas and how to lessen how much gas you expel can be helpful in many ways. We have looked into a lot of reasons why some people have more gas than others and will share some simple solutions below for helping you get rid of your gas.
1. Avoid Foods That Are Known to Cause Gas
There are known foods that can produce more gas in some people than in others and tend to be the culprit for most people’s trapped gas problems. Trying to figure out which foods are causing you to experience excessive gas is easy to do when you start eliminating one food at a time.
Pick the foods that you think are causing your gas problem and stop eating or drinking them for at least three weeks to see if your gas issues have been resolved. If not, you can reintroduce that food back into your diet and choose another food to eliminate and see how it goes.
There are elimination diets that can be very useful while trying to figure out which food or foods don’t agree with your body.
Below are some of the most problematic foods known for causing excessive gas:
- Cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower (cruciferous veggies)
- Spicy foods
- Foods high in fat as well as fried foods
- Dairy products (cheese, milk, yogurt, etc.)
- Beans
- Supplements and fiber drinks
Though there might be other foods that cause some people to have more gas than others, these are the most common. You can also turn the tables and use specific foods to your advantage -- there are ways to improve your gut health by incorporating certain types of healthy vegetables into your diet.
2. Look Into Taking Probiotics
There has been some research that suggests taking probiotics can help in alleviating pain and bloating caused by trapped gas in the intestines. They are also very useful for people experiencing constipation and irritable bowel.
Probiotics can be used regularly to help maintain a healthy gut, and adding these to your diet could help prevent gas issues from arising in the future by supporting overall digestive health.
You will want to look for probiotics that include both the strands of Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. These have been proven to help with preventing gas.
3. Drink Certain Herbal Teas
Drinking teas like peppermint, ginger, anise, or chamomile can help reduce trapped gas, bloating, and indigestion. In fact, studies have shown that drinking peppermint tea can help with irritable bowel syndrome. Herbal teas have been known to help alleviate gas symptoms rather quickly and can aid in healthy digestion.
Apple cider vinegar can also be helpful in reducing gas symptoms. Just add 1 tablespoon to your tea or water and drink it as you normally would. You can do this as needed up to 3 times a day. ACV is known to alleviate gas discomfort relatively quickly.
4. Get Some Exercise
Taking a walk after eating a large meal can help move the food through your stomach more efficiently and help stop gas from building up in your digestive tract. Stretching is also another great way to promote relaxation in your stomach and can really help with opening everything up.
If you are experiencing bad gas pains, try walking at a brisk pace or even running. Jumping rope is another option that can help reduce your gas, as well as practicing yoga or pilates.
5. Release the Pressure
Simply going to the bathroom and having a bowel movement can usually help instantly in relieving gas pains. Any gas that was trapped in the intestines should be released by your bowel movement.
Can’t pass a bowel movement? Then be sure to try to at least push out the trapped gas out to alleviate discomfort, pain, or bloating.
6. Skip the Carbonated Drinks
Soda, sparkling water, and other carbonated drinks can cause excessive bloating, and often, stomach pains are a result of all that carbonation. When you drink carbonated drinks, you are swallowing more air than you normally do and this gets passed into your digestive tract.
Try swapping carbonated drinks for more gut-friendly drinks such as tea, water, and even fruit juice.
7. Grab Some Heat
Gas can easily move through your intestines when you apply heat directly to your stomach. A heating pad or even a water bottle filled with hot water can help relax your stomach muscles and alleviate the discomfort associated with gas.
8. Take Deep Breaths
There are deep breathing exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing that you can do to help reduce the discomfort associated with trapped gas. The main goal is to be able to breathe deeply through your stomach, not your chest.
However, pay attention because taking in too much air can have the reverse effect and actually increase the amount of gas you’re experiencing in your intestines.
9. Over-the-Counter Medicines
Medications such as simethicone help relieve gas pains quickly by releasing the gas bubbles in your stomach. You can find simethicone under the following brand names:
- Mylanta Gas
- Gas-X
- Phazyme
Be sure to check with your doctor before taking any medications if you are currently pregnant or are already taking prescription medications.
10. Consider Using Activated Charcoal
Taking activated charcoal in tablet form either before or after a meal can help prevent some symptoms associated with trapped gas.
Activated charcoal can make your stool turn black -- this is not harmful and the color of your stool returns to normal once you stop taking the activated charcoal.
You can find activated charcoal in most pharmacies without needing a prescription, and it can often be found in health food stores as well.
Preventing Gas in the Future
One of the best ways to stop having excess gas is to prevent it from happening. If you are willing to change some of your habits, then you can reduce the likelihood of trapping gas.
Some of these habits are easy to avoid, while others might take a little more time and effort:
- Eliminate gas-causing foods
- Limit carbonated drinks
- Quit smoking
- Chew your food for longer and eat slower
- Chew less gum
- Ditch straws
- Exercise more
- Sit while eating
There are also a number of different supplements that can help you reduce gas and take control of any stomach issues you are experiencing caused by digestion problems. GoBiotix has tons of supplements that work to support digestive health and help relieve discomfort from constipation and irritable bowel while also boosting the good bacteria in your gut, which supports your overall health.
If these are not effective, check with your doctor to make sure there is no hidden medical condition that is the culprit of your excess gas.
In Conclusion
If you experience trapped gas once in a while and not on a regular basis, then these simple and easy tips may be able to alleviate some of your discomfort.
If you experience trapped gas on a more regular basis, chances are you are consuming some foods that your body does not agree with. We suggest you consult with your medical doctor and design a plan to start eliminating foods that might be the culprit.
Also consider adding probiotic gut wellness supplements into your routine to give your digestive health the support it needs to make for not just a healthy GI tract, but better overall wellness, too.
Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321504
https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/get-rid-of-gas-pains-and-bloating