What Can Intestinal Gas Reveal About Your Health?
Excess air in the intestine causes bloating. Intestinal gas is caused by bacteria that produce the food we eat. If you do not have the habit of a good diet, exercise and adequate vitamins, the gases will be constant.
Possible causes include: eating in a hurry, swallowing a lot of air when swallowing (because you talk while eating, for example) or consuming excessive amounts of food.
Are they a disease as such or not?
Intestinal gas is not considered a disease, but rather warning signs that something is wrong with the digestive system.
On the other hand, you are probably eating high amounts of sugars and celluloses. These carbohydrates cannot be easily digested or absorbed, so they end up in the intestines and out through the anus.
However, there are other products such as cauliflower, lentils, raisins or broccoli that cause the same effect. In this case, intestinal gases are completely natural.
When should you worry?
Gas is usually a temporary annoyance. They are usually not an indication of a serious illness. However, a visit to the doctor never hurts when they occur frequently and accompanied by other symptoms.
Intestinal gas indicates poor eating habits
When you do not chew properly, eat and drink very fast and in abundance, and you are also agitated and stressed, you may have difficulty digesting and therefore have intestinal gas.
In addition, the type of food you eat also influences the digestion process. Ultra-processed foods, fried foods, edibles, and beverages rich in sweeteners and the like are some of those that cause the most intestinal gas, heaviness, and other discomfort.
Why do you have so much air?
As you can see, there are several habits that cause the intestines to expel air.
- Eat fast.
- Eat plenty.
- Drink with a straw.
- Wear dentures.
- Drink plenty of fluids with meals.
- Chew gum or candy regularly.
Of course, other factors, such as mood, also play a role. In this sense, stress and anxiety can make a person eat more quickly and thus swallow more air, which will cause intestinal gas later.
In fact, according to research published in 2017, emotions such as anxiety and stress influence the development of disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). These emotions appear to influence the two-way communications between the gut and the brain.
Additionally, when there is constipation, intestinal gas can occur for the simple reason that the stool is stagnant.
On the other hand, as the experts at the Mayo Clinic indicate, having too much gas can be the sign of other disorders, such as autoimmune pancreatitis, diabetes, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux, among others.
Alarm symptoms
- Heartburn.
- Lump in the stomach.
- Discomfort when passing food.
- Loss of appetite, vomiting, dizziness or diarrhea.
- Constipation and weight loss.
- Change in stool color.
- If gas started after taking any medicine.
- Intense and constant abdominal pain. Especially if they are of legal age.
Is it possible to prevent intestinal gas?
To avoid intestinal gas on a daily basis, it is essential to make a change in diet. Here are some recommendations:
- Avoid sucking on candy.
- Eat pasta only once a week.
- Preferably eat ripe fruit.
- Reduce the amount of cheese and yogurt.
- Limit your consumption of tomatoes, carrots, and celery.
- In the kitchen, change the fried for the roasted and cooked.
- Do not consume products with high sugar content.
Food not recommended
- Legumes only pureed. Stay away from lentils, chickpeas, and beans.
- There are vegetables that produce a lot of gases. Reduce your intake of: cabbage, cucumber, lettuce or broccoli.
- Flours and cereals are not a good complement.
- Avoid dairy products. Especially milk.
- Avoid radishes, potatoes, and raw onion.
- Cut down or avoid soda.
- Alcoholic drinks.
- Chocolate.
Is there a treatment for intestinal gas?
Exercising is highly recommended to improve the functioning of the digestive system. Not only will they reduce gas, but also abdominal pain and inflammation. Some of the activities that will help us are:
- Walk with your shoulders straight and your hands back.
- Cycling, yoga, Pilates.
- Up and down stairs.
However, a specialist can prescribe supplements with high probiotic content that provide beneficial bacteria to help in the digestion process.
On the other hand, if the patient experiences severe pain that recurs several times during the day, the ideal is to take an anti-colic drug. This acts directly in the intestine by relaxing the abdominal muscles.
Do not self-medicate and go to your doctor
It is important that you do not self-medicate. Self-medication will hide the cause of the pain and this will make it difficult to determine an appropriate treatment. In this sense, when taking a drug we can come to believe that intestinal gas is not due to any other condition, when in reality, it may not be so.
