Q: My husband complains of feeling gassy, and he is embarrassed by his frequent need to pass gas or belch. What causes this?
A: Belching is caused by swallowed air from:
• Eating or drinking too fast
• Poorly fitting dentures; not chewing food completely
• Carbonated beverages
• Chewing gum or sucking on hard candies
• Excessive swallowing due to nervous tension or postnasal drip
• Forced belching to relieve abdominal discomfort
To prevent excessive belching, avoid:
• Carbonated beverages
• Chewing gum
• Hard candies
Taking an over-the-counter product containing simethicone may be helpful if you have gas. Taking a gas-preventing enzyme (i.e., Beano) can help prevent gas if taken immediately before eating food known to cause gas.
Abdominal bloating and discomfort may be due to intestinal sensitivity or symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. To relieve symptoms, avoid:
• Broccoli
• Baked beans
• Cabbage
• Carbonated drinks
• Cauliflower
• Chewing gum
• Hard candy
Flatulence is gas created through bacterial action in the bowel and passed rectally. Keep in mind that 10 to 18 passages per day are normal. Foods that are likely to form gas include:
• Milk, dairy products and medications that contain lactose (if your body doesn’t produce the enzyme, lactase, needed to break it down)
• Certain vegetables, such as baked beans, cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage
• Certain starches, such as wheat, oats, corn or potatoes
If flatulence is a concern, see your doctor to determine if you are lactose intolerant. Identify offending foods. Reduce or eliminate these gas-forming foods from your diet.
—Source: American College of Gastroenterology
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Health Connection, December 2016
Share with Friend
