Abdominal bloating and gas formation: causes and treatment

It is possible to consider meteorism as an insignificant and not serious problem, because no one dies from an increased gas formation. Indeed, flatulence does not threaten a person’s life, but can significantly impair its quality. Constant turbulence and active excretion of gases brings serious discomfort, not only physical, but also aesthetic. Bursting, bloating, rumbling, discomfort, and often incidental situations can permanently spoil the mood. To avoid such problems, you should not treat flatulence with disdain. This article will talk about the causes of flatulence, consider the main medical and home ways to get rid of bloating.

Causes of increased gas formation

Sometimes flatulence is accompanied by such unpleasant symptoms as pain and cramps in the stomach, heartburn, nausea, belching. In rare cases, flatulence occurs against the background of the general weakness of the body, changes in human sleep and well-being, decreases performance. And all this happens due to the increased air content in the intestines. According to statistics, every person suffers from periodic flatulence - this is normal. Flatulence occurs in 90% of cases of various gastrointestinal diseases. Normally, the allowable volume of gases in a healthy person is about 500-600 ml. With enhanced flatulence, which is usually caused by various diseases and disorders, this volume can reach three or even four liters.

Gases in the intestines appear from different sources - we swallow air with food, gas is released from the blood. However, in most cases, these are gases that are produced during fermentation of products, as well as substances that are released by bacteria in the process of fermentation and the splitting of food. Flatulence may be short-term or permanent, depending on the reasons that caused it.As a rule, increased gas formation is the result of a malfunction in the diet or a consequence of various diseases.

1. Binge eating. Very often abdominal distension and abundant discharge of gases is a consequence of the banal overeating. A large amount of food simply does not have time to process, there are not enough enzymes, as a result, the remains of food provoke the processes of decay in the intestines, which are necessarily accompanied by gas formation.
2. Air swallowing This is one of the most common causes of flatulence. Swallowing air can occur during a meal, especially if a person is used to talking with his mouth full. Air is swallowed in the process of smoking - most smokers suffer from flatulence. A large amount of air enters the gastrointestinal tract, if a person is forced to constantly breathe through his mouth - this happens with ENT diseases (adenoids, rhinitis). People swallow air with food, when there are foreign objects in the mouth that bring discomfort - braces or dentures. Most of the swallowed air comes out with burping, but 20-30% safely progresses along the gastrointestinal tract further, straight into the intestine.
3. Gas-forming products. We all know that some foods contribute to active fermentation processes. Among them are legumes, sauerkraut, muffins, fresh milk, sodas, pears, grapes, etc.
   Hormones. Many women know that before the beginning of the menstrual cycle, the stomach begins to get very swollen, the effect of hormones.
4. Dysbacteriosis. A healthy intestinal microflora contains a certain amount of beneficial bacteria that are involved in the breakdown and processing of food. With a lack of beneficial bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, food is not completely digested, begins to ferment and rot in the intestines, flatulence increases, constipation or diarrhea occurs. Dysbacteriosis can be caused by improper nutrition, food poisoning, but most often it is a result of the administration of potent antibiotics.
5. Intestinal obstruction. Sometimes the narrowing of the intestinal lumen makes it difficult for the passage of gases and feces. Obstruction may occur due to physical obstacles - tumors, adhesions, foreign objects in the intestine.
6. Slow intestinal motility. The large intestine consists of large and small folds, which are constantly compressed and unclenched, thus pushing the feces and gases to the natural output.And if the intestinal perilystatic slows down, the gases in it accumulate, the stomach swells, and frequent constipation occurs. Intestinal motility may slow down due to a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle. The lack of fiber and the prevalence of protein foods in the diet also slows down perylstatics.
7. Stressful situations. There are a lot of nerve endings in the intestines, which react sensitively to the psycho-emotional state of a person. Stress, fear, anxiety, and other experiences can lead to disruption of the intestines, as a result - constipation or diarrhea, bloating, flatulence, and even colic.
8. Atmosphere pressure. With the rise in the mountains, the level of atmospheric pressure decreases, the gases in the intestine occupy a larger volume, there is flatulence and swelling.
9. Diseases of the digestive tract. As noted, almost all diseases of the Gastrointestinal tract are accompanied by bloating. Flatulence most often occurs on the background of gastritis, ulcers, colitis, pancreatitis, worm infestation, appendicitis, irritable bowel syndrome. Often, bloating and gas formation occurs in celiac disease when foods with gluten are ingested.

These are the main reasons that can cause bloating, flatulence and gas formation. But often this problem affects not only an adult, but also a child.

Flatulence in babies of the first months of life

In order to alleviate the suffering of the child, the nursing mom needs to try to limit the consumption of pulling food. Provide a competent attachment of the child to the breast - a whole areola of the nipple should fall into the mouth, there should be a vacuum between the breast and the oral cavity of the baby.Try not to take too long breaks between feedings, feed the baby on demand, this will eliminate greedy sucking and swallowing food with the air. After eating, try to keep your child “column” upright for a while. This will burp out. Be sure to lay out the baby on the tummy to improve the intestinal perilstatics. And try not to use pacifiers - they also contribute to the swallowing of air. In difficult cases, when the baby is constantly crying, you can use special children's drugs that have a carminative effect. The simplest, most effective and safe home remedy for colic is dill water. Increased gas formation will gradually pass; you only need to wait two or three months for the crumbs.

Drug treatment of flatulence

Very often, with increased gas, people do not go to the doctor, considering this as a frivolous and delicate problem. But there is nothing to be ashamed of - sometimes minor appointments and correction of nutrition can prevent the development of a serious disease.If you suffer from flatulence, be sure to visit a gastroenterologist, or at least a therapist. The doctor may prescribe a number of diagnostic procedures for you to make a diagnosis.

First of all, it is palpation of the abdomen, the doctor does it on his own. It determines the localization of bloating, intestinal hardness, muscle tension and other factors that may speak of various pathologies. Be sure to prescribe a complete blood count, in some cases - a biochemical blood test. This will help identify the presence of infectious diseases or inflammatory processes. You may also need a coprogram - this is a detailed analysis of feces. Bacteriological culture of feces will help identify pathogenic bacteria, eat them, as well as their sensitivity to various antibiotics. An abdominal ultrasound will help identify possible adhesions, tumors and other structures in the digestive tract. Sometimes a patient is prescribed x-rays. You must first drink a solution of barium sulfate. This substance is deposited on the intestinal walls so that on the X-ray picture the structure and shape of the intestine becomes clearly visible.All these studies help the doctor to make an accurate diagnosis. If flatulence occurs against a background of another disease, treatment is aimed at suppressing the underlying pathology. It is possible to cope with meteorism with the help of the following drugs.

1. Sorbents. This is the easiest, but one of the most effective means in the fight against flatulence. Sorbents perfectly absorb and remove from the body various toxins, slags, gases and microbes. Among them are Polysorb, Filtrum, Activated carbon, Enterosgel, Smekta, etc. Drugs should be taken based on body weight, a couple of hours after a meal or an hour before meals.
2. Antifoam. These substances act on the surface of gas bubbles, swallow them up and expel gases to the outside in a natural way, alleviating the feeling of discomfort and swelling. Among the most effective are Espumizan, Infacol, Colikid, Bebinos, etc. A lot of products of this group are intended for children of the first days of life to cope with colic and bloating.
3. Prokinetics. These are drugs that have a great effect on the work of the intestines, increase its motility, promoting fermenting feces and gases to the exit.Many of them also have anti-emetic effects. Among the powerful prokinetics can be noted Zerukal, Motilium, Osetron, etc.
4. Enzymes This group of drugs is especially useful for overeating, since in this case, increased flatulence is caused by a lack of enzymes and rotting of undigested food. Enzymes is the secret of the pancreas that helps break down fats and plant fiber. The most popular enzyme preparations are Mezim, Pancreatin, Festal, Creon, Penzital, etc.
5. Antispasmodics. Sometimes the gases in the intestines cause a spasm to get rid of the painful sensations, you can take Papaverine or Noshpa.

These are the basic, most simple and safe means to help suppress flatulence in the intestines. Remember that with regular swelling, self-medication can be dangerous, since you extinguish a symptom, but do not know about the underlying disease. After the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe other drugs, for example, in case of gastritis, in addition to adsorbents, antacids and, possibly, antibiotics will be needed; with helminthic invasion - anthelmintic drugs, etc.

How to get rid of bloating at home

If flatulence is not accompanied by other serious symptoms, you can try to cope with it yourself.

Eating should be fractional - every 3-4 hours, but in small portions. So enough enzymes in order to digest a small amount of food. Bulk portions and frequent (less than three hours) snacks lead to the fermentation of food in the intestine.

You need to chew your food well with your teeth to make the work of enzymes easier.

You can not talk while eating - so you swallow a large amount of excess air.

It is better to eat food in the form of heat - not cold and not hot.

Prefer healthy ways of cooking - stewing, baking, steaming. Roasted food is digested much longer, it requires a lot of enzymes for processing.

You can get rid of flatulence using homemade recipes. The most effective natural products can be called a decoction of dill, cumin, fennel, chamomile and mint.

Fresh fruits and vegetables should be eaten separately from the main meal - no earlier than 2 hours after meals. Otherwise, such a mix will lead to increased gas formation.

Eliminate from your diet foods that cause increased flatulence. These are legumes, heavy meats (pork and lamb), pearl barley, sweet pastry, fresh bread, dairy products (except sour milk), cabbage, tomatoes, grapes, pear, gooseberry, raspberry, dates, radishes, sorrel, spinach, mushrooms. You should also give up alcohol and carbonated drinks. Do not chew the cud - it helps to swallow air.

Be sure to add to your diet foods that enhance the perilstatics - dairy products, yesterday's whole-grain bread, baked fruits and vegetables, buckwheat, millet. Eat light meats that are quickly digested - rabbit, chicken, turkey.

Try to avoid constipation - eat laxative foods, drink plenty of pure water, take as needed drugs with good bacteria, do not take antibiotics without a doctor's prescription.

Try not to be nervous, so as not to impair the work of the intestine.

Smokers should give up their bad habits, especially should not smoke during and after meals - so you swallow a lot of air.

These simple rules will help you deal with flatulence yourself, without the help of doctors. If these recommendations do not help and the swelling continues to bother you - by all means visit a gastroenterologist. The cause of gas formation can be much more serious and dangerous. Watch your diet, follow an active lifestyle, consult a doctor in time - and you are afraid of any diseases!

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