What is air swallowing?
This is the major source of gas in the stomach. It is normal to swallow a small amount of air when eating and drinking. One can swallow large amounts of air when eating food rapidly, gulping liquids, chewing gum or smoking. Most air swallowed is eliminated by belching. When sitting up, most swallowed air passes back up the food pipe and out of the mouth. When lying down, swallowed air tends to pass into the small intestine, which can cause you to have gas and flatulence.
What about bacterial production?
The large intestine has billions of harmless bacteria. Many of these support the health of the bowel. Certain carbohydrates are incompletely digested by the enzymes of the stomach and intestines, allowing bacteria to digest them. These produce gases such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane. Minor components of gas have an unpleasant odour, including trace amounts of sulphur.
Can there be poor digestion of milk products leading to gas production?
Lactose is a major sugar in milk and milk products. Thus, consuming large amounts of lactose may lead to increased gas production along with cramping and diarrhoea. This is more common if you have lactose intolerance.
How are these symptoms of gas or flatulence treated?
Regular exercises, chewing food slowly, avoiding food items that cause gas, take supplements that help you digest dairy food, getting enough of calcium and vitamin D in your diet, drinking or chewing food slowly with the mouth closed, drinking peppermint tea, eating probiotic rich foods, staying hydrated to avoid constipation, making sure that the dentures fit in properly and not drinking through straws. Simeticone, prokinetic, probiotics, activated charcoal and certain enzymes are useful.
What is lactose intolerance?
This is a condition that makes it hard for the body to digest milk and foods made from milk. If you have lactose intolerance and you eat dairy products, you can get diarrhoea, belly pain and gas. Lactose is a form of sugar in milk. Normally body makes an enzyme that breaks down lactose. In some individuals, the enzyme does not work properly, or not enough of it is made. Luckily, people with lactose intolerance can digest dairy foods after taking an enzyme.
Do you need to undergo 6 investigations if you have gas?
Usually, no tests are needed. But if symptoms persist or include black/bloody stools, weight loss, diarrhoea, or ongoing pain, investigations are necessary, such as stool tests, gluten intolerance checks, breath tests, endoscopy, colonoscopy, or X-rays, depending on clinical signs, history, and severity.
Author: Dr Jay Deshmukh
Dr Jay Deshmukh is Chief Physician and Director, Sunflower Hospital, Nagpur Honorary Physician to Honorable Governor of Maharashtra and PondicherryCentral. Dr Jay Deshmukh is an M.B.B.S., M.C.P.S., F.C.P.S., M.N.A.M.S., MD From Internal Medicine – Bombay and New Delhi.
