ABDOMINAL GAS: FACTS BEHIND THE EMBARASSMENT

WHAT IS ABDOMINAL GAS?

Abdominal gas or intestinal gas is a topic that people often find difficult to discuss, but we all have gas in our intestinal tract. Gas can contribute to a sense of bloating (fullness), belching, abdominal cramps, and flatulence (gas). These symptoms are usually brief and resolve once gas is released by belching or flatulence. Some people can be more sensitive to even normal amounts of gas, leading to the following symptoms:

Belching: A normal process and results from swallowed air accumulating in the stomach. The air can either be belched back or can be passed out of the stomach into the small intestine and be subsequently passed as rectal gas (flatus).

Bloating: Refers to a sense of fullness in the upper abdomen. This can be influenced by gas and/or food accumulation in the stomach. Some patients experience the symptom with normal amounts of gastric gas.

Flatulence: Refers to the passage of rectal gas. The gas is generally a combination of swallowed air and gas produced by the action of colon bacteria on undigested carbohydrates.

Gas which accumulates in the right upper portion of the colon can lead to pain which could seem like gallbladder pain. Gas which accumulates in the left upper portion of the colon can radiate up to the chest and seem like cardiac pain.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES?

• Some of the causes are:
• Swallowing air during the process of eating.
• Sucking on hard candies or chewing gum.
• Drinking carbonated beverages such as soda or beer can also generate excess gastric air.
• Poorly fitting dentures and chronic postnasal “drip” can also cause excess air swallowing.
• Some carbohydrates cannot be digested by the enzymes in the small intestine and reach the colon where bacteria metabolize them to hydrogen and carbon dioxide gasses. Examples of such food are bran, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and beans. This can result in excess flatulence in some patients.
• Many patients experience abdominal cramps, bloating and flatulence due to a condition called lactose intolerance, where milk and milk products are left undigested because body is unable to produce lactase, an enzyme required to digest milk.
• Another cause of bloating and abdominal distension is termed bacterial overgrowth, where there is an excess number of normal bacteria in the small intestine.

HOW IS EXCESS ABDOMINAL GAS DIAGNOSED?

The diagnosis of oesophageal reflux or gastric inflammation should be concluded by x-rays or endoscopy (examining the esophagus and stomach with a flexible tube while the patient is sedated). Abdominal distension when erect but not when recumbent is an indication of weak abdominal muscles. If lactose intolerance is suspected, lactose can be administered orally and the hydrogen gas which is generated in susceptible people can be measured in the breath. If bacterial overgrowth is suspected, your physician may administer a hydrogen breath test.

Blood tests are not usually helpful for gaseous problems but testing for celiac disease may prove useful since failure to absorb wheat, barley, and rye can lead to excess flatulence.

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT?

Patients should eliminate carbonated beverages such as soda and beer. Foods such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, beans, and bran should be avoided. Milk and other dairy foods should be avoided.

Chewing gum and sucking on hard candies should be avoided.

Bismuth subsalicylate has been used to reduce the noxious odour of some sulpha-containing rectal gasses. Alpha-d- galactosidase, an over the counter product, has been used to help in the digestion of complex carbohydrates.

Individuals with IBS may benefit using antispasmodic therapy such as dicyclomine or hyoscyamine under the tongue.

If symptoms fail to respond to the dietary strategies noted above, medical help should be sought to be confident that no other underlying abnormalities are present.

WHY KIMS?

At KIMS, one of the top gastroenterology specialist hospitals in Hyderabad, we solve your major as well as minor gastric problems. With the help of top gastroenterologists in Hyderabad, no medical issue is big or small, as we cover all your medical problems. You can come to our gastroenterology specialist in Hyderabad without any reservations as we not only treat you but also make your everyday life comfortable.