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Symptoms of intestinal or stomach gas are relatively frequent and include the feeling of a swollen belly, slight abdominal discomfort and constant burping, for example.
Usually these symptoms appear after a very large meal or when we talked a lot while eating, due to the swallowing of air, improving easily after the elimination of gases, either through the intestinal release or in the form of burps.
However, there are also cases where these gases cannot be easily eliminated, which is especially true in people with constipation. In these situations, the symptoms can be more intense and even lead the person to suspect serious problems, such as cardiac changes or even a heart attack, since pain in the chest is common.
How to know if they are gases
Depending on where the gases are accumulating, the symptoms may be different:
1. Stomach gases
When gases accumulate in the stomach, they can cause:
- Bloated stomach feeling;
- Frequent belching;
- Loss of appetite;
- Burning in the throat;
- Hooked in the chest;
- Feeling of shortness of breath.
It is possible to decrease gas in the stomach by avoiding chewing gum and eating slowly and avoid talking during the meal so as not to get air into the digestive tract during feeding.
2. Intestinal gases
The symptoms that may indicate the presence of gases in the intestine are usually:
- Severe abdominal pain, sometimes stinging;
- Abdominal swelling;
- Hard belly;
- Flatulence;
- Constipation;
- Intestinal colic.
These symptoms can vary in intensity according to the sensitivity of each person and the amount of gases present in the digestive system.
What causes excess gas
The presence of gases in the stomach usually happens by ingesting air with food, and this is more frequent when talking a lot during a meal or when drinking carbonated drinks, such as soda or sparkling water.
The accumulation of gases in the intestine is usually related to the existence of a pattern of intestinal functioning of constipation or excessive consumption of foods that facilitate the formation of gases in the large intestine. Some of these foods include egg, cauliflower, garlic, onion and peas. Sweeteners like sorbitol, fructose and excess vitamin C also cause gas in certain people.
Check out a more complete list of foods that cause gas.
How to stop the gases
Some forms of home treatments to avoid excessive gas formation are:
- Have a cup of fennel or mint tea after meals;
- Take a 20-30 minute walk after lunch or dinner;
- Have a balanced diet, eating foods rich in fiber daily and drinking plenty of water;
- Avoid soft drinks and other fizzy drinks with meals;
- Avoid excess carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta, lasagna and fondue;
- Avoid the excess of milk and its derivatives and also meat dishes prepared with milk such as stroganoff, for example.
Watch the following video for more practical tips to eliminate gases: