What is Flatulence ?
Flatulence is a common problem that might be associated with a pathology or be simply related an inappropriate diet. Flatulence can be embarrassing, but it is a common problem and affects everyone at some point. Flatulence is often referred to as passing or breaking wind, and occurs when you need to expel the excess air that builds up in your body throughout the day.
The production of excessive gas by the digestive system has many causes, but the Green world abounds in herbs that can alleviate the discomfort of flatulence and rather than knowing all of the individual species, we can generalize about relevant actions for the various processes involved.
Flatulence Causes
Certain foods such as kidney beans and artichokes cause an overproduction of bacteria in the stomach, which can in turn lead to excessive flatulence. Food containing a lot of fibre such as baked beans and brown rice are also common causes of flatulence.
Types of Food Intolerance that Cause Flatulence
- Fructose intolerance: Prunes, pears, apples, bran and other well known laxatives contain Fructose. If you are Fructose intolerant you will experience intestinal distress: flatulence, abdominal bloating, diarrhea and other symptoms.
- Lactose intolerance – eating dairy products. This is a major cause of flatulence and associated symptoms and it affects -75% of all people.
More serious causes of Chronic flatulence can be digestive disorders such as gastroenteritis or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Flatulence Symptoms
Passing wind is normal, but the amount varies between individuals and depends on a number of factors including diet. Some people pass wind only a handful of times per day, others up to 40 times, while the average seems to be about 15. Symptoms of excessive (or embarrassing) flatulence include :-
- Passing wind often
- Belching
- Abdominal distension and discomfort
- Smelly flatus
- Loud flatus
- Rumblings in the lower abdomen.
- Bloating – This feels like your stomach is very full and may make you feel as if you need to belch. It is often caused by eating rich foods that take a long time to digest properly.
Other discomforts associated with flatulence :-
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Home Remedies To Cure Flatulence
It’s uncomfortable. It’s embarrassing. And there’s no way to prevent it Flatulence may be socially unacceptable, but it’s a natural by-product of digestion. The average person, in fact, passes gas eight to twenty times a day.
Even though you can’t stop gas entirely, there are ways to reduce its frequency. Here are some home treatment to cure excessive flatulence :-
1. Pour a cup of tea.
Herbal teas have been used for thousands of years to aid digestion. Natural healers often recommend mint, sage, or anise tea for digestive complaints, including gas. Helps to cure excessive flatulence.
2. Drink milk with caution.
It doesn’t bother everyone, but some people have trouble digesting a sugar {called lactose} in milk, cheese, and other dairy foods. This condition, called lactose intolerance, is a very common cause of gas. You may get some relief simply by cutting back on dairy foods. Many people, however, will have to give them up entirely. Another alternative is to take supplements containing lactase, an enzyme that helps people digest the lactose found in dairy foods.
3. Stick with the real thing.
Sugar may not be the best thing for your waistline, but it’s better than artificial sweetners when it comes to your digestion. Doctors have estimated that many people have trouble digesting artificial sweeteners used in sugar-free foods, such as candies and gum. In fact, the amount of artificial sweetners in just five sticks of gum may cause gas and diarrhea in some people.
4. Breathe slowly.
Many people routinely swallow large amounts of air, especially while eating. That extra air has to go somewhere – and out it goes, many times a day. To make sure that the air you breathe goes into your lungs and not into your stomach, doctors recommend breathing slowly through your nose rather than gulping air through your mouth. Chewing food more slowly and nOt chomping away at your gum also can reduce the amount of air that gets inside. Some experts suggest giving up carbonated drinks, as well, because all those bubbles may cause flatulence, too.
5. Experiment with your diet.
If you find yourself constantly battling flatulence, do some experimenting to find the cause. May be it’s not the salad, but the radishes that are causing problems. Perhaps it’s not the pasta and sauce, but the extra garlic you’ve added. By becoming a food sleuth, you’ll learn to eat strategically to avoid gas attacks.
6. Ease into fiber.
Even though dietary fiber is very good for your health, it can cause flatulence in people who aren’t yet used to it. If you’ve just begun adding more fruits, vegetables, and other high-fiber foods to your diet, do yourself a favor and make the additions slowly. If you give your body time to get used to this new substance, you’re less likely to have a problem with gas.
7. Eat sitting up.
When you’re having problems with gas, don’t take your meals while reclining on the couch. Reclining or slouching when you eat can put bends in the digestive tract that make it hard for gas to escape upward – so it goes out the other way. Sitting straight, on the other hand, allows gas in your stomach to exit in a less embarrassing way, through the mouth.
Prevention
Diet can be an important factor in helping to reduce flatulence. Rich foods or foods that are high in fibre can be difficult to digest and can result in excess can being produced inside the gut.
- Sometimes flatulence can be helped by eating and chewing more slowly.
- Don’t suddenly increase the amount of fibre in your diet.
- Avoid eating foods that produce excess gas e.g. beans, cabbage cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and peas.
- Reduce milk consumption if lactose intolerance is a problem.
Useful References