Gastroenterology: Gas
What is "belching"?
Belching is a process where excess gas, either produced from the small intestine and tracks up into the stomach or swallowed during the course of eating, accumulates in the stomach and the release valve between the food pipe or "esophagus" and stomach does not have enough pressure to hold this gas in. This gas comes up in a very abrupt fashion called belching.
What are the common causes for belching?
Some of the common causes for belching can include: swallowing excess amount of air that will have no other way but to come up quite abruptly from the stomach, and eating certain types of food such as raw vegetables that can cause more gas, which will find its way back up through belching. There may be certain medications or certain conditions such as heartburn or acid reflux that can promote more indigestion that will allow belching to occur on a usual or constant basis.
Why do I feel better when I belch?
You feel better when you belch because the process of belching starts with accumulation of gas, generally in the stomach. This gas expands the stomach as if you're blowing into a balloon and expanding a balloon. When the gas comes out through the process of belching, the stomach goes back to its usual form and is relieved of a lot of the pressure that can be caused by the gas.
How do I prevent belching?
In order to prevent belching, you need to eat at a slower pace to make sure that you're not swallowing air with each swallow of food. You need to figure out if raw vegetables are a big part of the diet and are producing more gas and discomfort. If there are certain types of medications that are causing irritation or indigestion and promoting belching, then these medicines should be looked into and possibly discontinued or changed. If there is constant heartburn or acid-reflux, allowing the passage of acid to come up from the stomach into the esophagus and also allowing easy access for gas to come up and allow belching, then this condition should be looked further into and treated in order to prevent further discomfort.
What is "flatulence"?
Flatulence is a condition where gas develops, sometimes in excess, both in the small and the large intestine. This gas is usually a result of certain types of food that we eat.
How do I prevent flatulence?
It is very difficult to prevent flatulence. Some people have excess bacteria in their large or small intestine that can be dealt with by a variety of different mechanisms and potentially medications. However, certain types of food that can promote excess flatulence can be diminished or cut out from our diet with good results. For example, beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and soy products are notorious for producing excess gas as they are digested. If one has a condition of lactose intolerance, by eating or drinking dairy products they can have more flatulence and more gas produced. So, generally we try to limit and avoid the types of food that, by our experience, have caused more gas for us in the past. We like to avoid these products. Other types of mechanisms to help prevent gas, or deal with some of the gas that can be troubling and cause discomfort, include over the counter gas aid medications that can usually break down some of these gas bubbles that are produced in our small and large intestine.
