Gas formation in our intestines is a constant process. From a physiological point of view, this is considered quite normal. Pathological phenomenon is increased intestinal gas content. It occurs with various diseases or improper diet. Such a phenomenon causes considerable discomfort to a person.
Where do gases come from?
How does a normal physiological process occur in the intestines? For any of us, when we swallow air, a certain part of it enters the gastrointestinal tract. This contributes to the formation of gases in it under the influence of microorganisms. What happens to this substance next? Part of the gases the digestive system removes with the help of belching. Some of their volume is removed through the rectum. Some of them are absorbed into the bloodstream.
If we consider the norm, then approximately 70% of the gases in the gastrointestinal tract appear there due to the swallowing of air. Like thishappening? Experts have found that with each sip of a person, 2 or 3 ml of air enters his stomach. Basically it goes to the intestines. The rest is expelled from the body by belching. This is what allows us to say that intestinal gas can be observed in cases where a person has active conversations while eating. A similar phenomenon can occur when drinking liquid through a straw, as well as while chewing chewing gum.
Intestinal gases are compounds of oxygen with carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen and a small amount of methane. Each of these elements has no odor. But the same can't be said about belching. Why is this happening? The explanation for this phenomenon lies in the sulfur-containing substances that form bacteria that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract. With an increase in intestinal gas, this process is activated with the appearance of this symptom. In addition to belching with an unpleasant odor, a person has bloating. It occurs due to the excessive pressure that is formed due to the presence of excess gas in the digestive system.
Causes of pathology
Flatulence is considered an unpleasant condition for every person. But in order to get rid of uncomfortable sensations, it is necessary, first of all, to know about the reasons that cause them.
What causes severe intestinal gas? Consider the main factors contributing to the emergence of this phenomenon:
- Certain composition of products. If there is a lot of food entering the digestive tract, then this goes without saying.promotes the release of gases during its digestion and exit from the body. But there are also some products that are called irritants. We will talk about them below.
- Growth or decrease in the number of beneficial bacteria. Intestinal gas contamination is manifested with a lack of bifidus and lactobacilli. Contribute to the occurrence of bloating and excess anaerobic microorganisms.
- Lack of secreted enzymes that are necessary for the digestion of food. When this factor occurs, the products that enter the body cannot be completely broken down. This results in the production of an excess volume of gas bubbles. The person begins to puff up. The lack of enzymes often causes the development of diseases such as enteritis or pancreatitis.
- Delay the process of degassing. The reason for this is too hard feces or parasite infestation. Sometimes bloating is observed due to the presence of a tumor of the intestinal mucosa.
- Failures in peristalsis. If the intestinal wall contracts very slowly, then the waste products received after the processing of the digestive system of products do not leave the body and accumulate in it. This causes them to ferment. This phenomenon leads to intestinal gas. In this case, the stomach begins to gurgle, and a strong unpleasant odor appears in the feces.
- Atmospheric pressure. When it is lowered, gases expand and their pressure increases. In this regard, a person's stomach swells.
- Pathology of the swallowing function. Sometimes a large amount of gas enters the intestines during meals.
- Malabsorption. Normally, gases should be normally absorbed in the intestines, neutralized with the participation of the liver. Violation of this process leads to the fact that the gastrointestinal tract begins to be cleansed weakly, which leads to bloating.
Based on the foregoing, it becomes clear that increased gas formation in the intestine occurs under the influence of a variety of factors. And sometimes, when forming a deviation from the norm, far from one mechanism operates, but several at once.
Foods that promote increased gas formation
In what cases can a person, getting up from the table, feel bloating in the abdomen? Often, the symptoms of intestinal gas begin to bother after eating foods rich in carbohydrates. As for proteins and fats, they affect this process much less.
Carbohydrates include raffinose, lactose, as well as sorbitol and fructose. What are these substances?
Raffinose is a carbohydrate found in vegetables such as artichokes and asparagus, Brussels sprouts, pumpkin, broccoli and many more. It is also found in legumes.
Lactose is a natural disaccharide. It is present in milk, as well as in products containing it. It's ice cream and bread, breakfast cereals, etc.
Fructose is a carbohydrate found in many fruits and vegetables. Use this substance in the preparation of juices and soft drinks. Fructose is used almost everywhere. It serves as an excipient in the formulation of many drugs.
Sorbitol is a carbohydrate found in fruits and vegetables. It is widely used in the preparation of diet foods to sweeten them instead of sugar.
What other foods increase intestinal gas? Starch can cause bloating. It is part of most of the Slavs' favorite dishes prepared using potatoes, corn, wheat and peas. The only product that does not cause bloating is fig.
It is worth paying attention to dietary fiber. They are an ingredient in almost all products. These fibers are either soluble or insoluble. The first of these are called pectins. They swell in water and form a gel-like mass. Such fibers are present in beans, oats, city, and are part of many fruits. They enter the large intestine unchanged. Here the pectins break down and form gas. As for insoluble fibers, they pass through the digestive tract almost unchanged. That is why they do not cause increased gas formation.
Eating with intestinal gas involves minimizing or completely eliminating the use of irritant foods.
Clinical manifestations
What are the symptoms of intestinal gas? Changes in the composition of the microflora, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or the result of malnutrition are manifested in a person in the form of a feeling of bloating and rumbling in the abdominal cavity, frequent belching of air, and gas discharge with a very unpleasant odor. Also signs of gas contaminationbowels are heartburn and nausea, loss of appetite. Often, flatulence is accompanied by a violation of the chair. Moreover, it can be expressed either by constipation or diarrhea. As a rule, after a bowel movement, pain, as well as other manifestations of the pathology, temporarily subside. And only after a certain period of time they appear again.
If there is intestinal gas, what to do in this case? When the signs of pathology bother quite often, a person needs to see a doctor. After all, first of all, you will need to identify the cause of the disorder that has arisen, since flatulence is sometimes a sign of serious ailments of the digestive system.
There are some other symptoms of increased gas formation. They are associated with the occurrence of excessive pressure on the diaphragm and with concomitant pathologies of nervous disorders. These symptoms include:
- burning in the region of the heart and its rapid beat;
- appearance of arrhythmia;
- dyspnea;
- dramatic mood swings;
- fatigue;
- weakness.
The symptoms described above are not always a sign of excessive gas formation. Sometimes they are regarded by a specialist as the development of other, more serious ailments of the digestive tract.
Clinical manifestations of the disease in children
Extra gases are formed not only in adults. Sometimes children also suffer from this pathology. In addition to internal pressure in the abdomen, a feeling of heaviness in the abdominal cavity and spastic pains, a similar condition in babiesaccompanied by unpleasant belching, hiccups and increased sweating. After successful passage of gases, these symptoms immediately disappear.
I would especially like to note flatulence in an infant. Indeed, due to his age, the baby is not yet able to explain to his parents what exactly worries him. Gas contamination of the intestines in an infant close people should be determined by its subjective and objective signs. During such colic, the baby begins to worry, act up, twitch its legs and cry incessantly.
Treatment of flatulence
How to get rid of gases in the intestines? The causes of the pathology, which must be identified by a specialist, will determine the correct course of treatment. Independently, to eliminate uncomfortable conditions, medicines can be used that help restore the microflora in the intestine, as well as enzymes and medicinal herbs.
Folk healers recommend preparing decoctions of cumin, barberry, fennel or chamomile. They will eliminate bloating. In addition, the pharmacy will definitely recommend drugs for intestinal gas. Among them are the drugs "Linex" and "Hilak-Forte", "Espumizan", as well as "Mezim-Forte". The composition of these preparations includes enzymes or beneficial bacteria, which, getting into the intestines, contribute to the restoration of the natural microflora. These active ingredients improve digestion and destroy microbes that cause gas bubbles in the gastrointestinal tract.
Folk remedies
Treatment of intestinal gas in some cases can be carried out using natural recipes. The most popular ones are:
- Infusion of chamomile. To get it, take 1 tbsp. l. raw materials and pour it with 250 ml of boiling water. The mixture is infused for 30 minutes. Take half a glass of the drug twice a day before meals.
- Cleansing enema. It is prepared by adding chamomile infusion to 2 liters of water. Put an enema twice a day in the morning and in the evening. The course of receptions is 2-3 days.
- Juice of cucumber pickle or sauerkraut. They should be drunk half a glass on an empty stomach.
- Tea with milk (slightly s alted). Drink it in small sips on an empty stomach.
- Infusion of garlic. To prepare it, take 2 cloves of vegetables, 1 tbsp. s alt, a little dill and a few leaves plucked from a blackcurrant bush. Raw materials are poured into 2 liters of water and insisted for a day. Take half a glass before meals.
To eliminate flatulence, it is useful to eat grated carrots on an empty stomach. A rather effective drug will be an infusion made from red rowan.
Using herbs
What natural remedies can eliminate excess gases, relieving the body?
On their list:
- Infusion made from parsley roots. 1 st. l. raw materials are poured into 100 ml of boiling water and infused for 30 minutes. The drug is filtered and taken 30 minutes before meals, 1 tbsp. l. Folk healers recommend the use of fresh parsley. This plant isflatulence is an excellent prophylactic.
- Dill water. This remedy can be purchased at a pharmacy or prepared by yourself. It will take 1 tsp. dill seeds, which must be crushed, pour 250 ml of boiling water and leave for 60 minutes. After the drug is infused, it is filtered and taken three times a day, 1/3 cup before meals (30 minutes in advance).
- Infusion of sweet clover grass. For him, take 1 tsp. raw materials, which are poured into 250 ml of chilled boiled water. Infuse the remedy for 4 hours. Take it before meals for ¼ cup.
Drugs for flatulence for adults
The main drugs with which you can stop the increased gas formation have already been listed above. Consider their main characteristics.
So, the treatment of flatulence with the use of enzyme preparations (for example, Mezim-Forte) makes it possible to facilitate the digestive process in the small intestine. How does this effect occur? The enzymes that are part of such preparations break down trace elements in the intestines, and also contribute to their absorption.
Espumizan destroys gas bubbles, helping to remove them.
Hilak forte is an adjuvant for flatulence. The composition of this drug contains fatty and organic acids. These elements support the normal microflora of the digestive tract while increasing the growth of "good" bacteria.
The drug that has a local effect is "Smekta". Giventhe product absorbs excess gases, and then removes them from the body.
There are live bacteria in Linex. Once in the intestines, they begin to multiply, suppressing the activity of pathogenic flora.
In some cases, with bloating, enterosorbents are taken. They absorb and remove harmful substances from the body. The most famous of these agents is activated charcoal.
How to get rid of gases in the intestines? The causes of swelling, which the doctor will reveal during the examination, should be taken into account when prescribing a course. Most likely, the patient will need to follow a diet, excluding fried, fatty foods, and legumes from the menu. Depending on the reasons, this list may include dairy products.
Sometimes flatulence occurs due to a mechanical obstruction in the intestines. In this case, you can not do without surgical treatment.
Get rid of flatulence
The course of therapy that will be prescribed by the doctor to a small patient also depends on the cause of the pathology. So, the doctor can adjust the baby's diet. In addition, gases from the intestines are removed when using prokinetic drugs, as well as remedies recommended by traditional medicine (tinctures of dill and cumin). All this will activate the digestion of food, reducing the processes of fermentation and decay.
To eliminate and remove gases from the child's body, defoamers and anterosorbents (for example, activated charcoal) are used. To eliminate the meteorite, the herbal preparation of a German company will help a small patient well"Iberogast". Its complex composition will lead to the activation of digestion and at the same time remove excess gases.
