Everyone knows the feeling of a "swallowed balloon" in the stomach. The modern world is distinguished by a huge number of technologies that simplify human life, but it still has to exist at a frantic pace. People eat less and less normally and more often prefer "fast food" on the run. That is why many suffer from the symptoms of flatulence.
However, this problem is not only physiological. With the constant manifestation of signs of malaise, a person also experiences psychological oppression. To get rid of the causes and symptoms of flatulence in adults and not feel uncomfortable in the company of other people, you need to monitor your he alth. If necessary, you need to visit a specialist and undergo a routine examination.
What is flatulence?
This condition is characterized by the accumulation of excess gases in the human intestine. The most important symptom of flatulence is severe bloating. In this case, a person has abundant gas removal. This process in medicine is called flutulence.
If we talk about whether flatulence is an independent pathology, then in this case thisstatement is not accurate. The fact is that bloating is most often a symptom of a disease that occurs in the human body. For example, with a stomach ulcer, the patient often has symptoms of flatulence. Treatment and timely diagnosis of the primary ailment help to get rid of bloating.
Also, this symptom may begin to appear if about 3 liters of food gases accumulate in the stomach. This is characteristic of the pathologies of the digestive organs. In addition, increased gas and bloating can be a signal of many other ailments.
Symptomatics
Speaking about the causes, symptoms and treatment of flatulence, it is worth considering some features of the manifestation of the disease. Despite the fact that bloating is a symptom, it has certain signs by which you can self-diagnose the appearance of this problem.
Seeing a doctor is recommended if a person suffers from:
- A constant feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
- Gastric distention.
- Gas colic. In this case, unpleasant sensations appear in the form of so-called contractions. The patient's condition improves after the removal of gases occurs.
- Discomfort in the stomach area.
- Vomiting, dizziness and headache.
- Nausea.
- Insomnia.
- Constipation or diarrhea.
- Strong belching.
- Lack of appetite.
- Shortness of breath.
- Arrhythmias.
- Never passing feeling of weakness.
All this leads to the fact that a person is constantly in an irritated or depressed state. Also, among the symptoms of flatulence in adults, discomfort in the heart and severe muscle pain are often noted.
Diagnosis
Very often flatulence is not a symptom of something serious and usually goes away on its own. If the discomfort lasts for about 3-4 days, then in this case there is no reason for serious concern.
However, if a person observes symptoms of flatulence for more than 7 days, and home treatment does not work, then in this case it is imperative to consult a specialist.
At the first stage, the doctor communicates with the patient and clarifies all the details of the appearance of unpleasant symptoms. After that, the doctor carefully examines the nutrition of the patient. Very often, it is precisely the fact that a person does not consume a normal amount of liquid food and eats on the run that leads to gas formation and bloating. That is why the specialist may ask the patient to start keeping a food diary. In it, he should write down everything that he eats or drinks during the day.
In some situations, there are suspicions that the causes and symptoms of flatulence are a manifestation of chronic pancreatitis. To refute or confirm this diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo an abdominal ultrasound.
Additionally, blood, stool and urine tests will be required. If an elderly patient seeks help, then in this case there is a risk that he suffers from colon or rectal cancer.
After the specialist receives all the diagnostic data, he makes a personal menu based on the performance of a particular person.
Flatulence: a symptom of what disease?
Bloating and gas can be symptoms of:
- Pancreatitis.
- Intestinal infection.
- Neurosis.
- Intestinal obstruction or constipation.
- Dysbacteriosis.
- Colitis and enterocolitis.
- The presence of helminths in the human body.
In some situations, the increased content of gases in the human body is the result of surgical operations performed on one of the organs of the digestive tract. Also, the symptoms of intestinal flatulence may well be caused by stressful conditions, or frequent neurosis.
Meteorism appears with prolonged spasms of the intestinal tract. Protozoal infections also lead to the disease. In this case, we are talking about the defeat of human internal organs by protozoan parasites.
Depending on the specific disease that causes the symptoms of flatulence, appropriate treatment is prescribed. For example, with neuroses, patients are recommended relaxation therapy and sedatives.
Which doctor to contact
If a person constantly suffers from bloating, nausea and other symptoms associated with flatulence, you should immediately consult a specialist to avoid unpleasant consequences.
First of all, you should visit a gastroenterologist. If theresuspicion that the symptoms of flatulence are caused by the presence of parasites (for example, helminths) or infectious diseases, then in this case we need to contact an infectious disease specialist.
In case of bloating against the background of developing malignant or benign tumors, an oncologist is involved in the treatment. It is worth contacting a psychiatrist if a person experiences severe stress for a long time and is constantly in a nervous state. In this case, flatulence, nausea and dizziness may be caused by this condition.
Speaking about the symptoms and treatment of flatulence in adults, it should be borne in mind that in most cases, patients do not require inpatient treatment or hospitalization (except in situations where bloating is accompanied by severe pain). As a rule, the doctor prescribes a course of treatment that can be done at home.
If you do not want to see a doctor, and there is a strong belief that flatulence is caused precisely by stress, then you should try sedatives. However, if after taking one tablet of the drug the symptoms do not subside, then in this case the symptoms are a manifestation of another pathology. It is also worth considering the peculiarities of nutrition.
Diet
Most often, to treat unpleasant symptoms in adults and children, the doctor carefully studies the patient's diet and draws up a special menu for him. Most often, patients are advised to start eating more lean foods that contain more protein.
Also allowed:
- Meat. The diet should contain lean beef, veal, turkey or chicken. Meat dishes must be steamed or oven cooked.
- Low-fat fish. It is worth including zander, hake, pike and perch in your diet.
- Wheat bread.
- Vegetables. Experts allow the use of beets, carrots, spinach, cucumbers, broccoli and tomatoes.
- Some dairy products. In this case, we are talking only about fat-free products.
- Fruit. Citrus fruits, apricots, pomegranates have a positive effect on the body. Some dried fruits are also allowed, such as prunes or dried apricots.
- Kash. Doctors recommend eating oatmeal, buckwheat or dark rice.
During the diet, in no case should you eat foods that contain coarse fiber. This means that pearl barley, lentils and beans must be discarded. You should also exclude fatty meat, whole milk, smoked meats and s alted fish.
Confectionery has a negative impact on the human body. It is also necessary to refrain from foods that "strengthen". In addition, you should exclude spices, carbonated drinks and alcohol from your diet.
Medicines
Speaking about the causes, symptoms and treatment of flatulence in adults, first of all, it is worth diagnosing the main ailment correctly. Most often, bloating is caused by problems in the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, as a rule, violations of the normalintestinal microflora. Therefore, if such symptoms occur, it is necessary to take special drugs that will help restore the system. Such medicines include "Hilak Forte", "Acilact" and others.
In some situations, experts recommend supplementing this therapy with adsorbents. Preparations of this type remove toxins and gases from the intestines. Activated carbon is considered the most affordable adsorbent.
In some situations, flatulence is caused by an insufficient level of production of certain substances. In this case, replacement therapy may be required. It includes taking enzyme preparations. These include Pepsin, Mezim and many others.
Flatulence: treatment of symptoms with folk remedies
It should be said right away that in this case we are talking only about auxiliary therapy. This means that you should first consult with a specialist and use herbs and other traditional medicine recipes only as additional medicines.
Dill seeds, from which the tincture is made, are best for the symptoms of flatulence in adults. To prepare it, you need to finely grind (preferably in a blender) 1 tablespoon of the product. The resulting mixture is poured with 1 liter of boiling water and infused for about 4 hours. The finished drug is taken 1 tablespoon several times a day. It is advisable to use the prepared remedy a few hours before meals.
With increasedtincture of lovage will also help gas formation. With the help of this plant, patients can quickly remove toxins from the intestines. To prepare a medicinal composition, it is necessary to grind 15 g of lovage root and mix it with 20 g of chamomile extract. The resulting ingredients are mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained and 1 liter of boiling water is poured. The tincture is taken several times a day, 1 teaspoon.
Speaking about the symptoms of flatulence and the treatment of folk remedies, it is worth considering that some foods can irritate the intestines. Therefore, it is better to consult a specialist first.
Myths related to flatulence
There are a huge number of false facts that people often mistake for pure water. For example, some argue that with flatulence, a rotten smell necessarily appears. However, you need to understand that the gas released during attacks, in fact, does not smell at all. In some situations, it may contain methane. This is caused by the fact that a person eats meat, eggs, cabbage, onions, garlic, fatty foods and much more. Unpleasant odors also appear when using dairy products. Therefore, there is no connection between flatulence and the smell of gases.
There is also a claim that women suffer from gas much less than men. This is also not true. The fair sex has the same digestive tract in which gas is produced. Therefore, despite all the statements, both women and men missthe same amount of gases. This myth appeared due to the fact that women are less likely to get rectal cancer.
There is also a theory that explosive flatulence is a sign of a serious illness. In this case, we are talking about the simultaneous severe diarrhea and the removal of gases. Such an explosive stool may be a symptom of standard irritations occurring inside the intestines. If we talk about the speed of passage of feces, then this can in no way be an indicator of a particular disease. This only indicates the amount of gas that has accumulated in the human rectum.
Also, some argue that in the case of painful flatulence, there is a great risk that the patient is suffering from cancer. Actually it is not. Pain during bowel movements is most often caused by anal irritations. The tissues around the anus may be affected and cracked, resulting in pain. Also, discomfort is associated with the development of hemorrhoids.
Besides this, some argue that too much passing gases is harmful. However, it should be understood that a he althy person performs this procedure about 13 times a day, in many cases without even knowing it. During flatulence, an unpleasant odor or sound does not necessarily appear. In some situations, the gas is slowly released through the rectal sphincter without causing any additional symptoms.
In fairness, it should be noted that the retention of gases has a more negative effect on the human body. Therefore, to restrain such urges is notrecommended. However, from an aesthetic point of view, it is much more difficult to adhere to this rule.
The volume of the sound of exhaust gases depends on the individual characteristics of the body structure of a person. Therefore, this cannot be a sign of pathologies.
In closing
Regardless of how pronounced this or that symptomatology is, if it is repeated with enviable frequency, this may indicate certain pathological processes occurring in the human body. To exclude the likelihood of any of them, it is necessary to undergo a scheduled examination by a specialist in a timely manner. It's also important to watch your diet. It is recommended to give up bad habits and include as many natural and he althy foods as possible in your diet.
