Gas in the Digestive Tract

Gas in the digestive tract is a normal condition when excess air is in the large or small intestines. For the majority of people, it is not a serious condition. People typically pass gas a few times every day. Burps and flatulence are the body’s way of ridding the body of gas. Burps are often the way the body releases swallowed air and flatulence is the typical release of the gas that is created during digestion. When a person experiences excessive gas, it is often a symptom of another condition. To get relieve symptoms, it is important to determine the specific cause of excessive gas and bloating.

Symptoms

When gas in the intestinal tract become excessive, patients are likely to feel symptoms such as:

Feeling overly full and bloated on a regular basis
Continual pains
Frequent, extended bouts of burping, belching, and flatulence

Causes

Gas has many causes. The answer is to not always reach for an antacid or some other prescription or over-the-counter solution. Some acid-blocking drugs are likely to contribute to the problem on an ongoing basis. Without enough stomach acid, proteins and certain minerals like calcium can’t be broken down properly. If protein is not broken down properly, it ferments and putrefies, causing stomach bloat, excessive gas, fullness, Heartburn, and Nausea and Vomiting. Sometimes symptoms can worsen throughout the day as the small intestine is irritated by bacteria interacting with food called Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). Other symptoms include:

Cruciferous vegetables	Food Intolerance	Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Beans	Carbonated Drinks	Chewing gum
Artificial sweeteners	Swallowing air	Eating too quickly
Fatty food	Gut fermentation	Bacterial, yeast, fungal infections
Liver Cancer	Pancreatic Cancer	Irritable Bowel Disease
Colon Cancer	Diverticulitis	Gallbladder Disease
Cystic Fibrosis	Celiac Disease	Pancreatic Disease

Treatment

The treatment for your condition depends on the results of testing. Limiting or eliminating foods that cause gas and bloating is effective for managing food intolerances. For SIBO, antibiotics can be prescribed to kill the bacterial overgrowth.

The treatment for gas depends on the underlying cause of the gas. Many times, gas can be reduced through diet and lifestyle changes including eliminating artificial sweeteners, beans, dairy and carbonated beverages. If one experiences excessive gas that is painful and other symptoms, it could be due to a serious underlying condition.

Food sensitivities such as fructose or lactose intolerance and dysfunction of the small bowel such as small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) are common causes of frequent digestive discomfort.

We’ve been brainwashed the last several decades into thinking that the digestive acids produced by the stomach are the root of all digestive problems. Consequently, so-called “acid blockers” are commonly prescribed as the quick fix for all forms of indigestion, making them one of the best-selling OTC categories in history.

Board-Certified physicians Dr. Ranvir Singh, Dr. Stephen Rashbaum, Dr. Nitin J. Parikh, Dr. Long B. Nguyen, Dr. Ruth Montalvo, and providers Tammi D’Elena, PA-C and Vanessa T. Bridgeman, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC; care for patients in the North Atlanta, GA; area including Johns Creek, GA, Cumming, GA, Lawrenceville, GA, Alpharetta, GA, and Dawsonville, GA. The in-house endoscopy suite at Digestive Care Physicians is a certified facility which has achieved the highest level of accreditation by the Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). If you suffer from gastrointestinal problems, abdominal pain, or need a colorectal cancer screening, contact us at (770) 227-2222 to schedule an appointment.