Gas Pain Symptoms

Imagine that you are at a friend’s place for dinner where there are loads of good food and you can’t resist yourself and end up overeating. Now on your way back home you are suddenly struck with insufferable gas pain. Gas pain is not uncommon and almost all of us experience gas pain at some point in time. Although gas pain is not a very serious condition, it can strike you at odd moments causing you great embarrassment. Gas pain can strike at important moments, for example when attending meeting or while in a crowded elevator. Gas pain is experienced by all and it is said that a person usually passes intestinal gas (flatus) at least 12 times a day. However, some people may suffer frequently from gas and gas pain that can create a lot of discomfort for them all the time. If you are unable to pass the gas, it can create a lot of abdominal and chest pain. Read on to learn the most common symptoms of gas pain in the sections that follow. 

Symptoms Of Gas Pain

Abdominal Bloating
Abdominal bloating is a condition when there is the presence of excessive gas in the digestive tract. Abdominal bloating is usually caused when there is an underlying disease like “irritable bowel syndrome”. 

Flatulence
Flatulence is the most common symptom of gas. It is usually associated with eating foods like cauliflower, cabbage, beans, bran, etc. The carbohydrates in these foods are broken down by the intestinal bacteria of the large intestine causing abdominal discomfort.

Sharp Pains Or Cramps
Sharp jabbing pains may occur in a particular area of your abdomen. The most common characteristic of this type of pain is that it frequently changes its location and is not a persistent pain confined to a particular region. Some people may also experience a “knotted” feeling in their stomachs as well. Many times, this gas pain is mistaken as heart pain, especially when it occurs in the upper left side of the chest. The pain is also mistaken as pain associated with gall bladder stones or appendicitis when it occurs in the right side of the body.

Belching
Belching is another common gas pain symptom that occurs when large amount of air is swallowed during eating or drinking. Gas produced this way either comes out in the form of burps or is passed rectally. Occasional belching after a heavy meal is normal. However, recurring belching can be an indication of other serious ailments like ‘peptic ulcer’ or ‘chronic acid reflux disease’. 

Remedies For Gas Pain

• Eat slowly so that you gulp less air.
• Watch what you drink. Limit drinking too much of carbonated drinks such as soda and drinks containing alcohol.
• If the root cause of your gas is constipation, ask your physician to prescribe medication to help relieve your symptom.
• Avoid smoking.
• Avoid chewing gum and hard candies. This is another way by which large quantities of air finds its way down to your stomach.
• Maintain a food diary and keep a record of what you eat. Note down when you have gas problems. In this way you can eliminate foods that can create gas problems in your digestive system.
• If you binge more on diet foods, check for sorbitol a sugar substitute. Sorbitol is known to produce gas in the stomach.