There are many reasons a person encounters excess gas. Whether it be stress and nervousness, foods that we eat that cause excess gas, or just plain how our bodies are, there are ways to treat excess gas beyond farting constantly to relieve ourselves and blaming it on the dog.
The best way to treat excess gas is knowing what causes it so it can be prevented. Excess gas is caused when the intestinal tract is irritated, either by stress, or by hard-to-digest foods. Being nervous or irritated can cause gas because it interferes with the body’s ability to digest by being sent into over-drive. The “fight or flight” response that causes us to sweat more, rapid heartbeat and jittery shaky hands also causes our abdominal and other muscles to tighten and the intestinal and digestive tract to spasm, causing gasses used to break down foods to irritate the body rather than promote healthy digestion. Simply taking a moment to calm yourself when you are nervous or stresses (drink a glass of water, as this helps neutralize and disperse the gasses and calms the body down internally) can help reduce the gas that is making your tummy hurt.
Hard to digest foods also promote excess gas. Foods like high-fat meats (like hamburger, steak, pork etc) take a long time to break down and need more gasses to get them successfully evacuated from the body. High fiber foods that promote digestion and healthy bowel evacuation increase gas, as does milk products, which often contain live cultures (like yogurt) that produce gases as they break down. All fine and dandy, but to reduce the gas in the body you have to treat the issue before it starts, as gas is just another healthy body reaction.
Drink more water. Water aids in digestion, and works to balance out the gases and acids that are being used to break down your foods as they digest. Drinking water aids in preventing that painful gas, helps keep heartburn and acid reflux at bay, and helps the body evacuate healthily, so all fecal matter can leave the body and keeps you from becoming constipated.
To treat preexisting gas, try drinking a garlic broth, consuming parsley, or drinking a ginger tea for gas. These natural herbs help break down painful gas so you’re not doubled over in pain and trying to find and empty room or run outside so you can fart your guts out (hoping and praying it wasn’t a shart). Take a bulb of garlic and soak it in water and drink the liquid or take a garlic gel tab supplement. Chew on fresh parsley or turn parsley into a tea by boiling parsley flakes (1 or 2 teaspoons) and draining and drinking the liquid with honey. Ginger tea is available in teabag form in your local grocery store. These aids work quickly to neutralize and eradicate gas in the body.
Try baking soda mixed in a glass of equal parts vinegar and water, with a dollop of honey and a teaspoon of lemon juice. This concoction breaks down gases and acids in the body that occur when heavy digestion (and normal digestion) is going on. The lemon juice and vinegar acids work to neutralize heartburn acids, and since baking soda is a base, it breaks down the acidy, gassy irritants that are going haywire in the body. The honey helps to coat your innards and make them feel good as an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial aid.
Also, go ahead and fart. Don’t hold it in just because you don’t want to embarrass yourself. Belching and farting are natural. Try to be discreet, but let er rip anyhow.
To avoid improper digestion, chew your food thoroughly, avoid too-fatty foods, and don’t swallow a bunch of air during your meals. This will help you help your body digest better.
If your gas is so persistent it occurs and is painful every single day and affects every day life, see your gastroentologist to rule out any digestive issues. Otherwise, you’re just a normal gasbag who farts just like everybody else, but at least you know how to manage it.
