It’s a Gas.

Our veterinarian explains how to fix a bodily gas leak.

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When gas gets excessive, it not only harms innocent sniffers nearby, but it can also harm you – burping (eructition) or farting (flatulence) sometimes come alongside serious pain and bloating. Rarely associated with a serious disease, this problem causes both embarrassment and annoyance. So let’s look to see if there is anything you can do about it. First, let’s divide it into body areas.

1. Burping. Mostly swallowed air. Sometimes associated with anxiety and migraine headaches. Less frequently with acid reflux. May cause nausea and decreased appetite.

Solution: Eat slowly. No soda pops. Try simethicone capsules (Gasex) or, if there is stomach discomfort, try some Zantac 150mg for a couple of weeks to see if it makes a difference. Ginger tea may also settle the stomach.

2. Abdominal gas. Painful as it can get trapped and cause bowel spasm.

Solution: Drink peppermint tea, or even better, try peppermint oil capsules three times a day which have proven benefit with abdominal cramps. Use a heating pad or hot water bottle on your stomach to ease the spasms. If this is an ongoing problem, ask the pharmacist for Buscopan tablets (10mg) and take 1-2 three times a day. This is a smooth muscle relaxant and can relieve the pain, however, you may wish to check with your doctor to make sure it is just gas.

3. Farting. How much is too much? It seems that we all do this more than you would think. The problem is with smells. This is due to overgrowth of gas producing bacteria on undigested food.

Solution: Make sure you are not constipated so the bacteria don’t have time to multiply. If you are eating vegetables in abundance then these cause lots of smelly gas. (beans, peas, broccoli, onions, cabbage, etc.). There are Beano tablets to reduce the impact but you may have to switch to a soluble fibre like psillium (Metamucil) or bran to deal with the issue. You can also add in a stool softener like Docusate quite safely.

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If you have diarrhea and gas then several other possibilities exist and deserve more attention.

There seems to be some connection between the brain and the gut and those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) frequently complain of excess gas. The abdomen is distended and there is pain. Doctors get frustrated with their inability to help and patients get frustrated with their symptoms! Often things resolve without really knowing why they started but if this is a longer term issue then ask for help from your friendly vet (M.D.).

–The Veterinarian.