What Causes Excessive Gas?

what causes excessive gas

Is excessive gas causing you discomfort? There could be an underlying issue.

Do you ever wonder what causes excessive gas, or what are trapped gas symptoms? Bloating and gas are normal feelings that people get from time to time but sometimes there are excessive gas causes that you may not even realize are causing the gas. Around 20% of the population complain about having excessive gas, which can come in forms like flatulence and belching. You may notice that you have upper intestinal gas, lower intestinal gas or general stomach and intestinal problems. Here we’re going to give you some answers to what causes excessive gas.

Stomach and Intestinal Problems

There are many excesses causes related to stomach and intestinal problems that can leave you feeling uncomfortable. Here are a few of our excesses gas causes:

  • IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) – this one of the many causes of bloating and feeling uncomfortable. It can be derived from odd movements in the digestive muscles leading to higher amounts of gas in the intestines.
  • Celiac Disease – this type of inherited disorder can leave you experiencing trapped gas symptoms because of the body’s intolerance to the protein found in wheat. This type of disorder is noted in the upper intestines and can leave you in pain from gas in the intestines as well as bloating.
  • Lactose Intolerance – This is a very common disorder and is a result of the body not having enough lactase to digest the sugar found in dairy products. Lactose intolerance can be what causes excessive gas in people of certain races and descents, leaving you feeling bloated.
  • GastritisGastritis is a general condition that affects the stomach’s lining. When it is inflamed and irritated, or an ulcer has formed, the results can be painful leaving intestinal gas in the upper intestine. Symptoms of gastritis can be bloating, belching, vomiting and nausea.

Gas: Lower Intestinal Problems

Gas located in the lower intestines can be a cause of undigested foods breaking down in the large intestine. This type of gas is made up of hydrogen, carbon dioxide and sometimes methane. This time of gas can be referred to as flatulence because it has to where to go besides out, the back side. What causes excessive gas in this case is the type of foods being eaten such as beans or cabbage. Other types of lower intestinal excessive gas causes are:

  • Starches such as potatoes, pasta
  • Fruits such as apples, peaches and pears
  • Vegetables such as asparagus, onion and artichokes
  • Foods that are spicy, fried and fatty

Gas: Upper Intestinal Problems

I bet you didn’t know that swallowing air is what causes excessive gas commonly, especially gas coming from the upper intestinal area. Swallowing air is called: aerophagia and it contains things like nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. When you have swallowed two much air you can begin to belch and feel bloated. You may be wondering how it is that you have swallowed air, here are a few ways:

  • Eating
  • Drinking
  • Chewing gum
  • Smoking
  • Dentures that are loose
  • Drinking with a straw

Other Causes of Bloating and Pain

There are many other causes that can give you trapped gas symptoms or other intestinal pain. Bloating and pain can also be caused be stress because when individuals are nervous they tend to swallow air more frequently. Another cause of excessive gas can come from machines that help with sleep apnea. These machines can cause air to go into the stomach leaving you feeling bloated and gassy.

If you notice that you are having excess gas and it bothers you, speak to a medical professional about and they will help you decide what changes or medications are necessary to have you feeling better in no time!

Authors
Top
Follow us on Facebook for useful advice on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.