What are the symptoms of trapped gas (gas pain)?
Most people recognize the telltale signs of excess gas: feeling like you need to burp or break wind. It can be embarrassing when it happens unexpectedly, but it’s usually nothing to worry about.
But when excess gas gets trapped in your gut, the feeling can range from mild discomfort to outright pain. The experience isn’t always confined to one part of your abdomen, either. Trapped gas can feel like pain or pressure in various locations throughout the trunk of your body.
Gas pain can feel like:
- Tenderness, fullness or pressure (bloating) in your abdomen (sometimes, your belly looks visibly larger, or distended).
- A sharp, stabbing pain or a dull ache in your abdomen.
- Pain, pressure or discomfort on your right or left side (flank pain).
- Pain, pressure or discomfort in your upper or lower back.
- Pain, pressure or discomfort in your chest.
These symptoms can feel confusing because more serious conditions affecting your organs can cause similar pain and discomfort. Gas trapped on your left side can cause chest pain that’s easy to mistake for a heart attack. Gas trapped on your right side can mimic pain from gallstones or appendicitis.
If you have any questions at all about whether the pain you’re experiencing is gas or a serious condition, see a healthcare provider.
Although gas pain is usually harmless, it can signal a serious problem with your digestive system. If you’re experiencing excess gas or gas pain along with any of the following symptoms, don’t dismiss it. See a healthcare provider.
Symptoms to be on the lookout for, alongside gas pain, include:
What causes gas and gas pains?
Gas is a natural part of digestion. Everyone has gas inside their stomachs and intestines at all times. When you eat, you swallow small amounts of air that stay in your digestive system until you pass gas. Also, harmless bacteria in your large intestine break down food during digestion, releasing gas as a byproduct. This process is responsible for most gas you pass when you fart.
Gas isn’t a medical issue for most people. But it can feel especially worrisome if you have excess gas, foul-smelling gas or gas pain. Here’s why gas sometimes becomes gas pain:
- You’re swallowing too much air. You may be gulping in too much air while chewing or drinking. Talking during meals can cause you to swallow more air. So can chewing gum, sucking hard candy, smoking or wearing loose-fitting dentures.
- You’re consuming too many gas-producing foods. Many foods that make you gassy are good for you. The downside is that they can cause gas and (sometimes) gas pain. Culprits include beans, potatoes, corn, onions, apples and high-fiber foods in general. Foods high in sulfur, like proteins and cruciferous vegetables (like cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli), are usually the cause of foul-smelling gas.
- You have an infection. Infections in your intestines can cause an overgrowth of bacteria that make you gassy. An overgrowth of bacteria in your small intestine (SIBO) can also lead to excess gas. Bacterial overgrowths can cause other symptoms, like diarrhea and weight loss, that require treatment.
- You have a digestive system condition. Conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease and lactose intolerance can overwork your digestive system or lead to slowdowns that cause excess gas. Constipation can cause poop and gas to get stuck in your intestine.
- You’re taking a medicine that slows your bowels. A digestive system that moves more slowly creates more of an opportunity for gas to build up in your gut. Certain digestive system conditions can slow your bowels, and so can some medications.
FAQs
By Mayo Clinic Staff. Intestinal gas is a buildup of air in the digestive tract. It is usually not noticed until you burp or pass it rectally, called flatulence. The entire digestive tract, from the stomach to the rectum, contains intestinal gas. It is the natural result of swallowing and digestion.
What is intestinal gas a result of ______________? ›
What causes gas? Gas normally enters your digestive tract when you swallow air and when bacteria in your large intestine break down undigested carbohydrates. You may have more gas symptoms if you swallow more air or consume more of certain foods and drinks.
What is the root cause of intestinal gas? ›
Gas forms in your large intestine (colon) when bacteria ferment carbohydrates — fiber, some starches and some sugars — that aren't digested in your small intestine. Bacteria also consume some of that gas, but the remaining gas is released when you pass gas from your anus.
Is intestinal gas a fart? ›
Flatulence, commonly referred to as 'farting', is caused by gas in the bowel. The intestines produce between 500 and 2,000mls of gas daily, which is passed out of the anus at regular intervals. The gas, or 'flatus', consists of a number of gases including methane, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
Why am I getting so much intestinal gas? ›
Too much upper intestinal gas can come from swallowing more than a usual amount of air. It also can come from overeating, smoking, chewing gum or having loose-fitting dentures. Too much lower intestinal gas can be caused by eating too much of certain foods or not being able to fully digest certain foods.
How do you fix intestinal gas? ›
Here are additional suggestions to decrease bloating:
- Eat slowly, and consume smaller, more frequent meals.
- Chew your foods well.
- Drink beverages at room temperature.
- Have your dentures checked for a good fit.
- Increase physical activity during the day.
- Sit up straight after eating.
- Take a stroll after eating.
Best home remedies for trapped gas
- Move around. Walk around or exercise. ...
- Get a massage. Try gently massaging the painful spot, which can stimulate gas to move downward and out of the body. ...
- Do yoga poses. ...
- Drink more liquids. ...
- Try herbs. ...
- Try baking soda. ...
- Drink apple cider vinegar.
Due to this, many of the foods that can cause gas are those that are slow or difficult to digest.
- Beans and legumes. Beans and legumes are known for causing gas. ...
- Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables. ...
- Wheat and other whole grains. ...
- Onions.
- Garlic. ...
- Dairy. ...
- Sugar alcohols. ...
- Carbonated drinks.
Intestinal gas and its discomfort are likely to resolve on their own.
Is intestinal gas good for you? ›
Regularly passing gas is a sign that your body and your digestive tract are working as they should. Minor changes to your diet and lifestyle may increase or decrease the number of times you break wind in any day. Overall, farting is healthy.
Probiotic dietary supplements restore balance to the gut. By having a sufficient amount of good bacteria in our colons and digestive tracts, we reduce negative side effects like gas and bloating. It's even been shown that probiotics can increase gut motility, speeding up digestion, so things don't get backed up.
Does drinking hot water relieve gas? ›
The theory is that hot water can also dissolve and dissipate the food you've eaten that your body might have had trouble digesting. More research is needed to prove this benefit, though a 2016 study showed that warm water may have favorable effects on intestinal movements and gas expulsion after surgery.
How to get instant relief from gas? ›
What is the fastest way to cure gas?
- Drink a glass of warm water, or tea made with herbs such as peppermint, fennel, carom, cumin, or ginger.
- Move around. ...
- Gently massage your stomach. ...
- Try yoga poses that can relieve gas. ...
- Take activated charcoal or simethicone.
Try lying on your left. This follows the natural gas flow in the large bowel. So, it may help pass gas easily and lower gut discomfort.
What is a wet fart called? ›
Also known as wet farts or sharting, watery flatulence may occur as a result of consuming certain foods or beverages that may not agree with a person's digestive system.
Why do I keep passing gas but not pooping? ›
Why do people have so much gas but cannot poop? Factors such as not drinking enough fluids or not eating enough fiber can cause constipation and make the stool hard to pass. A person can speak with their doctor to assess why they have constipation and gas.
Why do you fart more as you get older? ›
Anecdotal evidence links older age to increased gas production. This has been attributed to the metabolic changes that take place at this time of life. These include a general slowing of the metabolism, a decrease in muscle tone and less-effective digestion.
How to make yourself fart to relieve gas fast? ›
On a bed, sofa, or the floor, lie on your side. Gently draw both knees toward your chest. If you don't get relief after several minutes, try slowly moving your legs down and up a few times. Try using your hands to pull your knees closer to your chest, if you can do this comfortably or without causing more pain.
How can I reduce gas in my intestines? ›
Self care
- Try smaller portions. Many of the foods that can cause gas are part of a healthy diet. ...
- Eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly and don't gulp. ...
- Avoid chewing gum, sucking on hard candies and drinking through a straw. ...
- Check your dentures. ...
- Don't smoke. ...
- Exercise.
These tips from Dr. Ogun should help get rid of bloating in minutes.
- Tea. Peppermint, ginger and chamomile all have anti-bloating properties. ...
- Over the counter medications. Certain over the counter medications help to temporarily relieve bloating. ...
- Heat. Use a warm compress, a hot water bottle or a heating pad. ...
- Get moving.
Simethicone: This is known as Gas-X or Mylanta and helps break up the bubbles in gas and helps move it along the digestive tract. Activated charcoal: Also known as CharcoCaps or Actidose-Aqua. Activated charcoal helps reduce gas pain if taken before your meal.
Is intestinal gas serious? ›
Also, harmless bacteria in your large intestine break down food during digestion, releasing gas as a byproduct. This process is responsible for most gas you pass when you fart. Gas isn't a medical issue for most people. But it can feel especially worrisome if you have excess gas, foul-smelling gas or gas pain.
Why do I have to push so hard to fart? ›
Most of the time, however, your external sphincter is to blame. When it's not relaxed—a problem that often occurs when you're stressed out, for example—it clenches up and prevents air from escaping your body, says Dr.
What is the cause of trapped gas in intestines? ›
This is usually caused by eating or drinking rapidly, chewing gum, smoking, or wearing loose dentures. Belching is the way most swallowed air leaves the stomach. The remaining gas is partially absorbed into the small intestine and a small amount goes into the large intestine and is released through the rectum.
Does passing gas mean a healthy gut? ›
Gas is a natural and happy byproduct of the trillions of gut bacteria munching on the food we eat. Healthy gut activity gets us farting between 10-20 times a day. Remember - it's good to fart.
Why am I so gassy all the time and it stinks? ›
Typical conditions that can cause smelly flatulence include lactose and gluten intolerances. In both of these conditions, the body's inability to break down lactose or gluten causes smelly gas to build up and eventually be released. Other people may have food intolerance due to a disease such as celiac disease.
