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Eating or drinking quickly can cause excessive gas.drinking water image by PaulPaladin from Fotolia.com
Track your eating habits and symptoms of excessive gas for a couple of weeks. Write down what you eat and how you eat it, what you drink and how quickly you drink it. Keep track of the number of times you burp or pass gas; what bothers you may be within the normal range. This will help you and your doctor identify if certain foods bother you, determine whether you have a problem at all or compel additional tests for underlying medical conditions.
Your food log may help you identify what foods cause your excessive gas. Some people don't digest certain foods well, so bacteria in the colon do most of the digestive work and give off large amounts of gas. Foods containing certain sugars, foods with added sweeteners and dairy products can be the culprits, and cutting these foods from your diet can treat excessive gas. - 2
Many ethnic groups are lactose intolerant.milk drop image by Kimberly Reinick from Fotolia.com
Get tested for food intolerance. You can eliminate lactose or wheat products from your diet for two weeks to see if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to wheat gluten. You can also take a blood or breath test to check for lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is common in people of African, Asian or Native American backgrounds. Age also decreases enzymes needed to digest lactose. Food intolerance might be the cause of your excessive gas. - 3
Rice is the only starch that doesn't cause gas.basmati rice image by Carpenter from Fotolia.com
Eliminate other foods from your diet. You can try reducing gas-producing foods such as beans, high-fat foods or whole grains, but don't cut healthy foods from your diet altogether. Low-fat foods help the stomach empty faster and allow excessive gas to move through the body at a faster rate. Fiber, starches or sugars may cause your excessive gas. Through trial and error you can discover what foods cause you problems and how much you can tolerate.
Fructose, lactose, raffinose and sorbitol are the sugars that can cause excessive gas. Raffinose is found in asparagus, beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and whole grains. Fructose is found in artichokes, onions, pears, wheat and many beverages. Sorbitol naturally occurs in fruits and is used as an artificial sweetener in many sugar-free foods. Rice is the only starch that does not cause gas. Corn, pasta, potatoes and wheat can all contribute to excessive gas.
Insoluble fiber, such as that found in wheat bran and many vegetables, doesn't produce much gas. Soluble fiber, such as that found in beans, fruits, oat bran and peas, can contribute to excessive gas. - 4
Chewing gum or sucking on candy can increase gas.drops image by Mirko Raatz from Fotolia.com
Stop excessive air swallowing. Aerophagia refers to air swallowing, something we all do as we eat or drink. About half the gas we pass from the rectum results from swallowed air. Eating or drinking quickly, chewing gum or sucking on candy, drinking through a straw, smoking cigarettes or wearing ill-fitting dentures can all increase aerophagia and contribute to excessive gas. Nervousness can cause people to swallow more air, as can forced belching. This is a learned behavior that can become unconscious reports ACG. For some people, swallowed air just moves more slowly through the body. - 5
Beans are a common cause of excessive gas.beans image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
Try digestive enzymes. Over-the-counter enzymes may help you to digest carbohydrates or other foods that cause excessive gas. Lactase enzymes can be used to treat excessive gas caused by lactose intolerance. Beano may help you digest sugars but won't help treat excessive gas caused by fiber. ACG warns that most over-the-counter treatments are not very effective. - 6
An x-ray may pick up intestinal blockages.x - ray image by Sandor Kacso from Fotolia.com
Get further testing done. If your excessive gas isn't reduced by eliminating foods or changing air-swallowing habits, you may have an underlying medical condition. Endoscopy can detect reflux or ulcer disease. A colonoscopy may pick up changes in bowel patterns and an x-ray can pick up blockages in the intestines.
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