Is it something serious or is it just a gas pain?

Gas pains can feel so severe that you may think there is something seriously wrong with your stomach; however, it just ends up being gas in your digestive tract. Although a lot of the time pains in your stomach can turn out to be gas, if you ever feel severe abdominal pain it is always wise to call your doctor as it could be something serious. Gas in the digestive tract is caused by swallowing air, by the breakdown of undigested foods, and by certain foods that produce gas. Everyone swallows a small amount of air when eating, drinking, and even smoking. Burping is the way most of the swallowed air gets released from our stomachs. The air that leaves the stomach when we belch contains oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide; this is due to the natural acids and enzymes that are in our stomach, which break down the food we eat. When we eat food, our bodies do not absorb and digest some sugar carbohydrates, fiber, and starches found in a lot of foods we eat; the small intestine lacks some enzymes that aid digestion, this undigested food passes through the small intestine into the large intestine, which is where natural bacteria in our stomachs breaks down the food. The process of breaking this food down produces carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. These gases build up and eventually exit the body through the rectum. About 1/3 of people also produce methane in these gases, which doesn’t mean they pass gas more, however, their stools will float in water.
Certain foods that produce gas for one person may not produce gas for another; such as someone being lactose intolerant, where gas if produced from drinking milk or eating dairy products. There are some foods that produce gas for the majority of people however, such as broccoli and brussel sprouts; many foods that contain carbohydrates can be the cause gas as well. Some sugars that cause gas inclue lactose, raffinose, sorbitol, and fructose; raffinose sugar is in beans and small amounts are in brussel sprouts, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, whole grains, and some other vegetables. Lactose is the natural sugar that is found in milk, ice cream, chest, and foods that are processed like cereal, bread, and salad dressings. Fructose is a natural sugar that is in artichokes, onions, pears, and wheat. Sorbitol is a sugar found in fruits like peaches, pears, prunes, and apples. The starches that cause gas include potatoes, pasta, corn, and wheat; however, rice does not cause gas in the stomach. Fiber foods are foods that contain soluble and insoluble fiber; foods with soluble fiber are the foods that cause gas, soluble fiber is found in beans, oat bran, most fruits, and peas. Soluble fiber does not get broken down until it has reached the large intestine where digestion will cause gas. If you feel severe pains in your stomach and are not sure if it is gas or something more serious, it is smart to be safe and visit your doctor, who can prescribe something to you for gas or tell you what to take if it is just severe gas pains.

Related Questions