10 Tips on Belching, Bloating, and Flatulence

1. Belching is caused by swallowed air from:

Eating or drinking too fast

Poorly fitting dentures; not chewing food completely

Carbonated beverages

Chewing gum or sucking on hard candies

Excessive swallowing due to nervous tension or postnasal drip

Forced belching to relieve abdominal discomfort

2. To prevent excessive belching, avoid:

Carbonated beverages

Chewing gum

Hard candies

3. Abdominal bloating and discomfort may be due to intestinal sensitivity or symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. To relieve symptoms, avoid:

Broccoli

Baked beans

Cabbage

Carbonated drinks

Cauliflower

Hard candy

Chewing gum

4. Abdominal distention resulting from weak abdominal muscles:

Is better in the morning

Gets worse as the day progresses

Is relieved by lying down

5. To prevent Abdominal distention:

Tighten abdominal muscles by pulling in your stomach several times during the day

So sit-up exercises if possible

Wear an abdominal support garment if exercise is too difficult

6. Flatulence is gas created through bacterial action in the bowel and passed rectally. Keep in mind that:

10-18 passages per day are normal

Primary gases are harmless and odorless

Noticeable smells are trace gases related to food intake

7. Foods that are likely to form gas include:

Milk, dairy products, and medications that contain lactose--If your body doesn't produce the enzyme (lactase) to break it down.

Certain vegetables--baked beans, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage

Certain starches--wheat, oats, corn, potatoes. Rice is a good substitute.

8. If flatulence is a concern, see your doctor to determine if you are lactose intolerant.

9. Identify offending foods. Reduce or eliminate these gas-forming foods from your diet.

10. Activated Charcoal may provide some benefit.