What You Should Know About Stomach Gas Problems
Although the mention of stomach gas problems, such as belching, flatulence, bloating and gas pains often elicits some degree of amusement, all of us have gas in our intestinal tract and must expel it in some way.
Some individuals are very sensitive to the effects of gas collections in the stomach and intestinal tract and may develop significant discomfort.
If such complaints are troublesome and persistent and do not respond to simple measures, such as change in diet, a visit to your doctor could be helpful.
The gas brought back by belching comes entirely from swallowed air. We all swallow some air when eating food and drinking liquids. Most of the gas mixes with the stomach content and either enters into the small intestine or is belched back.
The air that enters the small intestine is either absorbed or it may continue through to the large intestine and is then passed rectally. Individuals may swallow more air (and thus increase stomach gas) if they have a post-nasal drip, chew gum, have poorly fitting dentures, suck on hard candies or smoke tobacco. Drinking carbonated beverages (soda or...