Gas is a common problem that everyone suffers from. Most of the times, gas is expelled naturally from the body through the rectum or by belching. Gas in the gastrointestinal tract can cause heaviness and sometimes heartburn. If you feel that you are passing too much of gas, know that an average person expels gas about fourteen times a day, and anything around that number is perfectly normal. There are two main reasons for the presence of air or gas in your gastrointestinal tract. When we talk or eat, we inadvertently swallow air. This swallowed air goes into the gastrointestinal tract, and since it can’t be digested, it starts to accumulate there.
The most common cause of gas in the stomach is the swallowing of air. While swallowing small amounts of air is pretty normal while eating, you might end up ingesting large quantities of air when you eat or drink rapidly and gulp your food. Constantly chewing gum or smoking might increase the chances of swallowing air through the mouth. The air swallowed by the mouth is usually expelled through burping and belching. Most of the swallowed gas is expelled naturally. However there is a small amount that gets absorbed in the small intestines. Some of the unabsorbed gas moves to the large intestines and is finally passed through the rectum. Our gastrointestinal tract is also home to many of the friendly bacteria that help digest the complex material like dietary fibers, which our digestive system can’t digest. Some of the carbohydrates that we ingest, such as complex sugars, starch, and fibers, cannot be digested in our stomach because the stomach lacks the appropriate enzymes to break these down. This undigested food is passed on from the small intestines to the large intestines where these friendly bacteria reside. The bacteria breakdown these undigested material and as a by product release gases. These gases are nitrogen, hydrogen and methane. Methane smells foul, and therefore, the gases passed through the rectal passage often smell bad.
There are several herbs like the anise, chamomile, or peppermint oil that can be used to treat gas. Fennel, often used as a mouth freshener, can be used to brew a tea that helps release accumulated gases. You may blanch leaves of the verbena plant, and drink the resultant tea to relieve pressure from gas. When you are lying down on your back, bring your knees together and press them against your chest. This exercise helps to remove gas from the gastrointestinal tract.
answered by M W