Diet may be cause of excess gas

May 19, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I have an odd question. I have found myself burping a lot, and, as a woman, this is embarrassing. What is the cause of excess gas? Sometimes I have it so badly it hurts my chest.

DEAR READER: Generally, stomach gas is caused by the digestion of certain foods. Excess stomach acid, acid reflux and swallowing excess air when eating too quickly can also cause burping and gas pain. I suggest that you modify your diet first. Try using Beano or another over-the-counter gas reducer. If these fail to help, make an appointment with your physician to discuss the situation.

Filed Under: Daily Column Tagged With: , , , ,

Noisy flatulence embarrasses, worries reader

April 17, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 61-year-old female who tries to eat healthy and exercise, and sometimes I do better than others. But in the past year, I have been suffering from the increasing embarrassment of noisy flatulence, and it doesn’t seem to matter what I eat. No pain, except that of embarrassment. I read that it is usually dietary, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Beano did nothing.

A friend suggested taking acidophilus. Is this a good idea? If so, how much? I don’t want to go through unnecessary testing, but could this be a symptom of some other problem or is it something one should expect as we age? I guess you can’t die of embarrassment, but sometimes I avoid going out with others.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Daily Column Tagged With: , , ,