“Why do I have so much gas and bloating?”
I am suffering with a lot of gas and bloating issues and it is a recurrent problem almost every day. Why do I suffer from this?
11 Answers
Hi. It depends on the health of your digestive system and the food you eat. Your acu dr should be able to modify your eating habits and, if there are no other underline conditions, it should solve your problem
In Chinese Medicine, it's difficult to provide a diagnosis with only the symptoms. There are several reasons why people feel certain symptoms and the symptoms themselves can be misleading. To fully and accurately explain why you feel this bloating, I would need to take a full history, feel your pulse, and look at your tongue.
Having some intestinal gas is a natural product of the digestive process. Excessive gas and bloating can be caused by excess air swallowing while eating, drinking fluids with meals, drinking carbonated beverages, or by bacterial action in the colon. Foods high in soluble fiber and some carbohydrates can increase gas and bloating as a result of bacterial action in the digestive tract. Some of these include foods in the cabbage family, beans, and onions.
Some people lack the enzyme responsible for digesting lactose, a type of sugar in dairy products, which results in gas and bloating. Since different food groups require different enzymes, one school of thought believes combining certain food groups at the same meal can cause more gas and bloating. Finally, after years of a poor quality diet, the development of irritable bowel syndrome can challenge the digestive process and result in more gas and bloating.
Some people lack the enzyme responsible for digesting lactose, a type of sugar in dairy products, which results in gas and bloating. Since different food groups require different enzymes, one school of thought believes combining certain food groups at the same meal can cause more gas and bloating. Finally, after years of a poor quality diet, the development of irritable bowel syndrome can challenge the digestive process and result in more gas and bloating.
There are three reasons:
1) Poor eating habits: eating too fast, not chewing well, irregular meals, too full sometimes
2) Contents of food: some people are not good with digesting dairy, beans, etc., and eat too much of those at a time.
3) Disorders of some body conditions, like lack of certain enzymes, some stomach and intestinal disorders, etc.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal supplements will be helpful for all those cases.
1) Poor eating habits: eating too fast, not chewing well, irregular meals, too full sometimes
2) Contents of food: some people are not good with digesting dairy, beans, etc., and eat too much of those at a time.
3) Disorders of some body conditions, like lack of certain enzymes, some stomach and intestinal disorders, etc.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal supplements will be helpful for all those cases.
I cannot diagnose you without actually seeing you or knowing about other symptoms/signs in the body. The simplest answer, though, would involve your diet and/or your gut flora. Absent any serious medical condition (which you would need to see an MD to rule out), it may be as easy as getting some probiotics at a Walgreens, CVS, or other local store that sells supplements, or be aware of foods causing the problem.
You can find a local practitioner by searching your zip code at www.nccaom.org
Good luck.
You can find a local practitioner by searching your zip code at www.nccaom.org
Good luck.
Hard to say what the root cause of this might be without evaluating you in person. Acupuncture is typically a very good choice for helping to manage digestive complaints, so I'd suggest finding a board certified practitioner in your area.
Hi,
In the Chinese medicine point of view, it could be a few points you can think about:
1. Stress related: Stress will decrease digestion function and cause problems.
2. Diet: you may eat some foods that your body can feel bad and get gas faster.
3. Lack of good and friendly bacteria in the body.
4. Do you like to eat fried foods and dairy? When the digestive system is not strong, these foods tend to cause more problems.
Hope these few points for you to think about and acupuncture and herbs help.
Huan wen Fang
In the Chinese medicine point of view, it could be a few points you can think about:
1. Stress related: Stress will decrease digestion function and cause problems.
2. Diet: you may eat some foods that your body can feel bad and get gas faster.
3. Lack of good and friendly bacteria in the body.
4. Do you like to eat fried foods and dairy? When the digestive system is not strong, these foods tend to cause more problems.
Hope these few points for you to think about and acupuncture and herbs help.
Huan wen Fang
There are many causes for recurrent gas and bloating, so I will talk about a few of the most common ones I see in my practice:
First, if you are middle-aged or older, you probably need to be taking food enzymes. I say this because as we age, we produce fewer and fewer of the enzymes (things that end in -ase, like lactase, which breaks down lactose) that break down and digest our food. So, taking a good food enzyme with every meal might take care of the problem.
You should also be taking a good probiotic. Antibiotics, stress, poor diets, all have done a great job of wiping out the good bacteria that live in our intestinal tracts and help us digest our food and keep us healthy (70% of your immune system is in your intestines!). So, getting as many different types of probiotics repopulated in your gut can do wonders for gas and bloating.
Another very common cause is gluten intolerance. The genetic engineering of wheat has caused irritation of the intestines in many, many people. This can lead to lots of problems, gas and bloating being just the beginning of much larger issues, like celiac disease or diverticulitis. And gluten/wheat and other grains that have the same effects on our bodies are hidden in lots and lots of things we buy regularly, like ketchup or corned beef hash, or beer. So, it takes research and diligence to avoid it, and it takes less than a gram of the stuff to create the autoimmune response in our bodies, so vigilance is required. But, if you are sensitive to gluten and you continue to eat it, it will cause one problem after another. Unfortunately, there are no tests for gluten intolerance, just the elimination diet to see how you feel after a month without it.
A third common cause is dairy. Many people have gas and bloating after drinking milk, eating yogurt, or enjoying ice cream. Sigh...
A final suggestion is about eating fruit. Fruit digests more quickly than most other foods, and if there's something else in front of it in the digestive tract, it will sit there and ferment. And what's the byproduct of fermentation? Gas. So, if you're a fruit eater, get your fix first thing in the morning (and that includes fruit juices as well) when your stomach is empty, and that orange or banana has a clear ride through your system.
I hope you get to the bottom of the issue. Besides being uncomfortable and embarrassing, it can portend much larger problems just around the bend.
First, if you are middle-aged or older, you probably need to be taking food enzymes. I say this because as we age, we produce fewer and fewer of the enzymes (things that end in -ase, like lactase, which breaks down lactose) that break down and digest our food. So, taking a good food enzyme with every meal might take care of the problem.
You should also be taking a good probiotic. Antibiotics, stress, poor diets, all have done a great job of wiping out the good bacteria that live in our intestinal tracts and help us digest our food and keep us healthy (70% of your immune system is in your intestines!). So, getting as many different types of probiotics repopulated in your gut can do wonders for gas and bloating.
Another very common cause is gluten intolerance. The genetic engineering of wheat has caused irritation of the intestines in many, many people. This can lead to lots of problems, gas and bloating being just the beginning of much larger issues, like celiac disease or diverticulitis. And gluten/wheat and other grains that have the same effects on our bodies are hidden in lots and lots of things we buy regularly, like ketchup or corned beef hash, or beer. So, it takes research and diligence to avoid it, and it takes less than a gram of the stuff to create the autoimmune response in our bodies, so vigilance is required. But, if you are sensitive to gluten and you continue to eat it, it will cause one problem after another. Unfortunately, there are no tests for gluten intolerance, just the elimination diet to see how you feel after a month without it.
A third common cause is dairy. Many people have gas and bloating after drinking milk, eating yogurt, or enjoying ice cream. Sigh...
A final suggestion is about eating fruit. Fruit digests more quickly than most other foods, and if there's something else in front of it in the digestive tract, it will sit there and ferment. And what's the byproduct of fermentation? Gas. So, if you're a fruit eater, get your fix first thing in the morning (and that includes fruit juices as well) when your stomach is empty, and that orange or banana has a clear ride through your system.
I hope you get to the bottom of the issue. Besides being uncomfortable and embarrassing, it can portend much larger problems just around the bend.
Your condition is associated with a digestive malfunction. You can take some digestive aids over the counter, such as Tums, with meals, or come in for acupuncture.
Dr. Daisy
Dr. Daisy
How long have you been suffering from it? Make a log for a week of everything you eat and record your digestive system's response to every type of food you are eating. You might have sensitivity to certain foods. In general, try to reduce dairy intake and gluten intake, and if you can eliminate those types of food that's even better.
It's difficult to say without knowing more about your overall health, diet and habits, but typically it's from too many carbs in the evening or foods that aren't digesting properly. Try eliminating carbs after 3pm and see if it helps. If not try eliminating foods you feel may be the culprit for 10 days (one at a time). Acupuncture can help regain balance and calm your center.
