An Overview of Intestinal Gas Problems and Symptoms
- Belching
- Flatulence
- Abdominal bloating
- Abdominal pain.
However, not everyone experiences these symptoms. The determining factors in whether you experience problems include:
- How much gas the body produces
- How many fatty acids the body absorbs
- A person's sensitivity to gas in the large intestine.
Intestinal Gas Symptoms: Belching
An occasional belch during or after meals is normal and releases gas when the stomach is full of food. However, people who belch frequently may be swallowing too much air and releasing it before the air enters the stomach.
Sometimes a person with chronic belching may have an upper gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, such as peptic ulcer disease,
gastroesophageal reflux disease (
GERD), or gastroparesis.
Occasionally, a person believes that swallowing air and releasing it will relieve the discomfort of these disorders, and this person may intentionally or unintentionally develop a habit of belching to relieve discomfort.
Gas-bloat syndrome may occur after fundoplication surgery to correct GERD. The surgery creates a one-way valve between the esophagus and stomach that allows food and gas to enter the stomach but often prevents normal belching and the ability to vomit. It occurs in about 10 percent of people who have this surgery.
