Understanding And Handling Stress

Stress management

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension.

Information

Emotional stress usually occurs in situations people consider difficult or challenging. People may feel stressed in different situations.

Physical stress is a physical reaction of the body to various triggers. The pain experienced after surgery is an example of physical stress. Physical stress often leads to emotional stress, and emotional stress often occurs in the form of physical stress (e.g., stomach cramps).

Stress management involves controlling and reducing the tension that occurs in stressful situations by making emotional and physical changes. The degree of stress and the desire to make the changes will determine how much improvement takes place.

ASSESSING STRESS

Attitude: A person's attitude can influence whether or not a situation or emotion is stressful. A person with a negative attitude will often report more stress than would someone with a positive attitude.

Diet: A poor diet puts the body in a state of physical stress and weakens the immune system. As a result, a person can be more likely to get infections. A poor diet can mean making unhealthy food choices, not eating enough, or not eating on a normal schedule.

This form of physical stress also decreases the ability to deal with emotional stress, because not getting the right nutrition may affect the way the brain processes information.

Physical activity: Not getting enough physical activity can put the body in a stressed state. Physical activity has many benefits, including promoting a feeling of well-being.

Support systems: Almost everyone needs someone in their life they can rely on when they are having a hard time. Having little or no support makes stressful situations even more difficult to deal with.

Relaxation: People with no outside interests, hobbies, or other ways to relax may be less able to handle stressful situations. Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night also helps people cope with stress.

AN INDIVIDUAL STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

    Find the positive in situations, and don't dwell on the negative.

    Plan fun activities.

    Take regular breaks.

Physical activity:

    Start a physical activity program. Most experts recommend 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week.

    Decide on a specific type, amount, and level of physical activity. Fit this into your schedule so it can be part of your routine.

    Find a buddy to exercise with -- it is more fun and it will encourage you to stick with your routine.

    You do not have to join a gym -- 20 minutes of brisk walking outdoors is enough.

Nutrition:

    Eat foods that improve your health and well-being. For example, increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat.

    Use the food guide plate to help you make healthy food choices.

    Eat normal-sized portions on a regular schedule.

Social support:

    Make an effort to socialize. Even though you may feel tempted to avoid people when you feel stressed, meeting friends usually helps people feel less stressed.

    Be good to yourself and others.

Relaxation:

    Learn about and try using relaxation techniques, such as guided imagery, listening to music, or practicing yoga or meditation. With some practice, these techniques should work for you.

    Listen to your body when it tells you to slow down or take a break.

    Make sure to get enough sleep. Good sleep habits are one of the best ways to manage stress.

    Take time for personal interests and hobbies.

RESOURCES

If these stress management techniques do not work for you, there are professionals, such as licensed social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, who can help. Schedule time with one of these mental health professionals to help you learn stress management strategies, including relaxation techniques. Support groups of various types are also available in most communities.

Understanding Constipation

Understanding constipation: Symptoms, treatment and prevention

What is constipation?

Your digestive system is remarkably efficient. In the space of a few hours it extracts nutrients from the foods you eat and drink, processes them into the bloodstream and prepares leftover material for disposal. That material passes through six metres or more of intestine before being stored temporarily in the colon, where water is removed. The residue is excreted through the bowels, normally within a day or two.

Depending on your diet, your age and your daily activity, regularity can mean anything from three bowel movements a day to one every three days. Nonetheless, the longer faecal material sits in the colon, the harder the stool becomes and the more difficult it is to pass. A normal stool should not be either unusually hard or soft, and you shouldn't have to strain unreasonably to pass it.

What causes constipation?

Our busy, modern lifestyles may be responsible for most cases of constipation: not eating enough fibre or drinking enough water, not getting enough exercise, and not taking the time to respond to an unmistakable urge to defecate. Emotional and psychological problems can contribute to the problem. Persistent, chronic constipation may also be a symptom of health conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, colorectal cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, an under-active thyroid gland and depression.

Bowel habits tend to vary with age and circumstances. Bottle-fed babies, for example, tend to have firmer stools and more bouts of constipation than breast-fed babies. Some children become constipated when they start school or other activities because they are embarrassed to ask permission to use the toilet. Toddlers often become constipated during toilet training if they are unwilling or afraid to use the toilet. Being sensitive to pain, children may avoid the toilet if they have minor splits or tears in the anus from straining or other irritations.

Older people, especially those who are more sedentary, tend to develop constipation more often as well.

Some medications can also cause constipation,  including narcotic-type pain killers including codeine, iron supplements and some medicines used to control blood pressure.

What are the symptoms of constipation?

    Hard, compacted stools that are difficult or painful to pass

    Straining during bowel movements

    No bowel movements in three days

    Stomach aches that are relieved by bowel movements

    Bloody stools due to haemorrhoids and anal fissures

    Leaks of wet, almost diarrhoea-like stool between regular bowel movements.

Seek medical advice if:

    Constipation is associated with a temperature and lower abdominal pain, and your stools are thin or loose; these symptoms may be an indication of diverticulitis or other bowel disease.

    You have blood in your stools; this may be from a fissure or haemorrhoid but could also be a sign of colorectal cancer; changes in your bowel movement pattern, such as passing pencil-thin stools, may also signal colorectal cancer.

    Your constipation develops after you start a new prescription drug or take vitamin or mineral supplements; you may need to discontinue the medication or change the dose.

    You or your child has been constipated for two to three weeks, with recurrent abdominal pain; this could be a sign of lead poisoning or other serious ailment.

    You are elderly or disabled and have been constipated for a week or more; you may have an impacted stool.

    You are losing weight even though you aren't dieting.

    You have severe pain with bowel movements.

Diagnosing constipation

Occasional constipation does not justify visiting a doctor, but you should seek professional advice for a persistent problem. Your GP will first examine your abdomen for any sign of a hardened mass and may conduct a rectal examination. To check for problems affecting the body, your GP may take blood samples. They may advise an examination of your colon with a sigmoidoscope, a flexible tube with a magnifying viewer, which is inserted into the rectum. You might also need to be advised to have a barium enema, which coats the intestinal lining so it can be seen on an X-ray or a colonoscopy, where a specialist puts a camera inside the rectum and into the colon.

What are the treatments for constipation?

Most cases of constipation respond to conservative treatment, such as dietary and exercise changes or mild laxatives. Severe or chronic cases will prompt your GP to test for other diseases.

Your GP will probably start treatment by recommending more fibre or bulk in your diet. Your GP will also encourage you to take adequate time for moving your bowels and not to suppress the urge to have a bowel movement. Increasing your exercise is also important if you lead a sedentary lifestyle. For stubborn constipation in children or adults, the GP may recommend a nondigestible sugar called lactulose or specially formulated electrolyte solutions. Suitable laxatives are available over the counter for short-term use in constipation in children and adults.

Faecal impaction is a more serious form of constipation that sometimes affects elderly people and disabled people. To release hardened material in the rectum, a doctor inserts a gloved finger and manually breaks up the solidified stool. A gentle enema using warm water or mineral oil may also be helpful.

How can I prevent constipation?

The key to preventing constipation is simple enough: Drink adequate amounts of water - six to eight glasses a day is a good rule - get sufficient fibre by eating fruits, vegetables and grains, and exercise regularly. Reduce stress and always respond immediately to the call of nature. This combination will result in a more efficient bowel function.

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Diarrhea: Symptoms, Treatment And Prevention

What is diarrhea?

Diarrhoea is having more frequent, loose, watery stool.

You may get diarrhoea after being in contact with someone else who has it, or you may get it from food poisoning - after eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.

Almost everyone has diarrhoea at some point in his or her life, including on holiday abroad, called traveller's diarrhoea.

Diarrhoea that comes on suddenly and lasts for no longer than a couple of days is usually referred to as "acute diarrhoea". Most people with acute diarrhoea recover on their own. Diarrhoea that lasts more than two weeks is thought of as "chronic diarrhoea". Typically, chronic diarrhoea requires medical care to find the underlying cause and treat complications, such as dehydration.

What causes diarrhoea?

Many different problems can cause diarrhoea. Here are the major causes:

You are most likely to come down with diarrhoea after coming into contact with these infectious organisms and agents:

    A virus, such as rotavirus, winter vomiting disease (Norwalk virus or norovirus), enterovirus, or a hepatitis virus.

    A bacterium, such as E. coli, salmonella, shigella, C.diff (clostridium), or cholera (Vibrio cholerae).

    A parasite, such as those that cause giardiasis and amoebiasis.

The length of time diarrhoea lasts often depends on what caused it. Diarrhoea from norovirus lasts around two days, for rotavirus, the duration is three to eight days, Campylobacter and salmonella infections may last two to seven days and diarrhoea from giardiasis can several weeks.

Other medical conditions

A number of non-infectious medical conditions may cause diarrhoea, too. These include:

    Inability to digest certain foods, including a lactose intolerance (difficulty digesting the type of sugar found in dairy products); coeliac disease (an intolerance of gluten in wheat and some other grains); and pancreatic problems, such as those caused by cystic fibrosis, which interfere with production of important digestive substances.

    Surgery to remove part of your intestine. A shortened intestine may be unable to absorb all the substances you eat. This is referred to as short-bowel syndrome.

    The after-effects of surgery to remove the gallbladder. An increase in bile in the colon may result in watery stools.

    Certain diseases of the endocrine (hormonal) system, including thyroid disease, diabetes, adrenal disease, and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

    Certain rare tumours (including carcinoid tumour and pheochromocytoma) that produce diarrhoea-causing substances.

    Inflammation in the intestinal tract, which can result in chronic diarrhoea. If you have inflammatory bowel disease (such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease), you will have bouts of diarrhoea during flare-ups of your disease.

    Pouches of the intestinal wall in diverticular disease can lead to diarrhoea, especially if they become infected and inflamed ( diverticulitis)

    Irritable bowel syndrome, which may cause alternating bouts of diarrhoea and constipation.

    Bowel cancer produces a change in bowel habit that may include diarrhoea or alternating diarrhoea and constipat

Prevention

Medication and other substances

Many medications can cause diarrhoea. Some of the most common include antacids containing magnesium, laxatives, digitalis, diuretics, a number of antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, cholesterol-lowering agents, lithium, theophylline, thyroid hormone and colchicine.

Radiotherapy for prostate cancer or cancers in the abdomen can damage the intestine and cause diarrhoea.

Toxins such as insecticides, psychedelic mushrooms, and arsenic can cause diarrhoea, and overuse of caffeine or alcohol may contribute to diarrhoea.

What are the symptoms of diarrhoea?

    Increased frequency of bowel movements

    Loose, watery stools

    Urgency (having to go right away)

    Incontinence (leakage of stools)

    Bloating, wind

    Rectal  pain

    Lower  abdominal pain or cramping

    Nausea, vomiting

    Fever

    Blood or flecks of mucus in the stool

    Loss of appetite, weight loss

Seek medical advice if:

Seek medical advice if you have diarrhoea for more than three to four days, or if you have diarrhoea with any of the following:

    Blood in your stool

    Dark-black stool that looks like tar (but tell your doctor if you have been taking over-the-counter medications, which also can make the stool look darker than usual)

    Mucus passed with no stools

    Abdominal pain

    Rectal pain

    Fever

    Dehydration

    Recent travel abroad

    Recent seafood consumption

    Reason to believe that you have food poisoning

    Family members who have similar illness

    Colleagues, associates or friends who have similar symptoms after eating in the same venue

 How do I know if I have diarrhoea?

Your doctor's most important tool for diagnosing the cause of your diarrhoea is the information you provide. You will need to inform the doctor about recent travel and whether other people in your family are ill. Providing details about the stools may be embarrassing to you, but they are very important, such as presence of blood or mucus; how watery it is; how long you've had diarrhoea; whether you are also experiencing severe urgency, abdominal pain, or pain in your rectum; and whether it occurs more often after eating certain foods.

Your doctor may want to examine a sample of your stools and may send it to a laboratory for testing. If your doctor suspects food intolerance, the doctor may ask you to avoid a particular type of food for a while to see if this helps stop your diarrhoea. If your doctor needs more information to make a diagnosis, you may need to undergo sigmoidoscopy, which is an examination of the rectum and lower part of the colon with a lighted tube-like instrument, or colonoscopy, which is an examination of the entire colon with a similar instrument. If your symptoms suggest food intolerance or a hormonal disturbance, other tests may be ordered.

What are the treatments for diarrhoea?

The most important aspect of treating diarrhoea involves avoiding dehydration and replacing lost fluid. Because plain water does not contain sugar, sodium, or potassium, which are also lost in diarrhoea, it is important to consume plenty of fluids that contain these substances. Examples of appropriate drinks include water, prepared re-hydration solutions, chicken or beef soup. Fruit juice or fizzy drinks can make diarrhoea worse in children.

If you also are vomiting, try taking tiny amounts of liquid every 15 minutes. After you are able to hold down liquids, you can advance to a bland, soft diet.

You may be asked to avoid fats, sweets, coffee, and milk products until you are completely over the diarrhoea.

Effective antidiarrhoeal medicines such as loperamide, that works by slowing down the muscle movements in the gut, are available over the counter for adults and children over 12. This medicine shouldn’t be used if breastfeeding. Pharmacists can advise on suitable products.

Seek medical advice before using anti-diarrhoea medicines if there is blood in the poo,a high temperature or other symptoms, and in the case of severe or persistent diarrhoea in a child under 12.

In severe diarrhoea due to infectious bacteria, your doctor may advise taking antibiotics to help resolve the symptoms. However, antibiotics won't help with viral diarrhoea, which is the most common type of infectious diarrhoea.

How can I prevent diarrhoea?

The most important way to avoid diarrhoea is to avoid coming into contact with infectious agents that can cause it. This means that hygienic food preparation and storage techniques, and good hand washing, especially when preparing food and after using the toilet are very important.

If someone in your home has diarrhoea, take precuations to stop it spreading:

    Disinfectant the toilet, handle and the seat after the person has used it each time.

    Don't share towels, flannels, cutlery or utensils with the person who is unwell.

    Keep them at home until at least 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea.

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What To Eat To Reduce Gas And Stomach Pains

The following dietary changes may help reduce the amount of gas your body produces or help gas move more quickly through your system:

    Try to identify and avoid the foods that affect you the most. Foods that cause gas problems for many people include beans, onions, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, artichokes, asparagus, pears, apples, peaches, prunes, sugar-free candies and chewing gum, whole-wheat bread, bran cereals or muffins, milk, cream, ice cream, ice milk, and beer, sodas and other carbonated beverages.

    Try cutting back on fried and fatty foods. Often, bloating results from eating fatty foods. Fat delays stomach emptying and can increase the sensation of fullness.

    Temporarily cut back on high-fiber foods. Add them back gradually over weeks. If you take a fiber supplement, try cutting back on the amount you take and build up your intake gradually. If your symptoms persist, you might try a different fiber supplement. Be sure to take fiber supplements with at least 8 ounces of water and drink plenty of liquids throughout each day.

    Reduce your use of dairy products. Try using low-lactose dairy foods, such as yogurt, instead of milk. Or try using products that help digest lactose, such as Lactaid or Dairy Ease. Consuming small amounts of milk products at one time or consuming them with other foods also may make them easier to digest. In some cases, however, you may need to eliminate dairy foods completely.

Over-the-counter remedies 

Some products may help, but they aren't always effective. Consider trying:

    Beano. Add Beano to beans and vegetables to help reduce the amount of gas they produce. For Beano to be effective, you need to take it with your first bite of food. It works best when there's only a little gas in your intestines.

    Lactase supplements. Supplements of the enzyme lactase (Lactaid, Dairy Ease), which helps you digest lactose, may help if you are lactose intolerant. You might also try dairy products that are lactose-free or have reduced lactose. They're available at most grocery stores.

    Simethicone. Over-the-counter products that contain simethicone (Gas-X, Gelusil, Mylanta, Mylicon) help break up the bubbles in gas. Although these products are widely used, they haven't been proven effective for gas and gas pain.

    Activated charcoal. Charcoal tablets (CharcoCaps, Charcoal Plus, others) also may help. You take them before and after a meal. They're available in natural food stores and many drugstores.

Lifestyle and home remedies

The following modifications to your lifestyle may help reduce or relieve excess gas and gas pain:

    Try smaller meals. Eat several small meals throughout the day instead of two or three larger ones.

    Eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly and don't gulp. If you have a hard time slowing down, put down your fork between each bite.

    Avoid chewing gum, sucking on hard candies and drinking through a straw. These activities can cause you to swallow more air.

    Don't eat when you're anxious, upset or on the run. Try to make meals relaxed occasions. Eating when you're stressed can interfere with digestion.

    Check your dentures. Poorly fitting dentures can cause you to swallow excess air when you eat and drink.

    Don't smoke. Cigarette smoking can increase the amount of air you swallow.

    Exercise. Physical activity may help move gas through the digestive tract.

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Stomach Gas Problems: Risk Factors

Risk factors

You're more likely to have problems with gas if you:

    Are lactose or gluten intolerant

    Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes

    Have a chronic intestinal condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulosis or inflammatory bowel disease

Preparing for your appointment

Because appointments can be brief, it's a good idea to come prepared.

What you can do

    Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including the frequency of your gas and the intensity of your abdominal pain.

    Write down your key medical information, including any other health problems and the names of any medications, vitamins or supplements that you're taking.

    Write down your questions for the doctor.

For gas and gas pains, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

    What is the most likely cause of my signs and symptoms?

    Are there any other possible causes?

    Do I need any tests?

    What treatments or home remedies might help me feel better?

    Should I limit or avoid certain foods or drinks?

    Are there any other lifestyle changes that could help prevent gas pains?

In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor 

Your doctor will likely have questions for you, too. He or she may ask:

    How long have you noticed an increase in gas or gas pains?

    How many times do you pass gas each day?

    Does eating certain foods seem to trigger your symptoms?

    Have you added any new foods or drinks to your diet recently?

    Have you been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome or another intestinal condition?

    Are you currently taking any antibiotics or other medications?

    Do you have nausea or vomiting with your gas pains?

    Do you frequently chew gum, suck on candies or drink through a straw?

    Do you have gas when you drink milk or milk products?

What you can do in the meantime 

Before your appointment, keep a journal of the food and beverages you eat, how many times a day you pass gas, and any other symptoms you experience. Bring the journal to your appointment. It can help your doctor determine whether there's a connection between your gas or gas pains and your diet.

Tests and diagnosis

Your doctor will likely determine what's causing your gas and gas pains based on your medical history, a review of your dietary habits and a physical exam. During the exam, your doctor may check to see if your abdomen is distended and listen for a hollow sound when your abdomen is tapped. A hollow sound usually indicates the presence of excess gas.

Depending on your other symptoms, your doctor may recommend further tests in order to rule out conditions that are more serious, such as partial bowel obstruction.

Treatments and drugs

If your gas pains are caused by another health problem, treating the underlying condition may offer relief. Otherwise, bothersome gas is generally treated with dietary measures, lifestyle modifications or over-the-counter medications. Although the solution isn't the same for everyone, with a little trial and error, most people are able to find some relief.

Some recommendations for preventing gas pains from the Harvard Medical School's Family Health Guide include:

    Eat in an environment where you can be relaxed to help reduce flatulence & burping.

    Chew slowly and thoroughly. Gas can be a sign of undigested food.

    Take a short walk after eating to prevent gas from accumulating and can help stimulate the passage of gas through the digestive tract.

    Avoid common food sources of gas including artificial sweeteners, carbonated beverages, alcohol, sugar-free candies or chewing gum, and dairy products. Also, (due to their fiber content) foods like brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, artichokes, asparagus, prunes, bran cereals or muffins, and whole-wheat bread can also cause gas.

Symptoms of stomach gas

Symptoms

For most people, the signs and symptoms of gas and gas pain are all too obvious. They include:

    The voluntary or involuntary passing of gas, either as belches or as flatus.

    Sharp, jabbing pains or cramps in your abdomen. These pains may occur anywhere in your abdomen and can change locations quickly.

    A "knotted" feeling in your abdomen.

    Swelling and tightness in your abdomen (bloating).

Gas pains are usually intense, but brief. Once the gas is gone, your pain often disappears. In some cases, however, the pain may be constant or so intense that it feels like something is seriously wrong.

Gas can sometimes be mistaken for:

    Heart disease

    Gallstones

    Appendicitis

When to see a doctor 

It's considered normal to pass gas as flatus between 10 to 20 times a day.

Call your doctor if your gas is accompanied by:

    Severe, prolonged or recurrent abdominal pain

    Nausea or vomiting

    Bloody stools

    Weight loss

    Fever

    Chest pain

In addition, talk to your doctor if your gas or gas pains are so persistent or severe that they interfere with your ability to live a normal life. In most cases, treatment can help reduce or alleviate the problem.

Causes

Gas forms when bacteria in your colon ferment carbohydrates that aren't digested in your small intestine. Unfortunately, healthy, high-fiber foods are often the worst offenders. Fiber has many health benefits, including keeping your digestive tract in good working order and regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels. But fiber can also lead to the formation of gas.

High-fiber foods that commonly cause gas and gas pains include:

    Fruits

    Vegetables

    Whole grains

    Beans and peas (legumes)

Fiber supplements containing psyllium, such as Metamucil, may cause such problems, especially if added to your diet too quickly. Carbonated beverages, such as soda and beer, also are causes of gas.

Other causes of excess gas include:

    Swallowed air. You swallow air every time you eat or drink. You may also swallow air when you're nervous, eat too fast, chew gum, suck on candies or drink through a straw. Some of that air finds its way into your lower digestive tract.

    Another health condition. Excess gas may be a symptom of a more serious chronic condition. Examples include diverticulitis or an inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.

    Antibiotics. In some cases of excess gas, antibiotic use may be a factor because antibiotics disrupt the normal bacterial flora in your bowel.

    Laxatives. Excessive use of laxatives also may contribute to problems with excess gas.

    Constipation. Constipation may make it difficult to pass gas, leading to bloating and discomfort.

    Food intolerances. If your gas and bloating occur mainly after eating dairy products, it may be because your body isn't able to break down the sugar (lactose) in dairy foods. Many people aren't able to process lactose efficiently after age 6, and even infants are sometimes lactose intolerant. Other food intolerances, especially to gluten — a protein found in wheat and some other grains — also can result in excess gas, diarrhea and even weight loss.

    Artificial additives. It's also possible that your system can't tolerate artificial sweeteners, such as sorbitol and mannitol, found in some sugar-free foods, gums and candies. Many healthy people develop gas and diarrhea when they consume these sweeteners.

It's helpful to figure out what's causing your gas so you can better know what to do to prevent it. For example, if you notice that your gas seems to be caused by:

    Eating a lot of beans, try using products like Beano just before eating.

    Eating dairy products (milk, yogurt, ice cream, cheese, etc.), try products like LactAid, Lactrase, and Dairy Ease.

    A high fiber diet — whether the fiber is from foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) or supplements (Metamucil type products), try cutting back somewhat on your fiber intake. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water to aid in digestion.

How to prevent gas in the stomach and gas pain

Gas pains — whether they're sharp, jabbing pains, cramps, or a general feeling of being bloated — are uncomfortable, unwanted, and totally natural. Everyone passes gas. Everyone gets gas pains sometimes. So what can a person do to fuel relief?

Definition

Gas and gas pains can strike at the worst possible moment — during an important meeting or on a crowded elevator. And although passing intestinal gas (flatus) usually isn't serious, it can be embarrassing.

Anything that causes intestinal gas or is associated with constipation or diarrhea can lead to gas pains. These pains generally occur when gas builds up in your intestines, and you're not able to expel it. On average, most people pass gas at least 10 times a day.

The good news is that although you can't stop gas and gas pains, a few simple measures can help reduce the amount of gas you produce and relieve your discomfort and embarrassment.

Here are some of the closest things to a "cure" that you can try when you're experiencing gas pains:

    Antacids containing simethicone, a foaming agent that joins gas bubbles in the stomach so that gas is more easily burped away.

    Activated charcoal — this should be taken before and after meals; it may cause some harmless side effects, including constipation and black stools.

    Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate, and Bismatrol) — this can relieve inflammatory conditions of the stomach and intestines, which can sometimes relieve gas.

    Herbal remedies like drinking a cup of water with a drop of peppermint extract; sipping teas with ginger, peppermint, anise, or chamomile after a meal; or chewing fennel seeds.