Trapped Wind: Causes, Symptoms & Relief

What does
TRAPPED WIND FEEL LIKE?

Common symptoms of trapped wind are:

  • A bloated stomach or abdomen
  • Flatulence or burping
  • Feeling uncomfortably full after eating
  • Rumbling or gurgling noises in your stomach
  • Stomach cramps
  • Nausea
  • Pain when you bend over, lie down or during exercise
  • Pain that moves around the body; behind the ribs or up the back or even in to the shoulder
trapped wind causes and symptoms

What causes
TRAPPED WIND?

When we swallow air when we eat or drink, we release most of it as a burp. Any remaining gas will go in to the large intestine or colon, where bacteria are already working on breaking down undigested food - a process which also produces gas. It all eventually comes out as flatulence.

Wind can be caused by eating too fast, which leads us to gulp down air, or by drinking fizzy drinks or eating when stressed. Wearing tight clothing around the waist can contribute to the problem, as can any change to your diet, for example going abroad.

Not everyone reacts in the same way to the foods or drinks they consume, but these are the most common culprits:

Colander full of brussel sprouts

HIGH FIBRE FOODS
such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, onions and brown rice, if you are not used to them

FIZZY DRINKS

DAIRY FOODS
if these bother you, you could be lactose intolerant, which is an inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk

FRUCTOSE
a sugar that passes undigested in to the colon and therefore needs a lot of breaking down (so try to go easy on the fruit juice)

HIGH FAT FOODS

CARBOHYDRATES
some carbs cannot be digested in the small intestine because of a lack of the enzymes that help their digestion

Suffering from trapped wind? Read some treatment tips to help relieve the symptoms of trapped wind

Treating Trapped Wind >

TIPS & ADVICE

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