If you have trapped gas, trying home remedies and certain movements may help. If it lasts a long time or occurs frequently, or you have other symptoms, it may be an early indicator of a health condition.
Trapped gas can feel like a stabbing pain in your chest or abdomen. The pain can be sharp enough to send you to the emergency room, thinking it’s a heart attack, appendicitis, or gallbladder.
Producing and passing gas is a typical part of your digestion. But when a bubble of gas gets stuck inside you, you want to relieve the pain as fast as possible. And if you have other symptoms, it’s a good idea to find out what’s causing the pain.
Read on to learn how to relieve trapped gas, what the causes might be, and tips for prevention.
Certain home remedies for relieving trapped gas work better for some people than others. You may have to experiment to see what works best and fastest for you. Most of the evidence behind these home remedies is anecdotal.
Here are some quick ways to expel trapped gas, either by burping or passing gas.
- Move around
Walk around or exercise. Movement may helpTrusted Source you expel the gas.
- Get a massage
Try gently massaging the painful spot, which can stimulate gas to move downward and out of the body. In particular, using the “I LOV U” technique may be helpful.
This involves making circular massage movements on your abdominal area in the shape of the letters I, L, U, and O in the direction your bowel movements pass through the colon and small intestine.
- Do yoga poses
Yoga may helpTrusted Source your body relax to aid the passing of gas.
Here’s a pose to start with:
- Lie on your back and extend your legs straight up with your feet together.
- Bend your knees and put your arms around them.
- Pull your knees down to your chest.
- At the same time, pull your head up to your knees. You can also keep your head flat if it’s more comfortable.
- Hold the pose for 20 seconds or more.
Certain yoga poses may work better than others.
- Drink more liquids
Drink noncarbonated liquids. Warm water or herbal tea helps some people. Try peppermint, ginger, or chamomile tea.
Use prepared teabags, or make your own herbal tea by steeping ginger root, peppermint leaves, or dried chamomile.
A traditional Persian remedy advisesTrusted Source mixing 10 grams (g) each of ground cumin and fennel with 5 g of ground anise and steeping them in a cup of boiling water for 20 minutes.
- Try herbs
Natural kitchen remedies for gas include:
- anise
- caraway
- coriander
- fennel
- turmeric
Mix one of these ground herbs or seeds into a glass of warm water and drink.
- Try baking soda
Dissolve 1/2 teaspoonTrusted Source of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in a glass of water and drink it.
Be careful not to use more than 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Too much baking soda taken when you have a full stomach could lead to a stomach ruptureTrusted Source.
- Drink apple cider vinegar
Dissolving 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drinking it is a traditional remedy for gas release.
Anecdotal evidence suggestsTrusted Source this may be effective, but there’s no scientific evidence to support this claim. However, there aren’t any negative side effects to this method.
Best OTC remedies for trapped gas
Many over-the-counter (OTC) remedies exist for gas relief. Again, the evidence for effectiveness may be anecdotal only. You’ll have to experiment to see what works for you.
Here are some products to try.
- Enzyme preparations
Certain products may helpTrusted Source if you are lactose intolerant. But these are usually taken as a preventive measure. These enzyme products include:
- Lactaid
- Digest Dairy Plus
- Dairy Relief
Alpha-galactosidase is a natural enzyme that helps prevent gas from legumes. There’s older evidenceTrusted Source that it works to prevent gas and bloating. But again, it’s usually taken as a preventive measure.
Beano is a well-known version of this enzyme, available in tablet form.
- Adsorbents
Simethicone products have possible benefits in relieving gas, according to some studiesTrusted Source. They work by breaking up bubbles in gas.
These products include:
- Gas-X
- Alka-Seltzer Anti-Gas
- Mylanta Gas
Activated charcoal tablets, capsules, or powder may also helpTrusted Source reduce gas. The charcoal is activated by heating it to make it more porous, which traps gas molecules in the spaces created. However, these products may haveTrusted Source unwanted side effects, such as turning your tongue black.
These products include:
- Activated Charcoal
- CharcoCaps
Symptoms of trapped gas
Trapped gas symptoms usually come onTrusted Source suddenly. The pain can be sharp and stabbing. It can also be a general feeling of acute discomfort.
Your stomach may be bloated, and you may have stomach cramps.
Pain from gas that collects on the left side of your colon can radiate up to your chest. You may think this is a heart attack.
Gas that collects on the right side of the colon can feel like it might be appendicitis or gallstones.
