Beat burping, bloating and breaking wind

Bloating

This is caused by excessive gas, but if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), even a normal amount of gas can be a trigger.

What can you do? ‘Try to relax - stress exacerbates IBS,\' says Professor Alastair Forbes of Core, the Digestive Disorders Foundation. ‘Avoid gassy drinks and rich meals. Talk to your GP about activated charcoal, which absorbs gas, or defoaming agents, which break up bubbles.\'

When to worry ‘Bloating can sometimes be due to Crohn\'s disease or a bowel tumour,\' says Alastair. ‘These also cause weight loss, pain and diarrhoea, and need prompt investigation.\'

Diarrhoea

If it\'s acute, it could be food poisoning, anxiety or gastroenteritis. If it\'s chronic, it\'s likely to be IBS, which means your bowel doesn\'t function correctly.

What can you do? For acute diarrhoea, use rehydration salts (try Dioralyte, £3.55 for six sachets from pharmacies) to replace lost fluids, and a product such as Imodium (£6.90 for 18 capsules from pharmacies) to settle your tummy. For chronic diarrhoea, talk to your GP.

When to worry ‘Chronic diarrhoea needs to be investigated, as it can also be due to bowel inflammation (such as, Crohn\'s disease or ulcerative colitis) or poor absorption of food (caused by coeliac disease or a chronic pancreas disease),\' says Alastair. ‘Take care if you\'re over 50 when it first occurs.\'

Constipation

This happens when the muscles of the intestine and colon don\'t work properly. Lots of medicines cause it, as well as IBS.

What can you do? Eat a high-fibre diet, rich in fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals and rice - but drink plenty of water, too.

When to worry ‘Rarely, constipation may be caused by the bowel narrowing because of scarring, diverticular disease, inflammation or, in very rare cases, a tumour. For information about bowel cancer, visit www.beatingbowelcancer.org. Hormonal problems, such as an underactive thyroid gland, can also be to blame,\' says Alastair.

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Burping

This is due to taking in air when you eat or drink fast, chew gum or smoke.

What can you do? Relax - some people swallow air without noticing it when they\'re tense. Try not to gulp food and drinks, and avoid fizzy drinks, which release gas.

When to worry ‘Chronic burping is caused by air being sucked into the gullet, then rapidly expelled,\' says Alastair. ‘If it\'s linked to chest pain or difficulty swallowing, seek medical advice.\'

Tummy ache

This is normally the result of abusing your digestive system with too many junk foods, but can also be caused by anxiety and stress, as part of IBS.

What can you do? Keep a food diary to establish links between symptoms and certain foods. Drink fennel or peppermint tea to soothe the gut. Your GP can also prescribe anti-spasmodic drugs or peppermint oil capsules, such as Colpermin.

When to worry If the pain becomes more severe and you have a fever or can\'t hold down fluids, seek medical help.

Flatulence

This is caused by bacterial fermentation in the colon - most of us pass wind about 15 times a day. Anything over 40 times is considered excessive but those with a high-fibre diet are likely to be windier.

What can you do? A high-fibre diet is healthy, but avoid the main culprits for wind - beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, turnips, onions, garlic and leeks, which all produce a lot of gas. Consider activated charcoal, which reduces the amount - and smell - of wind.

When to worry ‘Excess wind can be a sign of lactose intolerance or a condition that interferes with the small bowel\'s absorption of nutrients, such as Crohn\'s or coeliac diseases,\' says Alastair.

Heartburn

This is caused by reflux, when acids travel back up from the stomach into the oesophagus.

What can you do? ‘Heartburn is often worse after rich meals, citrus fruits, hot drinks and alcohol. It\'s also exacerbated by smoking,\' says Alastair. Symptoms may be worse at night or when you lie down, so avoid eating large meals in the evening. Your GP can prescribe antacids and indigestion remedies to help.

When to worry Severe heartburn could be a sign of oesophagitis - inflammation within the oesophagus. This can cause ulcers, bleeding and narrowing of the gullet. ‘A GP can prescribe drugs to treat it, but if the gullet is scarred it may need to be widened,\' says Alastair.

Occasional indigestion

This causes pain in the top of the abdomen, or lower chest, and sometimes nausea. It\'s due to overeating, rushing meals and spicy, fatty food.

What can you do? ‘Take care not to overeat, and keep a record of foods that trigger indigestion and try to avoid them. There are good over-the-counter remedies,\' says Alastair.

When to worry You could need treatment to reduce the amount of acid that your stomach makes. Severe symptoms need investigating.

Continuous indigestion

If you have waves of pain in the middle of or just under your ribs on the right side, it could be due to biliary colic, the most common symptom of gallstones.

What can you do? Seek medical advice.

When to worry ‘If a stone gets into the main duct leading from the liver to the intestine, it may block the flow of bile from the liver and cause jaundice, as well as pain,\' says Alastair. ‘Gallstones can be removed with keyhole surgery or a flexible endoscope passed through the mouth and down to the stomach.\'

Gnawing or knife-like indigestion

If it comes in bouts lasting two to three weeks, you could have a peptic ulcer. Other symptoms include heartburn, nausea and vomiting. Ulcers are often caused by H pylori infection, and taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and aspirin.

What can you do? See your doctor for tests. Ulcers caused by H pylori can be treated with antibiotics.

When to worry ‘If an ulcer bleeds, you may vomit blood or produce black stools. A bleeding or perforated ulcer may require surgery to remove it,\' says Alastair.
 

For more information, visit www.corecharity.org.uk or call 020 7486 0341

Look after your insides...

• Small, regular meals are better than long periods without food followed by a heavy meal.

• Avoid starchy snacks such as biscuits, cakes and crisps.

• Large meals are more easily digested at lunchtime than in the evening.

• Drink at least one-and-a-half litres of water a day.

• Ginger tea soothes irritated stomachs and eases spasms.

• Linseeds are a gentle laxative and moisten the intestine.

• The yeast infection Candida albicans can exacerbate tummy problems and can develop after taking antibiotics or the Pill. Supplements such as Candigest Plus (£15 for 30 capsules from www.gutdoctor.co.uk) can help.

• Probiotics can balance gut flora to help counter bloating.

Is it IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome is about the most common digestive problem in the UK, affecting around a third of us. It can involve many of the symptoms mentioned here, particularly bloating, abdominal pain, constipation and chronic diarrhoea, and must be diagnosed by process of elimination, ruling out serious disorders first.

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