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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffFor 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 belching or as flatus.
- Sharp, jabbing pains or cramps in your abdomen. These pains may occur anywhere in your abdomen and can change locations quickly. You may also have a "knotted" feeling in your stomach. The pain may sometimes be so intense that it feels like something is seriously wrong. When the pain occurs on the upper left side, gas pain may be mistaken for heart disease. When the pain occurs on the right side, it may be mistaken for gallstones or appendicitis.
- Abdominal bloating (distension).
When to see a doctor
It's considered normal to pass gas between 10 to 20 times a day. But call your doctor if you have severe, prolonged or recurrent pain in your abdomen, especially if you also have nausea, vomiting, bleeding, weight loss, fever or 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.
- Gas in the digestive tract. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gas. Accessed March 3, 2009.
- Belching, bloating and flatulence. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gihealth/belching.asp. Accessed March 3, 2009.
- Villoria A, et al. Physical activity and intestinal gas clearance in patients with bloating. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2006;101:2552.
- Controlling intestinal gas. International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. http://aboutincontinence.org/site/about-incontinence/treatment/gas. Accessed March 3, 2009.
- Abraczinskas D. Intestinal gas and bloating. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 3, 2009.
- Picco MF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. March 13, 2009.
