BEWARE
Aerophagy may be associated
with organic disease; it may mask the symptoms of peptic ulcer, gastric
cancer, and colonic and gall bladder disease.
FOODS TO AVOID
- Vegetable
Salads
- Pulses (dals) or
beans
- SOUP (thick)
- Sweets and Sweetmeat
- Fruit, dried
- Nuts
- Condiments and Spices
- Papar, chutney and
pickles
- Fibrous vegetables
like beans, peas, cabbage, cauliflower.
- Potato and sweet
potato
- Pastries
- Fried foods
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FLATULENCE
is a common abdominal discomfort due to the presence of air or gas in
the stomach or intestine associated with motility disorder. Gas can be
expelled from intestinal tract either as belching from the stomach or as
flatus from the rectum.
Air is swallowed with
food, while gas is formed by fermentation of food in the stomach.
Aerography (air swallowing) is due to faulty eating habits. The
fermentation of food in the intestines occur when the diet contains
large amount of fibers and also due to infestation and infection.
Putrefaction also occurs due to action of B. Coli and other bacteria on
the protein residue leading to the production of hydrogen sulphide and
Ammonia.
Diet in Flatulence
The treatment of
flatulence includes proper chewing of food, adjustment of diet and
eradicating intestinal infection.
Fluids About
8 to 10 glasses of fluid a day help in regular bowel movement. Water
should not be taken with the meals, as it may aggravate distension.
Sucking fluid through a straw or drinking directly from a bottle leads
to air swallowing.
Meals
A habit of taking 2 meals per day should be changed to include 3 or 4
smaller meals. Dinner should be light and eaten at least 2 hours before
retiring.
Calories Obese
persons who take excess food often suffer from flatulence. Persons who
consume 2 heavy meals a day also suffer from flatulence as the food
stays for a longer period in the stomach and undergoes fermentation. The
calorie intake should be reduced in the case of obese persons.
Proteins
If flatus is foul smelling due to protein putrefaction, pulses, meat
products and eggs should be avoided. On a diet of 200 g (half can),
baked beans, 700 ml gas is passed daily, while a fiber free diet
produces 215 ml gas. The volume of gas passed each time is 25 to 100 ml.
Carbohydrates
The presence of non available carbohydrates in excessive amounts e.g. fiber,
hemicelluloses, pentosans and fructosans, gives rise to
flatulence. Food rich in the above constituents e.g. fibrous vegetables
like cabbage and onion are prohibited. Potatoes and rice are allowed in
small quantities.
Spices
and Condiments Excessive consumption of spices and condiments may
irritate the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines and may
affect the motility.
Fatty foods
Fried foods should be avoided as they stay long in the stomach leading
to fermentation.
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Do
You Know ?
GARLIC has
the reputation of inhibiting the growth of bacteria in the colon, thus
reducing flatulence
AIR SWALLOWING (AEROPHAGY)
Excessive air may
be swallowed by eating or drinking in odd ways, e.g., when food or fluid is
sucked with a hissing noise. Aerophagy also occurs when betel leaves (paan)
are chewed, and during smoking.
INTESTINAL GASES
The volume of flatus produced normally is 400 to 1200 ml a day; this
increases significantly after ingesting relatively indigestible foods such
as kidney beans, lentils, pulses, spices, milk and milk products and
fibrous vegetables.
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