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Bellyaches, Begone! Health Article

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What You Need to Know About Intestinal Gas

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Bellyaches, Begone!

Dispel digestive distress, whatever caused the upheaval.

An overbooked social calendar can cost you more than hours of lost sleep—it can wreak havoc on your stomach. With all the traveling, eating and mall prowling you do (Cinnabon, anyone?), it's no wonder your tummy sometimes wants to secede from your body, especially this time of year. To spend less time in pain and more time enjoying the party, follow our prevention guide.

TUMMY TROUBLE HEARTBURN

Prevent it. "Eat on schedule," says James F. Marion, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. The stomach produces acid at the times you usually eat: No food means there's nothing to absorb the acid, so it backs up into your esophagus. If you know you're having a spicy meal, take an antacid such as Pepcid two hours beforehand.

If you get it anyway. "Liquid antacids such as Maalox work fast," says Gerard Guillory, M.D., assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. Follow with a dose of Zantac for longer-lasting results, Dr. Guillory recommends.

TUMMY TROUBLE CONSTIPATION

Prevent it. Get some exercise each day, even if it's only a brisk walk, to keep things on the move. Avoid processed and refined foods such as white bread, which can stop you up, and sneak in a few prunes or another dried fruit.

If you get it anyway. Nibble on fiber-rich foods like vegetables and bran cereal. Fiber's water-absorbing property helps soften stool so less pressure is required to expel it. For immediate relief, doctors advise an enema. If its' been a week since your last bowel movement, see your M.D.

TUMMY TROUBLE DIARRHEA

Prevent it. With so much family compressed into so little time this month, stress and nervousness can cause diarrhea just as easily as food can, Dr. Guillory says. If you know Mom will lament her still-unmarried daughter (sigh!), plan to take a five-minute breather.

If you get it anyway. Take an Imodium tablet as soon as you're hit to slow down intestinal movement.

TUMMY TROUBLE BLOATING

Prevent it. Avoid carbonated drinks, gum and drinking straws because they force you to swallow air. And chew your food slowly. Inhaling it only fills you up with more air.

If you get it anyway. Flatulence and bloating can be brought on by hard-to-digest foods, taking in too much air and irritable bowel syndrome. Popping some Gas-X at the first signs should help lessen the pressure.