Some Causes and Features of Gas-Related Complaints
Cause | Common Features* | Tests†,‡ |
|---|---|---|
Belching | ||
Air swallowing | People with or without awareness of swallowing air Sometimes in people who smoke or chew gum excessively Sometimes in people who have esophageal reflux or ill-fitting dentures | A doctor’s examination alone |
Gas from carbonated beverages | Beverage consumption usually obvious based on person’s history | A doctor’s examination alone |
Distention or bloating | ||
Air swallowing | See Belching, above | A doctor’s examination alone |
Abdominal pain related to defecation, associated with a change in the frequency or consistency of stool, or both No warning signs Typically begins during adolescence and the 20s | A doctor’s examination Examination of stool Blood tests | |
Poor emptying of the stomach (gastroparesis), usually due to other disorders such as diabetes, connective tissue disorders, or neurologic disorders | Nausea, abdominal pain, and sometimes vomiting Early fullness (satiety) Sometimes in people known to have a disorder that causes it Sometimes in people taking drugs with anticholinergic effects | Upper endoscopy§ and/or nuclear scanning that evaluates stomach emptying If a drug cause is suspected, stopping the drug to see whether symptoms go away |
Long-standing symptoms, particularly in young women In people who are thin but still very concerned about excess body weight | A doctor’s examination alone | |
Chronic constipation | A long history of hard, infrequent bowel movements | A doctor’s examination Pressure measurements of the anus and rectum (anorectal manometry) |
Cancer (rarely) of the ovary or large intestine | New, persistent bloating in middle-aged or older people For colon cancer, sometimes blood in stool (blood may be visible or detected during a doctor's examination) | If ovarian cancer is suspected, ultrasonography of the pelvis If colon cancer is suspected, colonoscopy |
Passing of gas (flatulence) | ||
Foods, including beans, dairy products, vegetables (such as onions, celery, carrots, or Brussels sprouts), fruits (such as raisins, bananas, apricots, and dates or apple, pear, or prune juice), and foods containing fructose (such as cola sodas, honey, or nuts), prunes, or waffle or maple syrup, or complex carbohydrates (such as pretzels, bagels, or wheat germ) | Symptoms that develop mainly when food that can cause gas is consumed | A doctor’s examination Elimination of the suspected food from diet to see whether symptoms go away |
Bloating, cramps, and diarrhea after consuming milk products | A breath test to detect hydrogen, indicating undigested food | |
Light-colored, soft, bulky, and unusually foul-smelling stools that may appear oily Weakness, loss of appetite, and diarrhea Often begins in childhood | Blood tests to measure antibodies produced when people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten and biopsy of the upper small intestine | |
Light-colored, soft, bulky, and unusually foul-smelling stools that may appear oily Nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and weight loss | Blood tests and biopsy of the small intestine | |
* Features include symptoms and the results of the doctor's examination. Features mentioned are typical but not always present. | ||
† Although a doctor's examination is always done, it is mentioned in this column only if the diagnosis can sometimes be made by the doctor's examination alone, without any testing. | ||
‡ Doctors usually do a urine pregnancy test for all girls and women of childbearing age. | ||
§ Upper endoscopy is examination of the esophagus, stomach, and the first segment of the small intestine (duodenum) using a flexible viewing tube called an endoscope. | ||