It happens at the worst possible time. You’re in a quiet meeting or sitting through a long movie, and suddenly, your midsection feels like an over-inflated balloon. It’s tight. It’s painful. Honestly, it's embarrassing. You start wondering: how do you get rid of stomach gas without making a scene?
Gas is just air. Usually, it’s a mix of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide. We all have it. In fact, the average person passes gas about 14 to 23 times a day. If you’re doing more than that, or if the pressure feels like a literal knot in your ribs, things have gone sideways.
The Immediate Fixes That Actually Work
If you’re currently doubled over, you don't care about long-term dietary shifts. You need relief. Now.
Movement is your best friend. Gravity and muscle contraction help push those trapped bubbles along the intestinal tract. Try the "Child’s Pose" from yoga. You kneel on the floor, sit back on your heels, and fold forward until your forehead touches the ground. This position compresses the abdomen and helps move gas toward the exit. It sounds silly until you try it and feel that immediate "pop" of relief.
Walking works too. A brisk ten-minute walk stimulates the "peristalsis" of your gut—the wave-like contractions that move food and air through your system.
Then there’s the over-the-counter stuff. Simethicone is the gold standard here. You’ll find it in brands like Gas-X or Mylanta. It doesn’t actually make the gas disappear; instead, it breaks up tiny gas bubbles into larger ones that are easier to pass. It’s basically like popping the bubbles in bubble wrap so the air can escape.
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But what if you’re looking for something more natural? Peppermint oil is surprisingly well-backed by science. According to a study published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences, peppermint oil acts as an antispasmodic. It relaxes the muscles in your gut, allowing gas to flow rather than getting trapped in a painful cramp. Just make sure you get the enteric-coated capsules so they don't break down in your stomach and cause heartburn.
Why You’re So Bloated in the First Place
You can’t solve the mystery of how do you get rid of stomach gas without looking at how it got there. There are two main ways gas enters the chat: you swallowed it, or your gut bacteria made it.
Aerophagia is the fancy medical term for swallowing air. You do it when you talk while eating, drink through a straw, or chew gum. If you're a fast eater, you're basically shoveling air into your esophagus along with your pasta.
The second way is fermentation. Your large intestine is a literal fermentation vat. When you eat complex carbohydrates that your small intestine can’t fully break down—think beans, broccoli, or cabbage—they land in the colon. The bacteria there have a feast. Their byproduct? Gas. Lots of it.
The Low FODMAP Reality
If you’ve been Googling gut health, you’ve probably seen the term FODMAPs. It stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. Basically, these are short-chain carbohydrates that some people just can't digest well.
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Monash University in Australia did the heavy lifting on this research. They found that for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), cutting out high-FODMAP foods can be life-changing. We’re talking about things like onions, garlic, apples, and wheat. It’s a restrictive diet and a total pain to follow, but if you’re chronically gassy, it’s worth investigating with a dietitian.
Strange Triggers You Might Be Overlooking
Sometimes it isn't the beans. It's the "healthy" stuff.
Take sugar alcohols. If you see ingredients like xylitol, sorbitol, or erythritol on a package, beware. These are common in sugar-free gum and "keto" snacks. Your body doesn't absorb them, but your bacteria love them. They can cause explosive gas and even diarrhea.
Then there’s the timing of your fiber. Everyone says "eat more fiber," and they're right. But if you go from zero to sixty—like eating a giant kale salad when you usually eat white bread—your gut is going to freak out. You have to scale up fiber slowly over weeks, not days, and you must drink more water. Without water, fiber just turns into a brick in your gut, trapping gas behind it.
Stress is another one. Your brain and your gut are connected by the vagus nerve. When you’re stressed, your "fight or flight" system kicks in, which pulls blood flow away from digestion. This slows everything down. Food sits longer, ferments more, and—you guessed it—creates more gas.
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When Should You Actually Worry?
Most gas is just a nuisance. It’s the price we pay for eating plants and breathing. But sometimes it’s a red flag.
If your gas is accompanied by "alarm symptoms," it's time to see a doctor. These include:
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Blood in your stool.
- Persistent diarrhea that wakes you up at night.
- Severe, localized pain in the lower right abdomen (which could be appendicitis).
Celiac disease or lactose intolerance are common culprits for chronic gas. If you notice that every time you have a bowl of cereal or a piece of sourdough, you turn into a human parade float, get tested. It’s better to know than to keep guessing.
How Do You Get Rid of Stomach Gas Long-Term?
Real change happens in the habits.
- Slow down. Try to chew each bite 20 times. It sounds tedious, but it prevents you from gulping air and makes the food easier for your stomach acid to handle.
- Identify the triggers. Keep a food diary for just three days. You might notice that it’s not "everything" making you gassy, but specifically that afternoon Greek yogurt or the onions in your salad.
- Try ginger. Ginger is a prokinetic. It helps the stomach empty faster. If food moves into the small intestine quicker, it has less time to sit and create gas in the stomach. A simple cup of ginger tea after a heavy meal can do wonders.
- Activated Charcoal? Be careful here. While some people swear by it, the evidence is mixed. Plus, it can bind to medications and make them useless. If you take birth control or heart meds, talk to a pharmacist before trying charcoal.
- Check your dentures. This is a weird one, but if your dentures don't fit right, you'll swallow way more air while chewing.
Putting It Into Practice
Getting rid of gas isn't about a one-time "cure." It’s about managing the ecosystem in your belly. Start by changing how you eat before you change what you eat. Relax your jaw. Put the phone down. Focus on the food.
If the gas hits you suddenly, don't just sit there in pain. Get on the floor, do some gentle twists, or take a quick walk around the block. Heat also helps; a heating pad on the belly can relax the intestinal muscles and let the gas move through naturally.
Actionable Steps for Today
- Buy a bottle of Simethicone to keep in your bag for emergencies. It's cheap and effective.
- Swap your sparkling water for flat water for 24 hours. The carbonation is literally just gas you're inviting into your body.
- Try a magnesium supplement at night if you're also constipated. Constipation is the #1 cause of trapped gas because the "exit" is blocked.
- Track your dairy intake. Try a week without milk or soft cheeses to see if your bloating subsides.
Gas is a part of life, but it shouldn't run your life. By slowing down and listening to the signals your gut is sending, you can stop the bloat before it starts.