Digestive Gas Pain and How to Relieve It
Health ConditionsDigestive Health

Gas Pain: What to Know

Gas Pain: What to Know
Everyday Health
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Updated on March 3, 2025
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Everyone has gas, and most people experience gas pain at some point. Gas comes from a few sources. For example, when you swallow air, it gets trapped and has to come out, either through burping or passing through the rectum.

But your body also creates gas as it digests food. Gas is normal, but sometimes it can get trapped and stretch your intestines, causing pain in your stomach or lower abdomen.

What’s the Difference Between Normal Gas and Gas Pain?

Normal gas forms in your digestive system through a few different mechanisms. For one, air can hitch a ride with your food, gum, or drinks and end up in your stomach and gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

 But it also forms naturally as the bacteria in your gut digest the food you eat.

Most gas in your body is made of carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and methane. But bacteria in your large intestine break down the material there and release gas containing sulfur, which gives flatulence its hallmark odor.

Some foods cause extra gas and gas pain, although what foods do this can vary from person to person. Known gas culprits include:

  • Certain vegetables, such as asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli
  • Beans and lentils
  • Milk products, like cheese, ice cream, and yogurt
  • Drinks like apple juice, pear juice, and carbonated beverages with high-fructose corn syrup
Passing gas is a normal and healthy part of digestion, and most people fart 13 to 21 times per day.

 "On average, an adult produces two pints of gas every day," says Sari Acra, MD, MPH, a professor and the director of the division of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Trapped gas can get uncomfortable. Gas typically moves through your GI system with you none the wiser. But when gas builds up or gets trapped in your stomach or colon, it can stretch those organs and cause pain and certain people may be more hypersensitive to that sensation.

Gas Pain Symptoms

Gas pain can affect more than just your abdomen. Typical symptoms of gas pain include:

  • Sharp or dull aches in the abdomen
  • Abdominal pain or pressure
  • Bloating (abdominal fullness or pressure)
  • Discomfort in your sides, back, and chest
  • An increase in your abdomen size (distention)
Although gas may gather in your colon, it can cause pain in other areas. For example, trapped gas in the upper right colon can mimic gallbladder pain or appendicitis.

 Gas trapped in the upper left colon may cause chest pain similar to a heart attack.

What Causes Trapped Gas?

Gas gets trapped when it can’t move through your GI system easily. Several factors can cause this, including constipation, lifestyle, diet, and health conditions.

Constipation

When constipation causes a backup of fecal matter in your intestines, gas can’t get through very well. Constipation can happen when you don’t get enough fiber or liquid in your diet. It can also be a side effect of certain medications.

 And, as it builds up in your intestinal traffic jam, gas can feel painful.

Lifestyle Factors

The way you eat and drink can cause excess air swallowing (known as “aerophagia”). A person usually swallows large amounts of air through these habits:

  • Chewing gum
  • Smoking
  • Drinking carbonated beverages
  • Eating or drinking too quickly
  • Wearing loose-fitting dentures
  • Sucking on hard candy

Diet

High-fiber foods, while important for digestion and bowel health, can cause extra gas for some people. Artificial sweeteners can also cause an overabundance of gas.

 Because everyone reacts so differently to a variety of ingredients, it can take some experimenting to find what foods to avoid for less gas. Working with a specialized GI dietitian can be helpful to identify trigger foods.

Health Conditions That Cause Gas and Other Symptoms

Many health conditions that affect the GI tract — such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and food intolerances — cause gas trapping and pain. These can vary from mild to conditions such as bowel obstruction that may require urgent medical care.

Home Remedies for Gas Pain

You can take steps to banish your gas pain at home. Whether you get your gas moving through abdominal massage and yoga or you drink warm tea and change your diet, there are plenty of gas-busting home remedies to try.

Movement and Abdominal Massage

To get your gas moving, often your body just needs some movement or gentle massage. For example, walking for 10 to 15 minutes after you eat can keep gas moving.

Another technique involves gentle massage. Abdominal massage may jump-start intestinal movement, pushing its contents through more efficiently, although more research is needed to say for sure.

One popular belly massage follows the “I Love U” technique, also known as “I-L-U.” Here’s how you can do it:

  1. Lie on your back and push gently against the upper left area of your abdomen.
  2. For the “I,” move your hand down to the lower left area of your belly (from just under your rib cage to the top of your hip) and repeat 10 times.
  3. Next, you’ll trace a capital “L.” With gentle pressure, move your hand from the upper right abdomen across to the upper left in a straight line.
  4. Then, retrace your I line from top to bottom. Repeat your L tracing 10 times.
  5. For the “U,” gently press at your right hip bone, and trace an upside-down U: up to the upper right abdomen, straight across to your left upper abdomen, then down to your left hip. Repeat this step 10 times.
Massage your stomach or go for a quick walk every morning after breakfast for best results.

Yoga and Stretching

Any exercise may help relieve gas pain — yoga poses and stretching included.

 Core movement common in some yoga poses can help gas move through your system.

 Here are some that may work well for gassiness.
Wind-Relieving Pose (Pawanmuktasana) Lie faceup on the floor with your legs extended. Pull your right knee up to your chest and squeeze it to you with both hands. Breathe out and lift your forehead toward your knee, holding for a few breaths. Repeat with your left leg, then both legs together.

Child’s Pose (Balasana) Kneel, with your knees hip-width apart. Walk your hands in front of you and bend at the hips until your torso rests on your thighs. If it’s comfortable, move your arms around to your sides, with palms facing up. Hold this position for eight breaths.

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet about a foot away from your glutes. Tighten your core and lift your glutes, hips, and back off the ground. Hold the position as long as you can (up to two minutes), lower to the ground, and repeat.

Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana) Sit with your legs stretched out together in front of you. Exhaling, slowly bend forward at your hips, stretching your fingers toward or past your toes. Raise back up into your starting position and repeat three or four times.

Plenty of other yoga poses may help you — try a few out to see which you like best for gas pain relief.

Complementary Therapies

For centuries, cultures around the world have used complementary therapies such as spices in food or teas to improve digestion and manage excess gas. While recent research shows mixed results on how well these spices work for gas pain, some people find they offer relief.

Spices that may ease gas include:

Warm teas with these spices may help a gassy system, but steer clear of carbonation, which can add to gas buildup.

Diet Changes

If you often deal with gas pain, consider adjusting your diet. A low-FODMAP diet, for example, steers you clear of certain carbohydrates that can be difficult to digest. Instead, the low-FODMAP diet recommends foods like:

  • Green beans (vs. asparagus)
  • Grapes (vs. apples)
  • Almond milk (vs. cow’s milk)
  • Eggs (vs. beans)
  • Rice cakes (vs. white bread)
You can also try cutting down on high-fiber foods like oranges, broccoli, and quinoa. You need some fiber to keep your gut healthy, but too much can make you gassy.

If you’re not sure what foods are causing your gas, try keeping a food diary. Write down everything you eat for all meals and snacks, and record how you feel after each meal. Over time, you may see a pattern and be able to identify your dietary gas triggers. Working with a nutritionist may be helpful to introduce foods back into your diet as a low-FODMAP diet can be restrictive and is not meant to be forever.

Eating Technique

To minimize swallowed air, avoid using straws, sucking on hard candy, or chewing gum. Try not to talk while you eat, sit down for your meals, and chew slowly. Smaller, more frequent meals may also help you take in less air while you eat.

OTC Remedies for Gas Pain

For stubborn, frequent gas pain, your healthcare provider may suggest some OTC remedies. Always consult with your provider before trying any new medication or supplement.

Enzymes

For food intolerances, some enzymes can decrease the gas produced after eating that food. For example, lactase enzymes (like those in Lactaid) can help with lactose intolerance. And alpha-galactosidase (Beano) can assist in bean digestion.

Gas-Reducers

Medications like simethicone (the key ingredient in Gas-X) can break up gas bubbles in your GI tract.

 Some claim activated charcoal can do the same, but research is very limited.

Probiotics

There is mixed data on whether probiotics can help with gas type symptoms, but if you want to give it a try, do a limited trial of two to four weeks to see if your symptoms improve. Your gut houses good bacteria that digests your food. When your bacteria levels get unbalanced, probiotics (living microorganisms) can help you regain a healthy gut and less gas. You can also discuss with a nutritionist ways to diversify your gut microbiome naturally through changes in your diet.

When to Seek Medical Help

Gas is usually no cause for concern. But occasionally, gas along with other symptoms can indicate another health problem.

Call your provider if you experience these symptoms alongside gas pain:

  • Fever
  • Chest pain
  • Severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation
  • Stomach discomfort not connected to eating
  • Tarry, black bowel movements
  • Oily, foul-smelling, bloody, or pale stools
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Nausea and vomiting

Your doctor may schedule tests to determine if your gas pain is caused by another, more serious problem, like bowel obstruction.

The Takeaway

  • Gas is a normal part of digestion, but when it builds up or gets trapped, it can cause pain.
  • Gas pain symptoms include bloating or distention (increase in belly size) and abdominal pain, aches, or pressure.
  • The causes of gas pain can include many gastrointestinal medical conditions, constipation, diet, and lifestyle factors like chewing gum and smoking.
  • You can treat gas pain at home through diet changes, movement, eating technique, spices, and provider-approved over-the-counter products.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
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Yuying Luo, MD

Medical Reviewer

Yuying Luo, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City. She aims to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered, and holistic care for her patients.

Her clinical and research focus includes patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia; patients with lower gastrointestinal motility (constipation) disorders and defecatory and anorectal disorders (such as dyssynergic defecation); and women’s gastrointestinal health.

She graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology and received her MD from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was also chief resident. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was also chief fellow.

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