C
charlie,nj
Guest
Its bad enough that the FCC is killing a mans viewing and listening pleasures. (they got Howard ..whats next The Man Show?) Now it seems that women are getting into the act of taking them away too
that poor husband
.
Treatments may resolve bad flatulence problem
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.
North America Syndicate
Dear Dr. Donohue: I hope you can answer our problem and that my husband will read it. My husband has a problem with flatulence. I would venture to guess that he passes gas every 15-20 minutes all day long. The odor could knock you out. He is extremely fit, and we are healthy eaters. I tell my husband that something is abnormal because his gas expulsion is the last thing I hear before going to sleep and the first sound in the morning. Would you please address the problem - if you are not laughing too hard? -W.F.
I am laughing a little, and that is simply because my sense of the laughable is fixated at about age 12.
An average person passes 500 to 1,500 milliliters (17-50 ounces) of gas a day in 10-20 episodes of gas expulsion. Gas comes from a number of sources. Bacteria in the intestine metabolize undigested food, especially carbohydrates, and produce gas as an end product. Some gas comes from swallowing air. If a belch does not get rid of it, then it makes its way through the digestive tract. A long list of foods generate gas, and the more notorious offenders are: onions, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, prunes, apples, bananas, raisins, beans and fatty foods. In truth, just about every food except rice is a potential contributor to gas volume. Hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen are the major components of intestinal gas. All of them are odorless. A small amount of sulfur-containing gas accounts for the pungent odor.
There are some bona fide problems that lead to increased gas production. The inability to digest milk sugar, a problem with normal food absorption and constipation are examples.
For the healthy overproducer, simethicone preparations, available over-the-counter, are alleged to break up gas bubbles. Activated charcoal, obtainable in all drugstores, is said to sop up gas. Beano, a product that contains enzymes that break down carbohydrates, can diminish gas production. Although fiber is a key ingredient in a healthy diet, lowering the daily intake can help combat a gas problem. Not gulping food and moderating the amount of carbonated beverages lessens intestinal gas. Pepto-Bismol binds sulfur and essentially deodorizes gas. It should not be used regularly - only on occasions where gas-passing would be a social gaffe.
Treatments may resolve bad flatulence problem
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.
North America Syndicate
Dear Dr. Donohue: I hope you can answer our problem and that my husband will read it. My husband has a problem with flatulence. I would venture to guess that he passes gas every 15-20 minutes all day long. The odor could knock you out. He is extremely fit, and we are healthy eaters. I tell my husband that something is abnormal because his gas expulsion is the last thing I hear before going to sleep and the first sound in the morning. Would you please address the problem - if you are not laughing too hard? -W.F.
I am laughing a little, and that is simply because my sense of the laughable is fixated at about age 12.
An average person passes 500 to 1,500 milliliters (17-50 ounces) of gas a day in 10-20 episodes of gas expulsion. Gas comes from a number of sources. Bacteria in the intestine metabolize undigested food, especially carbohydrates, and produce gas as an end product. Some gas comes from swallowing air. If a belch does not get rid of it, then it makes its way through the digestive tract. A long list of foods generate gas, and the more notorious offenders are: onions, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, prunes, apples, bananas, raisins, beans and fatty foods. In truth, just about every food except rice is a potential contributor to gas volume. Hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen are the major components of intestinal gas. All of them are odorless. A small amount of sulfur-containing gas accounts for the pungent odor.
There are some bona fide problems that lead to increased gas production. The inability to digest milk sugar, a problem with normal food absorption and constipation are examples.
For the healthy overproducer, simethicone preparations, available over-the-counter, are alleged to break up gas bubbles. Activated charcoal, obtainable in all drugstores, is said to sop up gas. Beano, a product that contains enzymes that break down carbohydrates, can diminish gas production. Although fiber is a key ingredient in a healthy diet, lowering the daily intake can help combat a gas problem. Not gulping food and moderating the amount of carbonated beverages lessens intestinal gas. Pepto-Bismol binds sulfur and essentially deodorizes gas. It should not be used regularly - only on occasions where gas-passing would be a social gaffe.
