Helpful hints for controlling gas (flatus)

Bowel incontinence (BI) can also mean inability to control gas. Sometimes it is just the problem of the
offensive smell. There are many causes. Altering your lifestyle may help to resolve or reduce the problem.
Different techniques help different people. It is important to remember that there may be more than one
contributing factor.
Eating
Some foods produce more gas than others. However, this is different for every individual and food that
produces gas for one person may not do so for another. Try avoiding some of these foods to see if it makes
things better for you. Try to eliminate them one at a time. This way you will be able to tell which food may
be the culprit.
Hot spicy foods can speed up how fast food moves through your bowels. This can produce additional gas.
Rich, fatty foods, especially fried foods, may increase gas in some people
Try eating a little more slowly. When you eat fast, you swallow extra air with your food. Try to not talk
while eating. Extra air while eating can lead to belching and gas production.
Eating at the same time each day and eating smaller meals more frequently may be beneficial as well. It is
easier on your intestines and can decrease gas.
Try to eat a balanced diet. Foods with high fiber may initially increase gas production. However, the this
will decrease over time.
Drinking
Caffeine can increase bowel activity and increase gas. Caffeine is also a diuretic and draws fluid from your
body.
Carbonated drinks can increase belching and gas production.
Beer can increase gas production.
It is better not to drink fluids with your food. Drinking fluids with meals can increase your air intake and
increase gas.
Gas Producing Foods
Foods which cause a normal amount of gas (allowed):
1. Meat, Fowl, Fish
2. Vegetables: Lettuce, Peppers, Avocado, Tomato, Asparagus, Zucchini, Okra,
Olives
3. Fruits: Cantaloupe, Grapes, Berries
Carbohydrates: White Rice, Chips, Popcorn, Graham Crackers
4. All nuts
5. Eggs, Jello, Fruit Ice
Foods which cause a moderate amount of gas (may need to avoid):
1. Potatoes
2. Eggplant
3. Citrus Fruits, Apples
4. Carbohydrates: Pastries, Bread
Major gas producers (avoid):
1. Vegetables: Onions, Celery, Carrots, Brussels Sprouts, Cucumber, Cabbage,
Cauliflower, Radishes
2. Beans

3. Fruit: Raisins, Bananas, Apricots, Prunes, dried fruit

4. Carbohydrates: Bagels, Wheat Germ, Pretzels
5. Peas
6. Green Salads
7. Bran cereal / foods high in bran
8. Brown rice
9. Leeks, parsnips
Be aware that the foods high in fiber are usually major gas producers. These high
fiber foods are important for normal bowel function so they should not be eliminated
totally.
Cardiomyopathy - is a chronic disease of the heart muscle (myocardium), primarily affects the left
ventricle, which is the main pumping chamber of the heart, in which the muscle is abnormally enlarged,
thickened, and/or stiffened. The weakened heart muscle loses the ability to pump blood effectively, resulting
in irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) and possibly even heart failure.
Pulmonary Congestion (Etymology: L, pulmoneus, lungs, congerere, to heap together) - an excessive
accumulation of fluid in the lungs, usually associated with either an inflammation or congestive heart failure.
Caused by engorgement of the pulmonary vascular bed and it may precede pulmonary edema when the
intravascular fluid escapes into the parenchyma and the alveoli. There is a loss of air space and the
development of respiratory embarrassment.
Heart failure - is a condition in which the heart has lost the ability to pump enough blood to the body's
tissues. With too little blood being delivered, the organs and other tissues do not receive enough oxygen and
nutrients to function properly.
Pleural effusion - occurs when too much fluid collects in the pleural space (the space between the two
layers of the pleura). It is commonly known as "water on the lungs." It is characterized by shortness of
breath, chest pain, gastric discomfort (dyspepsia), and cough.
Parapneumonic pleural effusion - is a buildup of fluid between layers of the tissue lining the lung and the
chest cavity, which develops in the setting of pneumonia. A parapneumonic effusion is a type of pleural
effusion that arises as a result of a pneumonia. There are three types of parapneumonic effusions:
uncomplicated effusions, complicated effusions, and empyema. Uncomplicated effusions generally respond
well to appropriate antibiotic treatment. The criteria for a complicated parapneumonic effusion include the
presence of pus or Gram stainpositive pleural fluid or a pleural fluid pH <7.0. Appropriate management
includes chest tube drainage (tube thoracostomy). Treatment of empyemas includes antibiotics, complete
pleural fluid drainage, and re-expansion of the lung.
Pneumonia is a breathing (respiratory) condition in which there is an infection of the lung.
Empyema is a condition in which pus and fluid from infected tissue collects in a body cavity. The name
comes from the Greek word empyein meaning pus-producing (suppurate). Empyema is most often used to
refer to collections of pus in the space around the lungs (pleural cavity), but sometimes refers to similar
collections in the gall bladder or the pelvic cavity. Empyema in the pleural cavity is sometimes called
empyema thoracis, or empyema of the chest, to distinguish it from empyema elsewhere in the body.