Therapy
As a medicinal treatment for flatulence, there are numerous substances that bind the excessive air in the intestine and thus lead to a reduced pressure in the intestine. Many of these drugs have herbal ingredients. Substances such as Lefax® or Sab Simplex®, which should be taken several times a day (usually with meals), are frequently used.
However, this treatment is a purely symptomatic treatment. It does not treat the cause and if there is an intolerance, the flatulence will most likely return when the medication is stopped. If you are lactose intolerant, you can still try to relieve the symptoms by taking the missing enzyme lactase.
This preparation should be taken before the respective meals. It does not represent a long-term treatment of intolerance and can only insufficiently replace a consistent change of diet. Probably the most important household remedy for the treatment of flatulence is caraway.
There are numerous caraway preparations in the form of teas, capsules or drops which can be taken in case of complaints. Caraway seeds can also be taken pure. To do this, sprinkle a teaspoon of caraway seeds completely with caraway seeds, put them in your mouth and rinse them down with water.
An effect should occur after about 10-30 minutes. Fennel is also a substance that can help to reduce gas formation in the intestines. Mostly in the form of teas or drops they are available for treatment.
Many combinations of fennel and caraway are also available in pharmacies and health food stores and can help. Often flatulence is also associated with constipation. This can also be caused by a chronic lack of fluids.
For this reason, the daily drinking amount should be checked and increased if necessary. The desired amount to be drunk per day is about 2-3 litres. Since flatulence is often caused by reduced exercise, care should be taken to ensure that those affected get enough exercise and do sports.
Flatulent food, such as beans, cabbage or onions, should be reduced and if flatulent medication is taken beforehand. The diet should be balanced, rich in fibre and low in fibre. There are some medications that are supposed to either prevent or reduce increased intestinal gas formation.
Physically, the air in the intestine is created by a barrier between the chyme and the intestinal wall. This barrier, which consists of tiny gas bubbles, prevents the nutrients from being drawn out of the food and also prevents the resulting air from being absorbed by the intestinal wall. During the digestion process by the bacteria present in the intestine, a considerable amount of air is created, which then remains in the intestine and inflates it.
The antiflatulent drugs disturb this barrier of the intestinal wall and dissolve these small bubbles, which means that the air of the intestine can diffuse through the intestinal wall. Sab Simplex® is available as drops and Lefax® as chewable tablets. Both drugs act in this bubble-dissolving way due to the ingredient Dimeticon.
Sab Simplex® is often used for small children who are often affected by flatulence. Lefax® is mostly taken by adults. Lefax® should be taken with every meal in case of complaints.
If flatulence cannot be controlled, however, one should not forget to look for the cause. Many home remedies work just as well as real drugs, but usually have their disadvantage in their short duration of action. For example, it has long been known that caraway has a flatulence-relieving effect.
In case of severe flatulence, a level teaspoon of pure caraway seeds should be taken into the mouth and swallowed with water. The air-binding effect starts after a few minutes, but usually lasts only about 20-30 minutes. Aniseed and fennel are also household remedies that have a flatulence-reducing effect on the body.
They are usually taken as tea. Often there are also combination preparations consisting of aniseed, fennel and caraway, which are sold under the name gastrointestinal tea or similar. Ginger is also said to have an air-binding effect in the intestines.
If you are on a high-fat diet, you should always add a few spices to the dish to avoid flatulence. For example, dill seeds, coriander and garlic can prevent the development of flatulence and should be used with very heavy foods. In addition to air-reducing treatment, the development of flatulence should always be prevented at an early stage.
Thus, a drinking quantity of approx. 2 litres per day should be ensured. Long periods of sedentary activity also promote the occurrence of flatulence.
Regular exercise and sport should be carried out not least because of improved digestion and a lower risk of flatulence. Furthermore, flatulence can also occur because too much air passes into the gastrointestinal tract during food intake. For this reason it is important to eat as slowly as possible and chew at least 30 times before swallowing the bite.
Other household remedies for flatulence are mechanical in nature. For example, a stomach massage can help to reduce the air in the intestines more quickly. The massage should be done lying on your back and with circular movements.
It can also be tried to treat the pain caused by flatulence by placing a hot water bottle on top. However, since the heat can also cause air to spread in the intestines, the pain in the intestines may initially become worse. In the case of severe deterioration, the use of a hot water bottle should be avoided.
Flatulence, a feeling of fullness and other dyspeptic complaints are widespread among the inhabitants of industrial nations. Many of those affected even suffer from them during normal food intake and this mostly without any detectable organic cause. Why this is so and why more and more people have the problem “irritable stomach” (also called functional dyspepsia) remains unexplained.