Painful gas can keep you from enjoying social occasions, either from cramps or because of embarrassing gas odor. But once you can nail down what causes your gas, you can either prevent it from happening in the first place, or treat it once it occurs.

There are three ways to prevent or treat painful gas: reduce the amount of air being swallowed, change your diet, or treat the symptoms with medication.

Painful Gas in the Stomach
Chronic burping is usually the result of excess air being swallowed into the stomach. Doctors often recommend that the patient quit chewing gum and avoid eating hard candy. Eating more slowly can eliminate the problem, and if the belcher is a denture wearer, a dentist should check to make sure they fit correctly.

Painful Gas in the Intestine: Treating the Cause
One of the most common ways to eliminate a cause of painful gas is to keep a food diary for a week. Every person reacts differently to foods, so note what and when you eat, as well as episodes of gas. That should help you narrow down what foods give you the most trouble. Some common offenders are fermentable vegetables such as beans, broccoli and cabbage, as well as fruits and vegetables.

Surprisingly, sorbitol (a sweetener in gum, candies and some soft drinks) can also cause flatulence. Dairy products such as milk, ice cream, and cheese can cause painful gas trouble, and these become more problematic as we age. But there’s more you need to know about what you eat and drink, and how it affects what happens in digestion.

Little-Known Facts
Alcohol sometimes inhibits intestinal function, worsening gas by making more food available for the bacteria that create gas. Some proteins, such as eggs, don’t cause gas, but they make its smell much worse. And although high-fat foods don’t contribute directly to gas production, they can keep the stomach from emptying quickly, adding to bloating and discomfort.

Over-the-Counter Medicines for Painful Gas
Antacids with simethicone and activated charcoal can be purchased without a prescription at any drugstore. And did you know that products containing chlorophyllin copper, including Nullo and Derifil, can make your gas smell better? Painful gas caused by the lactose in dairy and processed foods is controlled with digestive enzymes.

Simethicone liquids such as Gas-X, Phazyme and Mylanta Gas contain a foaming agent that attaches to gas bubbles and makes it easier to burp gas away before it gets to your intestine. Most brands recommend two to four tablespoons taken about an hour after meals.

Charcoal Plux and Charco Caps are two brands of activated charcoal tablets. Research shows that when the tablets are taken before and after eating, painful gas in the intestine is significantly reduced. Two to four activated charcoal tablets should be consumed just before eating and again about an hour afterward.

Make dairy easier to handle by having liquid or tablets of the enzyme lactase on hand. Sold under the brand names Dairy Ease and Lactaid, you can put a few drops in a glass of milk or down the solid form right before a meal to help with dairy digestion. Lactose-free and reduced products can also be substituted, and they’re routinely stocked in many grocery stores.

Widely available, Beano is an over-the-counter digestive aid that can take care of the bothersome sugars in beans and many other vegetables. Available in liquid or tablet form, the enzyme is taken just prior to meals. Keep in mind that Beano can’t help gas created by lactose or fiber. Also, the enzyme in Beano degrades with heat, so it can’t be added to foods that are being cooked or reheated. And finally, if you’re allergic to molds you may react to Beano. The enzyme it contains is extracted from a food-grade mold. Those with the inherited disorder galactosemia should avoid using Beano without their doctor’s consent.