How to Get Rid of Trapped Wind

Trapped wind is a fairly common symptom that is more of a nuisance than a health concern. Fortunately, there are many ways to help get rid of it. This includes small changes to eating and drinking habits, home remedies, lifestyle changes to improve health and medication. At Prescription Doctor, we have a variety of products available such as Wind-eze which can swiftly improve symptoms.

What is Trapped Wind?

Trapped wind occurs when gas builds up in your digestive system, also known as bloatedness or flatulence. It’s a fairly common symptom that many people experience. Though mostly harmless, it can cause minor pain, a feeling of fullness or stomach discomfort.

What Causes Trapped Wind?

Different factors can contribute to the buildup of gas in the digestive system. This includes:

• Foods that can increase gas production: e.g. lentils, beans and broccoli.
• Swallowing extra air unintentionally – eating/drinking too quickly, chewing gum, fizzy drinks
• Digestive conditions: Conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), lactose intolerance and coeliac disease

What Are the Symptoms of Trapped Wind?

The symptoms can vary between people but commonly include:

• Mild stomach pain
• Bloating
• Burping
• Passing wind

Some people can feel or hear a gurgling sound in their stomachs. Stomach pain is often mild but can be intense in severe cases. Rarely, this may lead to incorrect diagnoses – e.g. suspected heart problems which turn out to be severe trapped wind.

How Can You Manage Trapped Wind?

Trapped wind is often a discomforting problem rather than a serious one and there are a number of ways to help get rid of it. In most cases, burping and passing wind are the most natural way to get rid of trapped wind. Even if you don’t pass stools, going to the toilet can help release gas.

Other options:

• Dietary changes: Being aware of which foods can cause gas and avoiding or eating less of them is the best way to prevent trapped wind. Whilst fibre is beneficial for digestion, too much can increase gas production.
• Home remedies: Examples include drinking peppermint tea and using ginger (either eating or added to tea) – these both help with digestion and reduce gas. If you have trapped wind, using a warm compress on the stomach can relax the muscles.

Who Is More at Risk of Trapped Wind?

• Pregnant women: Trapped wind is common in pregnancy due to hormonal changes - the increase in progesterone relaxes the muscles involved in digestion and slows it down, causing gas buildup.
• Babies: Trapped wind is also common in babies because their digestive systems have not fully developed, making gas build-up more likely, and they may swallow air during feeding

When Should You Seek Medical Help?

Trapped wind alone is not usually serious – but it could be if combined with other symptoms. If you are experiencing severe stomach pains, blood in the bowels or randomly losing weight, you must speak to your doctor as these symptoms may indicate a more serious condition.

The duration of trapped wind is important to consider too. If it has been ongoing for weeks or months, chronic trapped wind could be a symptom of more serious digestive problems such as IBS or coeliac disease.

3 Lifestyle Tips to Prevent Trapped Wind

• Eating: Many eating habits which reduce the chances of trapped wind involve not swallowing excess air. Examples include eating more slowly, chewing more and not drinking with straws.
• Exercise: Regular exercise can reduce bloating, and it doesn’t have to be high intensity. Even a leisurely walk after eating a heavy meal can help. Other options include yoga, jogging or casual cycling.
• Stress: Stress has negative effects on multiple health aspects, impacting digestion and can contribute to trapped wind. There are many stress-reducing techniques (e.g. meditation, breathing exercises) which can improve digestive health.

What Medicinal Products Are Available to Help?

Different products are available over the counter to help with trapped wind and are available at Prescription Doctor.

There is mixed evidence that medicinal treatments work for trapped wind. Two key reasons are a lack of studies and the subjectiveness of symptoms such as bloating and trapped wind i.e. each person’s definition of ‘trapped air’ will be different. Simeticone and activated charcoal are two well-known treatments, but there is a lack of evidence to support their effectiveness, and the results are inconsistent. However, these medicines are still widely used and most people experience some symptomatic benefit with little to no side effects.

• Simeticone: Simeticone is a commonly used medicine for trapped wind in both adults and children alike. It acts as an anti-foaming agent to get rid of gas bubbles in the digestive system. It is the active ingredient in Wind-Eze and also helps with feeling bloated and burping.
• Peppermint: Although any form of peppermint could help with trapped wind, peppermint oil capsules will be the most common form in a pharmacy. These capsules relax the muscles in your digestive tract and may help with discomfort from trapped wind. They are ‘enteric-coated’ to prevent stomach irritation.
• Other treatments: Activated charcoal adsorbs (sticks to surfaces) any extra gas by binding to them, helping to relieve discomfort. Antacids can be particularly useful if you are experiencing symptoms of heartburn and indigestion alongside trapped wind as they neutralise stomach acid.

Authored & Reviewed By

Mohamed Imran Lakhi

MPharm - Lead Pharmacist

Imran Lakhi is the superintendent pharmacist and founder at Prescription Doctor. He has been at the core of our team.

Published on: 06/08/2024 Reviewed on: 06/08/2024