Trapped Gas: Relief, Causes, Symptoms, When To See A Doctor

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HealthlineSubscribeImmediate Relief for Trapped Gas: 9 Home Remedies and Prevention TipsMedically reviewed by the Healthline Medical Network — Written by Marjorie Hecht — Updated on January 24, 2024

Home remedies
OTC remedies
Symptoms
Causes
Prevention tips
See a doctor
FAQs
Takeaway

If you have trapped gas, trying home remedies and certain movements may help. If it lasts a long time or occurs frequently, or you have other symptoms, it may be an early indicator of a health condition.

A female's torso with her hands on her stomach.

Trapped gas can feel like a stabbing pain in your chest or abdomen. The pain can be sharp enough to send you to the emergency room, thinking it’s a heart attack, appendicitis, or gallbladder.

Producing and passing gas is a typical part of your digestion. But when a bubble of gas gets stuck inside you, you want to relieve the pain as fast as possible. And if you have other symptoms, it’s a good idea to find out what’s causing the pain.

Read on to learn how to relieve trapped gas, what the causes might be, and tips for prevention.

Best home remedies for trapped gas

Certain home remedies for relieving trapped gas work better for some people than others. You may have to experiment to see what works best and fastest for you. Most of the evidence behind these home remedies is anecdotal.

Here are some quick ways to expel trapped gas, either by burping or passing gas.

1. Move around

Walk around or exercise. Movement may help you expel the gas.

2. Get a massage

Try gently massaging the painful spot, which can stimulate gas to move downward and out of the body. In particular, using the “I LOV U” technique may be helpful.

This involves making circular massage movements on your abdominal area in the shape of the letters I, L, U, and O in the direction your bowel movements pass through the colon and small intestine.

3. Do yoga poses

Yoga may help your body relax to aid the passing of gas.

Here’s a pose to start with:

Lie on your back and extend your legs straight up with your feet together.
Bend your knees and put your arms around them.
Pull your knees down to your chest.
At the same time, pull your head up to your knees. You can also keep your head flat if it’s more comfortable.
Hold the pose for 20 seconds or more.

Certain yoga poses may work better than others.

4. Drink more liquids

Drink noncarbonated liquids. Warm water or herbal tea helps some people. Try peppermint, ginger, or chamomile tea.

Use prepared teabags, or make your own herbal tea by steeping ginger root, peppermint leaves, or dried chamomile.

A traditional Persian remedy advises mixing 10 grams (g) each of ground cumin and fennel with 5 g of ground anise and steeping them in a cup of boiling water for 20 minutes.

5. Try herbs

Natural kitchen remedies for gas include:

anise
caraway
coriander
fennel
turmeric

Mix one of these ground herbs or seeds into a glass of warm water and drink.

6. Try baking soda

Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in a glass of water and drink it.

Be careful not to use more than 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Too much baking soda taken when you have a full stomach could lead to a stomach rupture.

7. Drink apple cider vinegar

Dissolving 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drinking it is a traditional remedy for gas release.

Anecdotal evidence suggests this may be effective, but there’s no scientific evidence to support this claim. However, there aren’t any negative side effects to this method.

Best OTC remedies for trapped gas

Many over-the-counter (OTC) remedies exist for gas relief. Again, the evidence for effectiveness may be anecdotal only. You’ll have to experiment to see what works for you.

Here are some products to try.

8. Enzyme preparations

Certain products may help if you are lactose intolerant. But these are usually taken as a preventive measure. These enzyme products include:

Lactaid
Digest Dairy Plus
Dairy Relief

Alpha-galactosidase is a natural enzyme that helps prevent gas from legumes. There’s older evidence that it works to prevent gas and bloating. But again, it’s usually taken as a preventive measure.

Beano is a well-known version of this enzyme, available in tablet form.

9. Adsorbents

Simethicone products have possible benefits in relieving gas, according to some studies. They work by breaking up bubbles in gas.

These products include:

Gas-X
Alka-Seltzer Anti-Gas
Mylanta Gas

Activated charcoal tablets, capsules, or powder may also help reduce gas. The charcoal is activated by heating it to make it more porous, which traps gas molecules in the spaces created. However, these products may have unwanted side effects, such as turning your tongue black.

These products include:

Activated Charcoal
CharcoCaps

Symptoms of trapped gas

Trapped gas symptoms usually come on suddenly. The pain can be sharp and stabbing. It can also be a general feeling of acute discomfort.

Your stomach may be bloated, and you may have stomach cramps.

Pain from gas that collects on the left side of your colon can radiate up to your chest. You may think this is a heart attack.

Gas that collects on the right side of the colon can feel like it might be appendicitis or gallstones.

Causes of trapped gas

There are many causes of trapped gas bubbles. Most are related to the process of digestion. But some may result from physical conditions that need treatment.

The following chart summarizes the variety of causes of trapped gas:

Common causes of excess gas	Other factors that may cause excess gas	Health conditions
digestion	persistent post-nasal drip	irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
food intolerance	certain medications, such as OTC cold medications	Crohn’s disease
bacterial overgrowth	fiber supplements that contain psyllium	ulcerative colitis
constipation	artificial sugar substitutes, such as sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol	peptic ulcers
lifestyle behaviors, such as chewing gum, overeating, and smoking	stress
a previous surgery or pregnancy that altered your pelvic muscles

Tips for preventing trapped gas

You can lower your risk of getting a painful trapped gas bubble by watching what and how you eat.

It may be useful to keep a food diary. This can help you keep track of the foods and circumstances that lead to a gas bubble. Then you can avoid those foods or behaviors that seem to give you a problem.

Try eliminating foods one by one so that you can pinpoint possible problems.

Here are some basic tips to start with:

Stay hydrated.
Avoid carbonated beverages.
Drink liquids at room temperature, not too hot or too cold.
Avoid foods known to cause excess gas.
Avoid artificial sweeteners.
Eat slowly and chew your food well.
Don’t chew gum.
Don’t smoke or chew tobacco.
If you wear dentures, have your dentist check on whether they let in too much air when you eat.
Increase your physical activity.

Try some of the home remedies or OTC remedies for gas, and see what might work for you.

When to see a doctor

It’s a good idea to see your doctor if you frequently have trapped gas bubbles, if they last a long time, or if you have any worrisome symptoms.

Other symptoms to watch for include:

unexplained weight loss
bowel movement frequency changes
blood in your stool
constipation
diarrhea
nausea or vomiting
heartburn
loss of appetite

Your doctor can diagnose other possible conditions. They may also advise you to take a probiotic or a prescription antibiotic.

It’s a good idea to discuss the remedies that you’re already trying, especially any herbal supplements.

Frequently asked questions:

What is the best position to relieve gas?

Several poses can help relieve gas, particularly yoga poses. Examples include the child’s pose and knee-to-chest pose.

How long can trapped gas last?

Gas can stay trapped, causing pain, for a couple of hours. If you do not experience relief within that time frame, you may wish to see your doctor in case you have a more serious issue like appendicitis.

Does drinking hot water relieve gas?

Drinking more water, regardless of its temperature, can help you relieve trapped gas.

Takeaway

Trapped gas can be acutely painful. It’s usually not serious but may be a sign of a food intolerance or an underlying digestive problem.

Watching what you eat and taking some preventive measures can help.

Getting rapid relief may take some experimenting with different remedies to see what works for you.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Dalton A, et al. (2019). Exercise influence on the microbiome–gut–brain axis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6748614/
Egan N. (n.d.). Gas: Beat the bloat.https://www.brighamandwomens.org/patients-and-families/meals-and-nutrition/bwh-nutrition-and-wellness-hub/special-topics/gas-beat-the-bloat
Fekri Z, et al. (2021). The effects of abdominal "I LOV U" massage along with lifestyle training on constipation and distension in the elderly with stroke.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229921000066
Ganiats TG, et al. (1994). Does Beano prevent gas? A double-blind crossover study of oral alpha-galactosidase to treat dietary oligosaccharide intolerance.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7964541
Hosseini-Asl MK, et al. (2021). The effect of a short-term physical activity after meals on gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals with functional abdominal bloating: a randomized clinical trial.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8035544/
Intestinal gas overview. (n.d.).https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/intestinal-gas/
Larijani B, et al, (2016). Prevention and treatment of flatulence from a traditional Persian medicine perspective.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4893422/
Malik TF, et al. (2023). Lactose intolerance.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532285/
Schulz RM, et al. (2022). Effectiveness of nutritional ingredients on upper gastrointestinal conditions and symptoms: A narrative review.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8839470/
Silberman J, et al. (2023). Activated charcoal.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482294/
Sodium bicarbonate. (2017).https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682001.html
Symptoms & causes of gas in the digestive tract. (2021).https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gas-digestive-tract/symptoms-causes
Solan M. (2019). Feeling gassy — is it ever a cause for concern?https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/feeling-gassy-is-it-ever-a-cause-for-concern-2019090917599
Treatment of gas. (n.d.). -causes/intestinal-gas/treatment/https://iffgd.org/gi-disorders/symptoms
Wang G, et al. (2022). Abdominal massage: A review of clinical and experimental studies from 1990 to 2021.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229922000632#ab0015

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Medically reviewed by the Healthline Medical Network — Written by Marjorie Hecht — Updated on January 24, 2024

Trapped Gas: Relief, Causes, Symptoms, When To See A Doctor

Best home remedies for trapped gas

1. Move around

2. Get a massage

3. Do yoga poses

4. Drink more liquids

5. Try herbs

6. Try baking soda

7. Drink apple cider vinegar

Best OTC remedies for trapped gas

8. Enzyme preparations

9. Adsorbents

Symptoms of trapped gas

Causes of trapped gas

Tips for preventing trapped gas

When to see a doctor

Frequently asked questions:

What is the best position to relieve gas?

How long can trapped gas last?

Does drinking hot water relieve gas?

Takeaway

How we reviewed this article:

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