Flatulance

Flatulence

Flatulence, or wind, occurs in everyone. However for some of us, removal of this gas either upwards as belching or burping, or downwards as flatus or farting, is embarrassing, uncomfortable and painful until expelled. Often it’s not particularly pleasant for those around us either.

Most people expel small amounts of gas inoffensively many times a day, with little odour or noise accompanying its passage outside the body.

Flatulence may be caused by certain foods that produce gas when digested, particularly when the diet alters, or when increases of fibre rich foods are added to the diet. Other causes of excessive wind may be from medical conditions or from swallowing air.

Some people may consume large amounts of fizzy drinks, lactose, whole grain foods and beans with little increase or production of gas. Flatulence sufferers find that even small amounts of these foods in their diet can cause a dramatic increase in the amount of gas needing to be passed, and silent odourless gas developing into gusts of offensive vapour over which they have little control or ability to prevent. The smell accompanying flatulence is generally caused by fermenting food or intestinal bacteria producing the rotten egg smell from the process of digestion.

Swallowing air and consuming gassy foods and drinks is the usual cause of belching or burping. This removes excessive air, relieving the pressure on the stomach and allowing food to pass through into the intestines.

The easiest way to relieve the discomfort of flatulence is to remove it – by allowing the gas to pass whichever direction it needs to. However, this often causes social embarrassment, from the sound, smell or both of these.

Simple effective treatments are available from your community pharmacy to assist with flatulence by absorbing some of the smell, or by preventing some of the excessive production of intestinal gas. Consult your local pharmacist for advice and treatment, they will also be able to assist with dietary advice to help prevent the gas occurring and to prevent distress to the sufferer and those around them.

If the cause of the flatulence is not easily relieved by simple treatment, then your pharmacist will be able to refer you to your doctor who will be able to determine if the condition is caused by a medical condition that will respond to effective treatment.

Don’t let you and those around you suffer from this distressing condition – consult your community pharmacist to relieve all from the effects of flatulence.

Swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)

Causes of swallowing difficulties

Swallowing difficulties can happen at any age. There are a wide range of causes for them, including:

some medicines, such as antipsychotics
heartburn and acid reflux
cancer, such as mouth or throat cancers
nervous system or brain disorders
muscle disorders
blockages or structural issues with your mouth, throat or oesophagus.

Symptoms of swallowing difficulties

Symptoms of swallowing difficulties may include:

coughing or choking when eating or drinking
bringing food back up, may be through your nose
the feeling that food is stuck in your throat
having issues chewing your food
problems with dribbling.

Swallowing difficulties can cause weight loss, dehydration and chest infections.

Diagnosing swallowing difficulties

Let your healthcare provider know if you have swallowing difficulties. They will ask you about your symptoms and check if any other health conditions you have may be the cause.

Your healthcare provider may refer you to a specialist for tests. These may include a:

gastroscopy—a camera is passed down through your mouth to look at your throat and stomach
swallowing study—your throat and stomach are x-rayed as you swallow small amounts of food.

Treating swallowing difficulties

How your swallowing difficulties are treated depends on the cause and how severe it is. Treatments may include:

medicines to treat acid reflux
swallowing therapy with a speech and language therapist
making changes to what you eat and drink, such as softer foods and using thickener in drinks
using special spoons, plates and cups
surgery to widen your oesophagus.
using special medication lubricants eg Gloup to help make it easier to swallow tablets etc. For more information click here.

Self care for swallowing difficulties

As well as seeing your healthcare provider, the following tips may help you to get food or liquids into your stomach.

Sit upright in a chair—at a table is best.
Have regular small meals instead of the main large meals.
Eat or drink small mouthfuls at a time.
If your voice is gurgly when you eat or drink, give a small cough to make sure your airway is clear.
Wet food will be easier to swallow as dry food can catch in your throat.
If your food has 2 consistencies, such as fruit in juice and cereal in milk, try to mix it into 1 consistency, or eat the solid and liquid portions separately.
Concentrate on eating and avoid talking.
Hot, ice-cold or fizzy liquids are easier to swallow than room temperature liquids.
If you are told to have thickened liquids, avoid ice-cream and jelly as they thin before swallowing.
Drink from the top half of you cup to avoid tipping your head back.

Have a look at our range of Gloup medication lubricants here which can help with difficulties swallowing tablets...

Bureta Pharmacy Shop

We're 'the little pharmacy with the big heart' - our slogan explains our attitude - small in size but big in attitude, we like to go the extra mile for our customers!