How Gas Causes Chest Pain; Symptoms, Treatments & Preventive Measures

Pain in the chest is of great concern to everyone but not all the chest pains indicate an underlying heart condition. Sometimes there are other reasons behind chest pain like gas, injury, and muscle spasms.

Gas plays an important part in your digestive system. Getting rid of gas in your intestines is also very important. Trapped gas can cause digestion problems and chest pain as well. In this article, we will study the causes, symptoms and treatment methods for chest pain happening due to gas.

Similar topic: Stomach Acidity Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors and Treatment

How Gas Causes Chest Pain

When the gas levels in your intestines increase beyond the normal level, you may experience pain or discomfort in your chest area. This is the primary reason behind the chest pain due to excess of gas. Possible reasons why gas causes chest pain are given below.

Food Sensitivity

You can suffer from chest pain due to gas if you are sensitive to certain food substances. Food intolerances can cause problems in the digestive system and you have to bear extra gas in your system. If are you are unable to digest lactose and eat dairy products, you may suffer from gas and ultimately chest pain due to it. Sensitivity to gluten can also result in chest pain due to gas. Apart from chest pain, if you lack the enzymes needed to digest certain foods, you can also experience stomach pain, bloating and vomiting.

Heartburn

Another common reason behind chest pain due to excessive gas is heartburn. Heartburn happens due to stomach acid entering oesophagus and is characterized by a sharp burning sensation in your chest.

Artificial Sweeteners

A diet that is high in artificial sweeteners can also cause chest pain. Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and xylitol can cause digestive problems and excessive gas.

Food Poisoning

When you eat a food that is not healthy and is contaminated by harmful bacteria and virus, it can cause certain enzymes to die and hence you can suffer from digestive problems like vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea and chest pain due to the extra amount of gas in your intestines. You can also witness blood in your stools if the food poisoning is severe.

Carbonated Drinks

Carbonated drinks might help in digestion but an excess of them can give you an extra amount of gas which is difficult to handle. This extra amount of gas can stay in your system for some time resulting in chest pain.

Trapped Air

When you eat and drink or open your mouth for yawning, air enters inside your mouth. This air can get trapped in your digestive system and can cause chest pain and abdominal pain.

Inflammatory Health Problems

Some health conditions cause inflammation of the intestines and cause digestive problems often become the cause of chest pain and abdominal pain. Such conditions can also cause diarrhoea, rectal bleeding, fatigue, and sudden weight loss.

Gallbladder Diseases

When your gallbladder is not working properly or there are stones in your gallbladder, it is likely that you will experience chest pain due to gas. Gallbladder problems are usually characterized by severe abdominal pains, vomiting, nausea and yellow colored stools.

Extra Fiber

If you frequently consume a diet that is extremely rich in fibre, the fibre may start to stay in your system for a longer period of time. When this fibre is broken down by bacteria inside your digestive tract, it produces gas. The extra amount of gas produced can become a reason behind chest pain and abdominal pain.

Symptoms of Gas Chest Pain

It is difficult to identify a gas chest pain from a chest pain that may lead to a heart attack. If you are not experiencing severe pain in your left arm and inside your heart, then it is most likely chest pain due to gas. Chest pain due to gas usually has the following symptoms

bloating due to gas

  • Indigestion
  • Belching
  • Burping
  • Passing of gas which gives temporary relieve
  • Bloating
  • Appetite loss
  • Pain in stomach and intestines
  • Bloating

Please keep in mind that chest pain because of a heart attack is accompanied by shortness of breath, pain in left arm, frequent sweating and spinning of your head.

Treatments

It is better to try some home remedies before running for a doctor and spending some heavy amount on your medical bill. You can rely on following remedies in order to get rid of excessive gas that is causing chest pain

Give up Carbonated Drinks

Carbonated drinks are very harmful to your health because of the excessive amount of sugar they contain. The gas they contain is also another concern for your health. Consuming carbonated drinks on a regular basis can impact your health negatively in different ways. Giving up such drinks will not also relieve you of the chest pain due to gas, it will also make you more healthy and help bring your body in shape.

Warm Water and Herbal Tea

If you suffer from the gas problem frequently, you can really help yourself by making it habit t drink slightly warm water. Warm water helps in digestion and increases your metabolic rate. It also helps in moving the excessive gas in the digestive system. Herbal tea is available in the market which helps in getting rid of extra gas in your intestines.

Eat Ginger

Ginger has been known to treat digestive problems for decades now. You can just eat a small quantity of ginger orally or make ginger tea. Ginger products like chewing gums and ginger supplements are now also available with different flavors.

Exercise

Add some exercise to your daily routine. You do not need advance exercise regime, a simple walk or daily running can easily solve the gas problem for you.

Eating Habits

digestible diet

We recommend that you have a look at your eating habits. Eating junk and oily foods can result in gas buildup inside your system. Similarly, eating large portions at one time can also cause gas. You must take a diet that is low on oil and calories. Try to eat less amount of food at one time.

Medical Treatments

If you have tried all the above-mentioned treatment and you are still suffering from chest pain due to gas, you must consult your doctor. Your doctor will do some tests to analyze the exact cause of your problem and suggest you medicines accordingly.  He may suggest you blood tests to check food in-sensitivities and allergies. He can also test your blood for inflammatory diseases or gall bladder problems.

Preventive Measures

If you know that you suffer from gas pain in the chest, you should always be careful and avoid the triggers that cause you discomfort. It is better to do the following in such conditions

  • Avoid oily and spicy foods
  • Avoid eating outside
  • Give up carbonated drinks
  • Reduce alcohol intake
  • Give up artificial sweeteners
  • Avoid foods that cause digestive problems
  • Avoid high fibre diet

Conclusion

Chest pain due to gas can go away on its own as well but it takes a lot of time. Using the remedies listed above you can get rid of it in a short span. Though it is not a serious problem it can really affect your daily life and can cause you discomfort and embarrassment.

Leave a Comment