The past 1 week has been a week filled with stress and anxiety.

Cass was hospitalized for UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) but was on home leave. Hubby had to drive us to the hospital for her antibiotic jabs three times a day at 9am, 4pm and 11pm. It was a week filled with whirlwind events, anxiety, worries, lots of mad rush, lack of sleep and stress. Because of the urgency of her admission, the timing of her jabs and the tests ordered by the doctor, I had skipped meals and meals off my regular hours.

And the result?

BAD.   A big bloated gassy stomach. And I have been in pain caused by the trapped wind in the stomach.  Double whammy!

It’s true that when it rains, it pours real heavily!  It always appears that when the dark cloud is hovering above you, it would stay on and rain on you till you drown.  I am anxiously awaiting the rainbow and light at the end of the tunnel now.

When you know you have anxiety, there are many symptoms you expect. You expect to feel very tense. You expect to have a lot of nervous thoughts and actions. You expect a rapid heartbeat, nausea, and shaking. But you may not expect that anxiety can cause gas problems. Not only can anxiety lead to gas problems/bloating – the gas problems themselves can actually lead to symptoms that cause further anxiety.  While being gassy is generally nothing to worry about, recognizing the cause of your gas problems is important for ensuring you’re not overwhelmed by your anxiety symptoms.

It is hard to pinpoint the exact cause of your gas without tests, but it is very likely to be caused by any or all of the following:

• Air Swallowing – During anxiety attacks, it’s not uncommon to start swallowing too much air. You’re not necessarily doing this intentionally – you may simply be swallowing saliva and swallow air as a result, or you may simply be breathing too quickly and some air is going down the wrong tube – but once the air is inside your body, it starts to cause pressure and needs to be released.
• Oxygen Release – Similarly, those with anxiety and panic attacks are more likely to suffer from hyperventilation. Hyperventilation is when there is too much oxygen in your blood. Eventually that oxygen needs to be dispelled, and gas may be the result.
• Digestion Issues- Anxiety causes stress on your gastrointestinal system. That stress may cause you to stop processing food efficiently, often processing it too quickly or too slowly. That can cause the bacteria in your body to produce excess gas, which leads to bloating. Irritable bowel syndrome may also be caused by or aggravated by anxiety, and this too can lead to similar gas issues.

No only is the wind trapped in my stomach, it is also trapped in my breasts!! It is agony and the pain is very sharp at times and feels as if a knife is stabbing my breast from the inside!

Natural Remedies to Expel Gas/Wind:

1) Drink some peppermint tea

2) Let them loose. If you have the urge to release the wind, do not resist it. Just find a place in private and do yourself a favor.

3) Ginger is tummy tamer.  Make yourself a cup of ginger tea.

4) Drink chamomile tea.

5)  Eat pumpkin. Eat approximately 1 cup of pumpkin with your meal to ward off gas. You can have it baked, steamed, or broiled, or whip up a recipe all your own.

6) Chew food thoroughly.

7) Drink warm lemon water.

8) Massage tummy.  Whenever my kids and I have gas in my stomach, I use my most trusted Melaleuca oil to massage our tummies. It works most of the time instantly.  The sound of the gas being released like a deflated balloon is music to my ears and big relief in my tummy.

9) Avoid gas-causing foods.

10) I find that exercising (light jogging and swimming) helps. You can try yoga too.

There are many other natural remedies for relieving gas. You can google search for one that best fits you.