Dr. Shiv Prasad Tiwari

Excessive gas can be defined as bloating, belching, flatulence and burping. It does not matter what you call it, but what matters is how you treat it and get relieved from the embarrassing symptoms. 

Here are some ways in which you can avoid gastric problems:

• Avoid eating foods that can cause gas or acidity. Vegetables which are known to cause acidity are Brussels, Onions, Garlic and Broccoli; dairy products like cheese, milk, ice cream and whole grains can cause acidity. The reason is that these products have fiber, starch and sugar which cannot be digested easily, thus causing pain in the intestines. Fruits which contain sorbitol and aerated drinks should also be avoided. Eat everything but in moderation.
• Avoid drinking before meals as the stomach acids are lost and the food cannot be digested well. Water and liquids should be taken half an hour after a meal for a better digestion.
• Food should be eaten slowly. Eating and drinking quickly, allows a lot of air to go into the stomach with the food. This in turn can cause a stomach pain.
• Over the counter drugs can be taken for immediate help in digestion. These medicines contain enzymes which aid in digestion. The enzyme works to dissolve the sugar that is found in many fruit and vegetables.
• Some habits like chewing gum, drinking from a straw and smoking, etc. causes air to fill in the stomach, thereby, leading to gas.
• Artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol should be avoided as these are difficult to digest and can easily lead to a feeling of bloating. 

However, all the pains might not be due to gas and could be a sign of something serious. These could be:

• Lactose intolerance: This is the inability to digest milk and milk products. The sugar in the milk is known as lactose and cannot be digested easily. 
• Irritable bowel syndrome: People who suffer with pain in the lower abdomen constantly might be suffering from IBS.
• Colon cancer: If the pain lasts too long then getting a screening done is a good idea to rule out if one is suffering from colon cancer or not.
• Upper gastrointestinal disorders: If one gets belching occasionally, then it is alright, but a constant belching might be a sign of gastrointestinal disorder in the upper tract. These could be gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastroparesis, or peptic ulcers.

The knee is a very important joint of your body as it takes the majority of the body weight when you are standing up, walking or running. However, there may be many things you do daily which have been slowly reducing the capacity of your knees or damaging them. Some of the tips mentioned below reduce the unnecessary stress on your knees and prevent knee pain.

1. Get the correct shoes and change them regularly: The shoes that you wear regularly determine your posture and thus how well your weight is distributed. If you have the wrong shoes or they have been worn out or have uneven soles after prolonged use, then the resulting imbalance could hurt your knees and cause problems.
2. Wear protection: You could face serious down time or limitations in movement, if you don’t protect your knees while playing amateur sports or even during recreational sporting activities. Wear knee protection at all times if you think there is a risk of injury.
3. Stretch before exercising: Always ensure your joints, especially your knee is warmed up so that it can take the impact shocks of exercises such as lifting weights or running. This will also help warm up your muscles and ensure an efficient, injury free work out.
4. Lose weight: Excess weight over a prolonged period will make your knees weaker. Thus it is important to lose weight, without putting too much stress on the knees first so as to give them time to recover. Once your knees can take your weight without pain, you can go for heavier forms of exercise to enable even further weight loss.
5. Swimming or walking: When running or heavy lifting seems to be taking a toll on your knees, then you can try to go for swimming and walking which will still be a good work outs without being too taxing on the knees.
6. Try physical therapy or massages: You can take care of your knees with the help of massages and physical therapy. An injured tendon or cartilage tends to get injured regularly that can be corrected through physical therapy, yoga and massages.