Gas Pain in Chest - Causes & Symptoms

Has the jabbing pain in the chest made you think if you were having a heart attack but only to later find that it was nothing but stomach gas pain in chest? Yes, a lot of people might mistake the stomach gas pain in the chest for a heart attack because of the intensity but it can easily be distinguished. The stomach gas pain in the chest causes tightness in the chest area, along with pain and sometimes even a slight burning sensation. Though stomach gas pain is often felt in the abdomen, it can also in many cases travel to the chest and cause a lot of discomfort. However, stomach gas pain in the chest is generally not a phenomenon to worry about and also can be easily cured, provided you recognize the symptoms on time and know the causes of the stomach gas pain to ensure you avoid the triggers in the future.

Causes of Stomach Gas Pain in Chest

Stomach gas pain is mainly caused because of the poor digestion process that results in an effective breakdown of food and fat, resulting in the formation of gas in the stomach. Moreover, gas troubles can also indicate a reaction to a food item or substance such as carbonated drinks, spicy food items, greasy food, sugary alcoholic drinks, etc. Smoking is also known to promote the creation of gas in the stomach. Moreover, sometimes certain food allergies also tend to cause gas troubles. That said, some causes of stomach gas pain are:

Food sensitivity and Intolerances

Cases, where people are allergic to gluten, lactose, or even wheat, can suffer from extreme stomach gas troubles if they consume food items that have gluten, milk or wheat in them. Allergic reactions trigger the formation of stomach gas and also cause extreme discomfort. Moreover, gluten allergies can cause inflammation in the intestines which can take more than 6 months to recover completely while harming the digestive process all that time.

Food Poisoning

Consuming contaminated food can cause stomach gas and discomfort. A person might experience extreme conditions such as vomiting, nausea, fever, diarrhoea, along with chest pain due to stomach gas. 

Inflammatory Problems

Irritable Bowel disease and Chron’s disease can cause extreme inflammation in the intestines which can adversely affect the digestive process resulting in the formation of gas in the stomach and acute pain in the chest. A person experiencing inflammatory issues can also have fatigue, rectal bleeding, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, etc.

Gallbladder Diseases

Gallstones and other gallbladder diseases can lead to extreme pain in the chest due to stomach gas troubles. In cases where a gallbladder disease affects the ability of the gallbladder to empty its content easily and completely – the formation of gas and resultant discomfort is very extreme. 

Swallowing Air

Sometimes that air that we breathe can get trapped in the digestive system and results in building up of gas in the gastrointestinal tract. This formation of stomach gas also causes extreme chest or abdominal pain.

Excessive Fibre

Though fibre is good for the digestive system excess of certain fibre components can also result in the formation of stomach gas. The fibre tends to stay in the body for a long time and hence, is breakdown by bacteria resulting in stomach gas.

Other than these conditions, a few general lifestyle habits and diet preferences can cause gas troubles and pain in the chest as a result. These include:

• Excessive consumption of legumes and beans
• Food items rich in starch such as potatoes
• Whole grains including brown rice and wheat
• Spicy, oily and greasy food items
• Dairy Foods
• Fructose (present in onions, garlic, wheat, pears, etc.)
• Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.
• Carbonated drinks
• Chewing gums
• Sugary alcoholic drinks
• Smoking
• Lying down right after a meal
• Eating too fast and not chewing the food properly
• Physical inactivity
• Excessive weight

Further, while it is critical to know the causes of gas in the stomach, it is also very essential to be able to identify the symptoms of stomach gas so that you can either reach out for home remedies for gas or take over the counter medicines.

Some common symptoms that indicate stomach gas are:

• Jabbing chest pain
• Tightness in chest
• Belching
• Indigestion
• Excessive passing of gas
• Loss of appetite
• Feeling full even after small meals
• Consistently disturbing burps
• Bloating
• Abdomen tenderness and stomach ache
• Shifting pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Excess flatulence

The symptoms of stomach gas can often be confused with those of acidity and in many cases, also heart attack. Hence, it is necessary to evaluate properly before taking any treatment. That said, in cases when you need instant relief from stomach gas troubles, you should take Gas-O-Fast flavoured sachets that are enriched with digestive enzymes and help in effective digestion of food providing you relief from gas in the stomach within seconds.