Are You 'Normal'? Check In with Dr. Anish Sheth

Dr. Anish is answering some of your most common medical questions with advice on how to deal with passing gas, hiccups and more.

Passing Gas
Dr. Anish suggests avoiding the following foods while on a first date to avoid embarrassing gas:
Onions, brussels sprouts, eggs (because they’re high in sulfur), fatty meats and red meats (which can break down into sulfur-containing gasses), and dairy products (even if you’re not lactose intolerant, they can produce foul-smelling gas.)

While it’s tempting to hold in gas while in social situations, it’s not the best thing to do. Dr. Anish explains that the more you hold it in, the more the gas will accumulate, and the louder the sound will be when you pass gas!

Hiccupping
Dr. Anish explains that hiccups involve the diaphragm which consists of two muscles that involve breathing. These muscles sit below the rib cage. A hiccup is when the diaphragm goes into a spasm. The lungs will expand rapidly and air will rush in through the vocal cords. The hiccup sound comes from the air rushing through the closed vocal cords.

Causes of hiccupping:
Any distension of the stomach
Eating too much
Eating too quickly
Swallowing too much air while eating in a rush
Getting something temporarily stuck in the esophagus.

Possible Solutions:
Dr. Anish says holding your breath can work. If you hold your breath for about 10 seconds, the diaphragm relaxes and you might be able to break the spasm that way.  The only time to raise red flags about hiccupping is if they last more than 48 hours. Feeling nauseous is normal.
 

Coffee Wakes Up the Colon
Dr. Anish explains that coffee has chlorogenic acid. That is the main reason why your intestines get revved up in the morning. When you're a sleep at night, your colon rests. After thirty minutes of waking up along with the compounds in coffee, it will make you have a bowel movement. 

Hiccups Explained

This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

Playing Hiccups Explained

Why Coffee Wakes Up the Colon

This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

Playing Why Coffee Wakes Up the Colon