Feeling gassy at 30,000 feet? You’re not flying solo.
Whether you’re headed to paradise or jetting off for business, many passengers find themselves battling a different kind of turbulence when their guts revolt midair — leaving them bloated, cramping and desperate for solid ground.
To get to the bottom of this phenomenon known as “jet belly,” The Post spoke to Dr. Brennan Spiegel, a UCLA professor and director of Health Services Research at Cedars-Sinai, who also broke down how to prevent it from wrecking your next flight.
What is jet belly — and why does it happen?
It’s a nickname for the bloating and cramping many people get on airplanes.
At sea level, Spiegel explained, gravity pulls air molecules tight to Earth, keeping the atmosphere dense. But as you climb higher, the air thins and pressure drops.
“Even though airplane cabins are pressurized, they don’t fully match sea level, so your intestines inflate a little,” said Spiegel, author of “PULL: How Gravity Shapes Your Body, Steadies the Mind, and Guides Our Health.”
“That means gases trapped in the gut expand, almost like a sealed snack bag puffing up mid-flight,” he continued.
In a 1969 study, researchers found that the abdominal gas in 18 military men — who agreed not to fart during a simulated flight — more than quadrupled as the altitude climbed from ground level to nearly 30,000 feet.
For some, Spiegel said, the experience is just mildly uncomfortable. But for others, it can be downright painful — and even trigger a flare up of colitis, a type of colon inflammation, in people with conditions like Crohn’s disease.
“Jet belly is a reminder that while our bodies evolved to resist gravity’s pull, they’re also tuned to the atmospheric squeeze gravity creates,” he said. “When that squeeze loosens at altitude, the gut often feels it first.”
Can you deflate jet belly from your seat?
“Simple, in-seat movements can make a big difference,” Spiegel said.
One of his go-to tricks is something he calls the “Jet Belly Release.”
To do it, place your hand about two to three inches below your belly button and press gently but firmly. Then, start massaging toward your right side in the direction of your right hip bone.
“Keep doing this to help ‘milk’ gas through the ileocecal valve — the little gateway between the small intestine and the colon,” Spiegel said. “Once air moves into the colon, which has much more capacity, it can be released more easily.”
And yes, “that could mean a discreet mid-flight toot,” he noted.
If you’re still feeling bloated, Spiegel recommends doing seat twists by gently rotating your torso side to side to help mobilize your intestines.
Posture matters, too. By sitting up straight, you can prevent your abdominal cavity from getting compressed.
“Consider occasionally breathing slowly and deeply while exhaling through pursed lips,” Spiegel advised. “This can help stimulate the vagus nerve, relaxing the gut and improving digestion. But don’t overdo it — be sure to listen to your body. ”
Can these moves help prevent jet belly?
“They mostly help once bloating starts, but doing them throughout the flight can also reduce the risk in the first place,” Spiegel said.
The key, he said, is keeping your gut and circulation active rather than letting everything become stagnate in the low-pressure cabin.
“Think of it as “working with gravity” even when you’re seated at 35,000 feet,” Spiegel said.
If you’ve got gas, experts say it’s better to just let it go, since holding it in can bring on a whole laundry list of uncomfortable symptoms. But if you want to keep your seat mates happy, try to make it to the bathroom before you break wind.
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