What are gas and flatulence?

Flatulence is a medical term for releasing gas from the digestive system through the anus. It is also commonly known as farting, passing wind, or having gas. It occurs when gas collects inside the digestive system.

What are the causes of flatulence?

Flatulence is very common, and it is estimated that a man will naturally pass wind between 14 and 25 times a day. The causes:

- Swallowing Air: Reasons that you may swallow more air than normal include chewing gum, smoking, sucking on objects such as pen tops, drinking carbonated drinks, and eating too quickly.

- Dietary Choices: If your diet is high in foods such as beans, cabbage, broccoli, raisins, lentils, prunes, and apples, you may suffer from flatulence. These foods can also take a long time to digest, leading to an unpleasant smell associated with flatulence. Foods high in fructose or sorbitol, such as fruit juices, can also cause an increase in flatulence.

- Health Conditions: Potential conditions behind flatulence range from temporary conditions, such as constipation and gastroenteritis, to food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance. Digestive problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and celiac disease, can also lead to flatulence, although they are rarely the cause.

How Is flatulence treated?

There may be ways for you to treat excessive flatulence yourself.

First, look at your diet. If it contains a large amount of difficult-to-digest carbohydrates, try to replace these with carbohydrates that are easier to digest, such as potatoes, rice, and bananas.

Keep a food diary so you can identify any triggers, and eat around six small meals a day instead of three larger ones.

Additionally, avoid doing anything that may increase the amount of air that you swallow. This includes ensuring that food is chewed properly, as well as avoiding chewing gum or smoking.

Some people find that exercising helps to promote digestion and can prevent flatulence.

There are a number of over-the-counter medications that can treat flatulence, although these will only temporarily stop the problem. These include charcoal tablets that absorb gas through the digestive system as well as dietary supplements, such as alpha-galactosidase (Beano).