Can Excessive Gas Be a Sign of a Medical Problem?

Everyone passes digestive gas by burping or farting from time to time throughout the day. It's usually no reason for concern, but sometimes excessive gas could be a sign of an underlying problem.

Gas is a byproduct of digestion. Excess gas can lead to flatulence (farting) and can also cause bloating and abdominal pain or cramping. Although it is often treatable with lifestyle changes and/or over-the-counter remedies, it may also be caused by conditions such as food intolerance, celiac disease, intestinal disease, and even certain cancers. These conditions should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.

This article explores the possible causes of excessive gas, including ways to prevent or treat this potentially embarrassing symptom. It also offers tips about when to see your healthcare provider if you have excessive gas.

Food Intolerance

There are certain foods that are gassy. These tend to be foods that take longer to be broken down and absorbed in the gut, providing them time to ferment and produce gas.

These include carbohydrates known as FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) that are especially gassy.

Foods and drinks that can cause excessive gas include:

• Beans and legumes
  
• Soy products, including tofu and soy milk
• Vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, radishes, asparagus, artichokes, onions, mushrooms, sprouts, and cucumbers
• Fruits such as apples, peaches, pears, and fruit juices
  
• Carbonated drinks
• Sweetened drinks with high-fructose corn syrup
• Alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, champagne, and cider
• Sugar-free gum and candies made with sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol

People with certain health conditions may be more prone to having gas after eating certain foods. For example, excessive gas can occur in people with lactose intolerance when they eat dairy products like milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt. Similarly, someone with gluten sensitivity may develop gas and other symptoms after eating wheat or other grain products that contain gluten.

Swallowing Air

Gas can occur when you swallow extra air. Although some of the air will be expelled from the mouth when you belch or burp, the rest may travel through the digestive tract—moving in pockets with stool—and emerge from the anus as a fart.

There are certain habits that can cause you to swallow excess air:

• Eating too fast
• Drinking too fast
• Smoking
• Chewing gum
• Sucking on hard candy
• Drinking carbonated drinks
• Wearing loose-fitting dentures (which cause you to swallow more air when you eat)

Anxiety can also cause you to swallow more air as it increases your respiratory rate and may even lead to hyperventilation.

Constipation

Constipation can cause bloating and gas. When unpassed stool in the colon ferments, it can lead to painful gas and bloating. Other symptoms of constipation include:

• Having fewer than three bowel movements a week
• Straining to have a bowel movement
• Hard, pebble-like stools
• Feeling like you haven't had a complete bowel movement
  

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that causes the body's immune system to mistakenly attack the small intestine in the presence of gluten, a protein found in certain grains such as wheat and barley. Celiac disease can cause several uncomfortable symptoms, including:

• Excessive gas and bloating
• Chronic diarrhea
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Weight loss
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pale, foul-smelling stools
  

Digestive Disease

Other conditions of the digestive tract may have excess gas as a symptom. These include:

• Diverticulitis occurs when tiny pouches called diverticula, which can form in your colon, become inflamed. The condition can cause abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, constipation, and bloating/gas.
• Ulcerative colitis is a type of Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects the large intestine and rectum. People with this condition may have gas and bloating along with other symptoms like bloody diarrhea, fever, frequent bowel movements, and weight loss.
• Crohn's disease is an autoimmune condition where your immune system mistakenly attacks the tissue in your gastrointestinal tract. It can cause gas and bloating along with abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, anemia, and weight loss.
  
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that causes a range of digestive symptoms including gas and bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation, mucus in the stool, and chronic pelvic pain.
• Dumping syndrome is a problem that sometimes occurs after gastric bypass weight loss surgery. It happens when food from the stomach is "dumped" directly into the small intestine without being digested. Symptoms can include bloating, sweating, abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness/fainting, and diarrhea.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition where stomach contents back up into the esophagus. Gas is not caused by GERD, but it can contribute to reflux reflux symptoms.
• Gastroparesis is a condition where food remains in the stomach for longer than it should. This can lead to symptoms such as bloating and gas, nausea and vomiting, and upper abdominal pain.
• Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can cause gas and bloating. This condition occurs when there is too much bacteria in the small intestine.

Cancer

Certain cancers may cause gas as a symptom. These conditions may also have other subtle symptoms in the early stages.

• Colorectal cancer can cause changes in bowel habits, which can include diarrhea and constipation, bloody or black stools, and frequent gas, bloating, and abdominal pain. Any changes in bowel habits should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.
• Stomach cancer can cause gas and bloating, frequent burping, indigestion, and stomach pain.
• Pancreatic cancer doesn't always cause symptoms in the early stages. As it advances, it can cause indigestion, weight loss, and changes in bowel habits including bloating and gas.
  
• Ovarian cancer can cause gastrointestinal symptoms as fluid builds up in the abdominal cavity. Besides excessive gas, someone with this type of cancer might experience symptoms like indigestion and feeling full too soon after beginning a meal.
  

Diabetes

Diabetes can cause lower gastrointestinal symptoms such as flatulence, constipation or diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating. These symptoms tend to be associated with poorer blood sugar control.

Medications

There are over-the-counter and prescription drugs that can also cause gas and bloating, including:

• Aspirin
• Antacids
• Diarrhea medicines, such as Imodium (loperamide) and Lomotil (diphenoxylate/atropine)
• Opioid pain relievers
• Fiber supplements and bulking agents, such as Citrucel, Fiberall, and Metamucil
• Multivitamins and iron supplements
  

Home Remedies

In most cases, farting is not a cause for concern. Even so, there are a variety of things you can do to help reduce gas if you are prone to frequent farting.

Lifestyle Changes

In most cases, excess gas can be treated by changing the way you eat or by avoiding foods and medications that cause gas. Some of the changes you can try include:

• Slow down while eating.
• Don't gulp.
• Take smaller bites, and chew your food completely.
• Avoiding eating on the run.
  
• Do not use straws when you drink.
• Avoid carbonated beverages.
  
• Gradually introduce more insoluble fiber into your diet.
• Eat fewer carbohydrates, including pasta, bread, and corn.
• Avoid lying down immediately after eating.
  
• Stop chewing gum.
• Quit smoking.
  

OTC Medication

There are also over-the-counter (OTC) medications and supplements that can help if gas is causing distress or is accompanied by bloating, cramping, and abdominal pain.

OTC treatment options include:

• Simethicone: This is an anti-foaming agent found in products like Gas-X.
• Beano: This a supplement that contains an enzyme called alpha-galactosidase (α-GAL) that breaks up gas-producing carbohydrates.
• Laxatives: These OTC medications can move food through the intestine faster, reducing fermentation, but are only intended for treating occasional constipation.
• Lactase supplement: This includes products like Lactaid that prevent digestive symptoms in people with lactose intolerance.
• Probiotics: These supplements contain healthy bacteria that help restore the natural flora of the gut. This, in turn, helps suppress bacteria and fungi that promote fermentation and gas.

You can also apply a heating pad to your belly whenever you're gassy. The heat will relax muscles in the large intestine, causing them to release trapped gas.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If the frequency of farting concerns you, speak with your healthcare provider. It may help to keep a diary so that you can describe when and how often you experienced farting, including what you ate, when, and the amount.

It is especially important to see a healthcare provider—including a specialist known as a gastroenterologist—if gas and bloating are severe, persistent, or accompanied by:

• Vomiting
• Severe abdominal pain and cramping
• Chronic heartburn
• Frequent diarrhea
• Chronic constipation
• Unintentional weight loss
• Blood in the stool
• Mucus in the stool

Summary

Gas is a normal part of life, especially after you've eaten and your food is digesting. Gas becomes excessive when you fart more than 25 times per day. This is usually caused by something you ate—or the way you ate—but could also be caused by a medical condition or certain drugs.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you have excessive gas or if frequent farting is making you uncomfortable. By changing the way you eat or avoiding certain foods or medicines, you may be able to bring the symptom under control. Some over-the-counter drugs and supplements can also help.