Common Problems – Flatulence
Flatulence is the proper term for “passing gas”, “tooting” or “farting” through the rectum. I don’t know that there has not been a kid or teen or even adult who did not make a big joke out of it especially when in a safe place. What may be fun thing for some is a constant source of embarrassment for others when it cannot be controlled, is excessive, or is particularly foul smelling.Â
Gas is made in our digestive tract when we either swallow air or when food is broken down by bacteria in our colons. The average person produces about 1 to 4 pints of gas and toots about 14-23 times daily. Most of the gas produced is made up of vapors that have no smell.  These include carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and sometimes methane. The vapor that smells particularly bad is the sulfur produced by bacteria in the large intestine. Some people who are excessively gassy often have other symptoms which include belching which we covered earlier. They may also have the following:
Abdominal pain. A gas pain can be pretty intense. Many people have gone to the Emergency room believing that it was something far more serious. When gas collects on the left side of our colon, the pain may seem like heart disease. When gas collects on the right side of our colon, the pain may feel like gallstones or appendicitis.
Abdominal bloating.  Sometimes our abdomens may feel distended along with pain when we are gassy. Usually this is caused by the intestinal muscles not working normally (intestinal motility disorder). Other causes of bloating are: Crohn’s disease, colon cancer, internal hernias or scar tissue (adhesions) from surgery. Fatty foods can also delay stomach emptying causing bloating and discomfort without producing much gas. Another cause is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
Excessive gas can be cause by serious health problems. It is always advisable to see your health provider or a GI specialist.