The 6 reasons you just can’t stop farting – from stress to bowel disease
IT can be seen as funny or embarrassing – but the fact is, everybody farts.
In fact, the NHS says the average person lets off around a pint of intestinal gas a day – generally tooted out in between five and 15 times a day.
However, if you’ve suddenly noticed an increase in frequency, it’s worth reading up on the culprits that could be causing you to break wind more.
Here, top medical experts talk us through why you might be farting more than normal.
And it can be anything from drinking too much fizzy drink to health conditions affecting your gut like coeliac disease and Crohn’s disease.
1. Inflammatory bowel disease
Breaking wind may be a sign that you have inflammatory bowel disease, according to Dr Daniel Atkinson, GP Clinical Lead at .
He says: “Inflammatory bowel disease tends to refer to ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
“With Crohn’s disease, any part of the digestive system can be affected rather than just the colon with Crohn’s disease.
“The symptoms of IBD include pain or swelling of the stomach, fatigue and recurring diarrhea – these tend to come and go in flare ups.”
2. Certain veggies
If you’re a salad lover, this may be causing you to break wind a little more than usual.
In particular, veggies like cabbage, sprout and broccoli contain a carbohydrate that make them difficult to digest – and while they hang out in your gut, they produce gas.
Everyone knows that certain foods make you more prone to wind. These include so-called ‘brassica’ vegetables
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and Clinical Director of Patient.info
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and Clinical Director of , says: “Everyone knows that certain foods make you more prone to wind.
“These include so-called ‘brassica’ vegetables – brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli – as well as onion, wheat cherries and plums, and foods high in soluble fibre like baked beans, peas and lentils.”
3. Irritable bowel syndrome
Excessive farting is one of the key symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome, also known as IBS.
Dr Atkinson says: “Irritable bowel syndrome affects the digestive system and can be uncomfortable.
“Flatulence can be a sign of the condition, as can stomach cramping – particularly after eating – bloating and constipation.
“The condition is life-long and can be managed by lifestyle changes such as getting enough exercise, cutting back on the amount of spicy food you eat and avoiding the foods that are harder to digest such as beans and broccoli.”
4. Fizzy drinks
Sipping fizzy drinks, chewing gum and using a straw can cause air to become trapped in the colon, where it causes up to 50 per cent of excessive farts.
Dr Jarvis says: “Some less well-known culprits include sugar substitutes such as sorbitol -found in many sugar-free gums – and fructose in fruit and some sugary drinks.
NHS tips on how to cut down excessive or smelly farts
DO
- Eat smaller meals, more often
- Drink or chew food slowly
- Exercise regularly to improve how your body digests food
- Drink peppermint tea
DON’T
- Chew gum, smoke, or suck pen tops or hard sweets to avoid swallowing air
- Wear loose-fitting dentures
- Eat too many foods that are difficult to digest and make you fart
“Fizzy drinks, drinking through straws, eating quickly or while you’re chatting and stress can all make you more likely to swallow a lot of wind, which certainly makes you burp more but can contribute to farting as well.”
5. Processed foods
Munching on too many McDonald’s or Domino’s takeaways might make you that little bit more gassy than usual.
Dr Jarvis says: “There has been lots of interest in recent years in your gut microbiome – the balance of healthy bacteria in your gut.
“Eating a lot of processed foods, and not eating enough fruit and veg, can mean your gut bacteria can get out of balance.
“This may include a rise in bacteria which create gas as they break down food.”
6. Coeliac disease
If you’re farting more than you think you should you may have Coeliac’s disease.
Dr Atkinson says: “Flatulence is one of the symptoms of Coeliac’s disease, alongside constipation, abdominal pain and indigestion.
“As the small intestine becomes inflamed and cannot absorb nutrients as we would expect it to, it can be very painful.
“The reaction comes to having gluten, which is commonly found in a wide range of foods like pasta, breakfast cereal and bread.
“Opting for gluten-free alternatives will help to manage the symptoms of the disease.”