Are you farting way too much and worried if it’s normal? Call it passing gas, breaking wind or flatulence, most healthy people do it around 14-23 times a day but if you think you are breaking the wind more than you should and wondering if anything’s wrong with your digestive tract. Although excessive farting is common, harmless and not a concern, it can be caused due to swallowing air, drinking or eating gassy foods and drinks, anxiety, childbirth and is a common sign of ageing.
However, exaggerated or excessive gas and bloating can be a cause of an underlying disease. So, what is normal and what is not? Read on to find out why do you keep farting and how to solve this problem?
Also, read Yoga For Gas
What Causes Excessive Farting?
Are you thinking why do I fart when I walk or when I lay down? Is something wrong? Well, Flatulence or farting is normal. The body removes gas from your body by flatulence and burps. Simply drinking and eating is enough to cause the gas to fill up in your stomach. You may swallow a bit of air while eating and drinking. But why do you keep farting excessively? There can be several reasons behind this happening.
Eating Certain Foods
Causes of Excessive FartingFoods containing carbohydrates, starch and high fibre foods may cause gas. They cause more digestive gas than others. Fibrous food contains soluble and insoluble fibres that can cause digestive upset. Starchy foods like wheat, corn, potatoes produce gas when the body breaks them down in the large intestine. Also, sugar alcohols and high sulphur foods may cause excessive gas.
Also read: Holding In Farts Hurt Health
Changes in Diet
When you suddenly make changes to your body, you may see some changes in your body as well. Changes may include cutting out certain foods, becoming vegan or vegetarian or adding certain foods to your diet. This can lead to digestive issues like nausea, stomach upsets, constipation and diarrhoea. They should settle down as your body adjusts to your new diet and if it doesn’t, you might have a food intolerance.
Constipation
Constipation is another cause of you keep farting as it can cause your body to pass gas more frequently. Constipation may result in the waste sitting in the colon, causing it to ferment and releasing extra gas.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose IntoleranceA lactose intolerant person may notice excessive flatulence when they eat or drink dairy products like cheese, butter or yoghurt. If you are lactose intolerant, your body cannot break down lactose, which is a protein found in milk. Lactose intolerance may cause other digestive issues like an upset stomach, indigestion and foul-smelling farts.
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
IBS or irritable bowel syndrome is a digestive disorder that causes digestive issues like excessive gas, abdominal pain and frequent diarrhoea or constipation. A person having irritable bowel syndrome may notice these symptoms more during stress or eating specific foods.
How can you Prevent Excessive Farting?
Fortunately, you can control excessive farting with some lifestyle and dietary changes. Some methods may work for one person, so if you do not get relief from one, try the other. Here’s what you can do for prevention:
1. Eat Slowly and Thoroughly
Eat Slowly and Thoroughly We all get hasty when we are being late or eating our favorite dish but much of the gas comes from eating and drinking as you swallow air with the food. Swallowing food without chewing it thoroughly may make it difficult to digest and increase the air that enters inside your intestine. So, make sure to eat thoroughly and slowly.
2. Avoid Chewing Gums
Chewing gums causes an individual to swallow air along with the saliva that can cause the gas to enter inside the intestine, causing excessive farts. Make sure to avoid chewing gum.
3. Avoid Gassy Foods
Some foods may yield more gas than others like foods containing fructose, lactose, insoluble fibre and starch. You don’t have to completely cut them from your diet but instead, try to eat less of them.
4. Avoid Carbonated Beverages
Carbonated beverages contain air bubbles that can cause burps and farts. They can make their way through your digestive system and exit your body in the form of farts. Replace these beverages with water, tea, wine or other unsweetened juices.
5. Try Probiotics
Your digestive tract has healthy bacteria that helps it to break down the body. Some healthy bacteria can break down the gas. Probiotics are supplements that contain good bacteria. This can help you get rid of symptoms of digestive upset and may also treat chronic digestive issues like IBS.
6. Exercise More
Regular exercising is great for your overall health and keeps your digestive system in check. Take small walks after large meals to keep your digestive system running smoothly.
Also read: Glycemic Index
7. Drink More Water
Staying hydrated enables the waste to pass through the digestive tract smoothly and keeps your stool soft. Also, lack of hydration may cause constipation. Drink a glass of water with every meal to help your body to digest food more easily.
When to See your Doctor?
Excessive FlatulenceIf you think your flatulence and bloating is a concern or troubling you, you can discuss the symptoms with your doctor. Although farting isn’t a concern, excessive farting might be! It can make you feel embarrassed and disrupt your everyday tasks. Excessive farting can be controlled and this can be done by making some changes to your lifestyle and diet.
You should see a doctor if you experience:
- Stomach pain and bloating which doesn’t go away.
- Repetitive Diarrhoea or constipation
- Sudden weight loss
- Blood in your stool
- High body temperature, vomiting, chills and pain in your joints or muscles can be the symptoms of an infection.
So, now you know why you keep farting and what can you do about it. Make sure to eat healthily and drink plenty of fluids to keep your digestive system run smoothly. This can be a game-changer in your lifestyle!
Also read: Home Remedies For Constipation
