Also called: Belch, Burp, Eructation, Flatulence, Flatus
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- Summary
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- Treatments and Therapies
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- Living With
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Summary
Everyone has gas. Most people pass gas 13 to 21 times a day. Passing gas through the mouth is called belching or burping. Passing gas through the anus is called flatulence. Most of the time gas does not have an odor. The odor comes from bacteria in the large intestine that release small amounts of gases that contain sulfur.
Gas in the digestive tract comes from two sources: air that you swallow and the breakdown of undigested food by bacteria in the large intestine. Certain foods may cause gas. Foods that produce gas in one person may not cause gas in another.
You can reduce the amount of gas you have by:
- Drinking lots of water and non-fizzy drinks
- Eating more slowly so you swallow less air when you eat
- Avoiding milk products if you have lactose intolerance
Medicines can help reduce gas or the pain and bloating caused by gas. If your symptoms still bother you, see your health care provider.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Start Here
- Belching, Bloating and Flatulence (American College of Gastroenterology) Also in Spanish
- Gas in the Digestive Tract
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- Treatment of Gas (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
Living With
- Foods that May Cause Gas (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Flatulence (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
- Your Digestive System and How It Works (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Find an Expert
- Find a Gastroenterologist (American College of Gastroenterology)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Children
- Burping Your Baby (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- What's a Fart? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Why Do I Burp? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Abdominal bloating (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Belching (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Bland diet (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Gas - flatulence (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
