Eating foods that may be harder to digest, taking certain medications, and having a food intolerance can make you fart more often. In some cases, frequent farting is a symptom of an underlying health condition.
Whether they’re loud or silent, stinky or odorless, everyone farts.
Farting, known as flatulence, is one of your body’s ways to naturally pass gas, along with burping. It’s a normal part of digestion that reflects the activity of the bacteria in your gut.
Healthcare professionals estimate that people fart anywhere from
Farting every day is normal and you might notice that you fart more when you eat certain foods. However, farting all the time may be a sign of an underlying health condition.
In most cases, excessive farting can be controlled with changes to your diet and lifestyle. But in some cases, it’s necessary to get medical attention.
Keep reading to learn more about the causes of excessive farting and how to manage your symptoms.
What can cause excessive farting?
Gas in your digestive system usually occurs for two reasons:
- Swallowing: Excess air from swallowing can build up in the digestive tract and lead to flatulence. This may be due to certain eating habits, smoking, and wearing dentures that don’t fit correctly.
- Digestion: Your body creates gas when the bacteria in your gut are digesting food.
Some foods may be more difficult for your body to digest than others. These foods often contain high amounts of fiber or certain kinds of sugars that are hard for the body to process.
Some foods that commonly cause excessive gas include:
- beans
- lentils
- cabbage
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- bok choy
- Brussels sprouts
- wheat bran
- dairy products containing lactose, like milk or cheese
- fructose, found in some fruits and often used as a sweetener in soft drinks and candy
- sorbitol, a sugar substitute found in candies and artificial sweeteners
- carbonated beverages, like soda and beer
- wheat
It’s important to note that everyone reacts to foods differently. People with a food intolerance are also more likely to experience flatulence if they consume products with certain nutrients, such as lactose or gluten.
Your eating habits may
Some eating habits that may cause flatulence include:
- eating too much food in one sitting
- eating too quickly
- eating foods high in carbs and fats
- drinking during or immediately after eating
- drinking beverages through a straw
Consider eating smaller portions more regularly throughout the day and practicing mindful eating. This could help prevent swallowing excess air and, therefore, flatulence.
Several digestive conditions are also associated with excessive farting,
These digestive conditions interfere with normal digestion, placing stress on your digestive system, and often result in excessive farting.
Some people experience symptoms of IBS, including excessive farting, when they experience feelings of stress, anxiety, or depression.
Certain habits sometimes associated with stress, like smoking, chewing gum, eating sweets, or drinking alcohol, may
Research suggests that taking antibiotics may increase your risk of developing IBS, which could include symptoms like flatulence, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Antibiotics may alter your gut microbiome, which refers to the good bacteria in your gut. These play a key role in many bodily processes, including digestion.
Learn more about the link between antibiotics and IBS.
In most cases, excess farting will resolve on its own when the foods have been digested or you change the habits that lead to swallowing excess air.
Several lifestyle and dietary changes can also help you manage excessive farting by promoting better digestion and swallowing less air.
Some strategies to consider include:
- limiting foods and beverages that may cause excess gas, such as soda, beans, lentils, and sugar
- limiting chewing gum
- limiting drinking through a straw
- using a food journal to help you identify foods that cause flatulence
- eating smaller, more frequent meals
- quitting smoking, if you smoke
- ensuring dentures fit properly, if you wear them
- exercising for at least 30 minutes daily
If home remedies don’t help, speak with a pharmacist or healthcare professional. They may recommend an over-the-counter remedy to help relieve symptoms, such as Gas-X, Mylanta Gas, or Beano
Learn more about how to relieve and prevent flatulence.
While farting is normal, excessive farting is not. Excessive farting can also impact your everyday activities. It can make you feel embarrassed or self-conscious and get in the way of enjoying your everyday activities.
In most cases, excessive farting can be managed with changes to your diet and lifestyle.
That said, consider speaking with a healthcare professional if home remedies don’t help improve your symptoms or you also experience:
- abdominal pain and bloating that doesn’t go away
- recurring diarrhea or constipation
- unexplained weight loss
- bowel incontinence
- blood in your stool
- signs of infection, like fever, chills, and pain in your joints or muscles
A doctor could examine your symptoms and develop an appropriate treatment plan for you.
Farting is a normal process that occurs when your body is trying to get rid of excess gas.
Sometimes, you might feel like you’re farting more often. This can be due to eating certain foods, taking antibiotics, being stressed, or certain eating habits.
In most cases, these symptoms will resolve on their own.
However, excessive farting may be a sign of an underlying health condition. Speak with a doctor if you also experience bloody stools, fever, abdominal pain, or frequent diarrhea. They could develop a treatment plan for you.
