Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAdjust Your DietAvoid Carbonated DrinksAddress ConstipationReduce Swallowed AirDo Not Hold Back GasWhen to See a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Adjust Your Diet
Avoid Carbonated Drinks
Address Constipation
Reduce Swallowed Air
Do Not Hold Back Gas
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Here are five things you can do to help get rid of foul-smelling gas and bloating.
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If your flatulence is foul-smelling, there is a good chance that it’s related to something you ate. Foods such as meat, eggs, onions, and garlic can increase both the amount and smelliness of your gas. The same applies to any foods that are excessively fatty.
Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, contain sulfur-containing compounds that offer many health benefitsyet also can to contribute to foul-smelling gas, particularly when eaten in large amounts.
You may want to be more strategic and eat these foods in smaller amounts or you can try eliminating them from your diet and then slowly reintroducing them to see which ones lead to the most gas for you.
Similarly, eating or drinking dairy products (such as milk, cheese, or yogurt) can increase gas and bloating if you arelactose intolerant.
On average, a healthy adult can “break wind” as often as 21 times per day.
Carbonated drinks likesparkling water, seltzer, and sodas contain carbon dioxide, which is a gas that can contribute to bloating and gas. Try reducing or avoiding these drinks to see if you get some relief.
Things you can do to help relieve constipation include gradually increasing fiber intake, drinking plenty of fluids, and getting physical activity. Your healthcare provider may also recommend taking an over-the-counter laxative for a short time.
How to Relieve Constipation
Slow down when you eat since quickly scarfing down a meal can increase the air you swallow and contribute to gas. Likewise, If you regularly drink from straws or chew gum throughout the day, you may be collecting gas from the air you swallow. Ditch the straws and the chewing gum to see if your gas improves.
If you think you’re making a lot of gas, it’s probably because you’re simply hearing or feeling it more. In one study of 30 people who thought their gas was excessive, 18 of them actually passed gas within a normal range.
In most cases, explosive flatulence is not a sign of disease. It is simply related to the amount of gas that has built up in the rectum. The reason for this may be based on everything from physiology (how much gas a person can hold) to the strength of theanal sphincter muscles.
Oftentimes, gas will leak through the anal sphincter without any sound or even feeling, especially duringsleep. When you’re awake, though, you may want to hold back your gas. This can lead to bloating and abdominal pain: When it’s on the left side, pain can be confused with heart-related symptoms. On the right, it may seem like the pain of gallstones or appendicitis.
If you’re worried about the sound or smell of your gas, don’t hold it. Simply excuse yourself and go to the bathroom.
If you feel persistent pressure and a noticeable fullness in the rectum even when vacant, speak with your healthcare provider. This may be a sign ofrectal cancer.
Summary
Passing a lot of smelly gas may be embarrassing, but it’s usually just a normal part of digestion. To help reduce gas and bloating, you can try adjusting what you eat and drink and ditching straws and chewing gum. If you’re uncertain about any symptoms that accompany your foul-smelling gas, see your healthcare provider and have it checked out.
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8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Miękus N, Marszałek K, Podlacha M, Iqbal A, Puchalski C, Świergiel AH.Health benefits of plant-derived sulfur compounds, glucosinolates, and organosulfur compounds.Molecules. 2020;25(17):3804. doi:10.3390/molecules25173804American Academy of Family Physicians.Lactose intolerance.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for constipation.Manichanh C, Eck A, Varela E, Roca J, Clemente JC, González A,et al.Anal gas evacuation and colonic microbiota in patients with flatulence: Effect of diet.Gut. 2014 Mar;63(3):401-8. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2012-303013.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Gas in the digestive tract.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of colorectal cancer.Ní laoire Á, Fettes L, Murtagh FE.A systematic review of the effectiveness of palliative interventions to treat rectal tenesmus in cancer.Palliat Med.2017;31(10):975-981. doi:10.1177/026921631769789Cohee MW, Hurff A, Gazewood JD.Benign anorectal conditions: Evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2020 Jan 1;101(1):24-33.Additional ReadingAmerican Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer signs and symptoms.Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publishing.Gas (flatulence).National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gas in the digestive tract.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Miękus N, Marszałek K, Podlacha M, Iqbal A, Puchalski C, Świergiel AH.Health benefits of plant-derived sulfur compounds, glucosinolates, and organosulfur compounds.Molecules. 2020;25(17):3804. doi:10.3390/molecules25173804American Academy of Family Physicians.Lactose intolerance.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for constipation.Manichanh C, Eck A, Varela E, Roca J, Clemente JC, González A,et al.Anal gas evacuation and colonic microbiota in patients with flatulence: Effect of diet.Gut. 2014 Mar;63(3):401-8. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2012-303013.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Gas in the digestive tract.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of colorectal cancer.Ní laoire Á, Fettes L, Murtagh FE.A systematic review of the effectiveness of palliative interventions to treat rectal tenesmus in cancer.Palliat Med.2017;31(10):975-981. doi:10.1177/026921631769789Cohee MW, Hurff A, Gazewood JD.Benign anorectal conditions: Evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2020 Jan 1;101(1):24-33.Additional ReadingAmerican Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer signs and symptoms.Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publishing.Gas (flatulence).National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gas in the digestive tract.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Miękus N, Marszałek K, Podlacha M, Iqbal A, Puchalski C, Świergiel AH.Health benefits of plant-derived sulfur compounds, glucosinolates, and organosulfur compounds.Molecules. 2020;25(17):3804. doi:10.3390/molecules25173804American Academy of Family Physicians.Lactose intolerance.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for constipation.Manichanh C, Eck A, Varela E, Roca J, Clemente JC, González A,et al.Anal gas evacuation and colonic microbiota in patients with flatulence: Effect of diet.Gut. 2014 Mar;63(3):401-8. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2012-303013.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Gas in the digestive tract.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of colorectal cancer.Ní laoire Á, Fettes L, Murtagh FE.A systematic review of the effectiveness of palliative interventions to treat rectal tenesmus in cancer.Palliat Med.2017;31(10):975-981. doi:10.1177/026921631769789Cohee MW, Hurff A, Gazewood JD.Benign anorectal conditions: Evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2020 Jan 1;101(1):24-33.
Miękus N, Marszałek K, Podlacha M, Iqbal A, Puchalski C, Świergiel AH.Health benefits of plant-derived sulfur compounds, glucosinolates, and organosulfur compounds.Molecules. 2020;25(17):3804. doi:10.3390/molecules25173804
American Academy of Family Physicians.Lactose intolerance.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for constipation.
Manichanh C, Eck A, Varela E, Roca J, Clemente JC, González A,et al.Anal gas evacuation and colonic microbiota in patients with flatulence: Effect of diet.Gut. 2014 Mar;63(3):401-8. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2012-303013.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Gas in the digestive tract.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of colorectal cancer.
Ní laoire Á, Fettes L, Murtagh FE.A systematic review of the effectiveness of palliative interventions to treat rectal tenesmus in cancer.Palliat Med.2017;31(10):975-981. doi:10.1177/026921631769789
Cohee MW, Hurff A, Gazewood JD.Benign anorectal conditions: Evaluation and management.Am Fam Physician. 2020 Jan 1;101(1):24-33.
American Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer signs and symptoms.Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publishing.Gas (flatulence).National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gas in the digestive tract.
American Cancer Society.Colorectal cancer signs and symptoms.
Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publishing.Gas (flatulence).
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gas in the digestive tract.
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