Gas/flatus - excessive

Disease	Injury	Nutrition	Poison

Special Topic	Surgery	Symptoms	Test

Overview

Treatment

Gas/flatus - excessive

Definition:

Flatus or flatulence is air or gas in the intestine that is passed through the rectum. The expulsion of air from the digestive tract through the mouth is called belching or eructation.

Alternative Names:

Fullness after eating; Flatus - excessive; Sensation of gaseous abdominal fullness; Aerophagia; Excessive flatus/gas; Flatulence

Considerations:

Gas is formed in the large intestine as a result of the action of bacteria on undigested food. Intestinal distention from gas causes abdominal pain which may be crampy, colicky and sometimes severe. Inflammation of the intestinal wall may cause increased sensitivity to normal amounts of flatus.

Even though it can cause discomfort, excessive gas is usually not a serious symptom.

Common Causes:

air swallowed while eating, causing discomfort and fullness after eating (aerophagia)
eating non-digestible foods (such as excessive amounts of fiber)
eating non-tolerated foods (as in lactose intolerance)
acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, or pancreatic insufficiency
irritable bowel syndrome (with abdominal pain)
malabsorption (inadequate absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract), often accompanied by diarrhea
use of antibiotics

Review Date: 12/1/2001
Reviewed By: Janak N. Shah, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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