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Passing a lot of wind
Category: Digestive & Abdomen · All digestive symptoms
What it can feel like
Passing wind (flatulence) is the release of gas from the bowel, and everyone does it many times a day. More wind than usual usually reflects diet, swallowed air and the bacteria fermenting food in the large bowel — embarrassing, but very rarely a sign of disease on its own.
Possible causes
A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.
Common causes
Increased wind can be associated with beans, lentils, onions, cabbage-family vegetables, fizzy drinks, artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol, eating quickly, and talking while eating.
Other possible causes
A marked change in wind together with other bowel symptoms can be associated with lactose intolerance, coeliac disease, irritable bowel patterns or, rarely, conditions reducing absorption of food.
Red flags — when to seek help promptly
- Wind with blood in the stool, weight loss or persistent diarrhoea
- Wind with severe abdominal pain or a swollen, silent abdomen
- A clear change in bowel habit lasting more than a few weeks over the age of 50
What a clinician may do
A clinician will usually focus on what accompanies the wind — bowel habit, pain, weight, diet. Tests are only needed when there are accompanying symptoms, and may include coeliac blood tests, stool tests or a dietitian review.
Watch: related videos
Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
How much wind is normal?
Passing wind somewhere between roughly 5 and 25 times a day is within the usual human range. What matters medically is a clear change from your own normal, especially when it arrives with diarrhoea, pain, bleeding or weight loss.
Should I cut out foods to reduce wind?
A short, structured trial — keeping a food and symptom diary — is more useful than cutting out many foods at once. If you suspect lactose, your clinician can arrange a breath test rather than leaving you guessing.
Related symptoms — Digestive & Abdomen
Browse the P section of the A–Z list or return to the Symptoms A–Z hub.