Farting All the Time? Here Are 3 Possible Reasons Why

There’s gas, and then there’s flatulence — they’re not exactly the same thing. Gas is air in your digestive tract. Flatulence refers specifically to the excess gas in your stomach or intestines that can cause bloating and, well, farts.

Farts (or flatus) is the gas that leaves your body through your anus. The reason it smells is because it contains small amounts of sulfur. The more sulfur your farts contain, the smellier they are. Symptoms of gas can present in many ways. It can cause burping, farting, bloating, or pain or discomfort in your abdomen. In this video, learn some common causes of excess gas.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Brittany Doohan

Brittany Doohan was the Content Director at HealthiNation and is currently the Editorial Director at Medscape. Through her work with Medscape, she won a Silver Telly Award in May 2022 for "Sleepless Nation: A Public Health Epidemic — Episode 2: A Decade Without a Diagnosis." She has worked in health journalism and video production for more than 8 years, and loves the challenge of explaining complex topics in an easy-to-understand and creative way.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts