I am sure that everyone farted in a public place unintentionally. Yes, it is annoying and embarrassing, and anyone can relate. But this symptom is natural, and it happens to anyone. Whenever we feel discomfort in our stomachs or abdomen, one reason could be a “trapped wind.” It is a common condition that occurs when there is a build-up of pressure in your belly. While we eat or drink, we gulp down air, especially if we are swallowing fast. A person suffering from trapped wind will have the symptoms of:
- Bloating
- stomach pain
- Burping
- Flatulence
- Stomach cramps
- Nausea
Some people with trapped wind can experience symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, and weight loss. Trapped wind is not a severe condition. It will occur but will eventually disappear. It is a reaction of our body during the eating and the digestion process. The pain and discomfort will eventually go away when we burp or pass the wind.
Why Do We Experience Trapped Wind?
The bacteria in our gut is the culprit of trapped wind. Whenever we eat, the digestion process begins, which includes fermentation. Gas and heat are out during fermentation and have carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, and methane. Sometimes it removes sulfur, too, depending upon the food we eat. The colonic bacteria break down the starches and fiber that our small intestine did not absorb in this process. While the bloodstream absorbs most gasses, the remaining unabsorbed gas will cause pressure build-up. Some food or drink we intake is released when we burp. The remaining that goes down in the stomach for digestion also produces gas and is released in flatulence.
Passing wind can be annoying, especially if it makes a loud sound and has a foul odor. But it is natural and can happen or occur to anyone at least 5 to 15 times a day. The smell of our flatulence sometimes depends on the food we eat. There are times when we pass wind silently and without odor, and sometimes it has a terrible smell.
