Flatus

Flatus

Flatus is gas in or from the stomach or intestines, produced by swallowing air or by bacterial fermentation. The gas is a mixture of odourless nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane, and a varying quantity of hydrogen sulphide. Flatulence is the process of flatus discharge by way of the anus. The average person will expell flatus gas 6 to 20 times in a single day, in volumes highly dependent on diet and body condition. On average, a person dispatches 1 - 3 pints of flatus gas every day.

Flatus also includes various hard and soft matter, such as mucus, watery fecal matter, and living organisms - bacteria and viruses. Watery flatulence may be caused by the food we eat, or by a underlying medical condition. For example:

- Certain medications;
- Sweeteners;
- Lactose intolerance;
- Gluten intolerance;
- Irritable bowel syndrome, other digestive disorders;
- Conditions affecting nerve function;
- Infections;

can all cause watery flatus. The characteristic smelly odor of flatus is attributed to trace gases such as skatole, indole, and sulfur-containing compounds. The flammable character of flatus is caused by hydrogen and methane. The proportions of these gases depend largely on the bacteria that live in the colon that digest, or ferment, food that has not been absorbed by the gastrointestinal (GI) tract before reaching the colon. An estimated 30-150 grams of this undigested food reach the colon in the form of carbohydrate every day.

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