flatulence, the presence of excessive amounts of gas in the stomach or intestine, which sometimes results in the expulsion of the gas through the anus. Healthy individuals produce significant amounts of intestinal gas (flatus) daily; without rectal release, gases trapped within the digestive system produce bloating and abdominal distention. Although a normal occurrence, flatulence sometimes causes embarrassment because of the sound and fetid odour of the gases.
Intestinal gas comes from either swallowed air (nitrogen and oxygen) or the fermentation by bacteria of poorly digested carbohydrates in the colon, yielding a mixture of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane. All the common intestinal gases are odourless; about 1 percent of the flatus consists of a mixture of other gases that causes the distinctive odour. Foods with high proportions of nondigestible carbohydrates, such as beans and other legumes, are associated with excessive flatulence; unusual flatulence not associated with specific dietary causes may indicate intestinal malabsorption or other disease processes.