Passing gas between 14 and 23 times a day is completely normal. If you’re dealing with uncomfortable pressure, bloating, or more gas than usual, several strategies can help, ranging from simple position changes to dietary tweaks that reduce gas production in the first place.
Quick Physical Relief for Trapped Gas
When gas is trapped and causing discomfort right now, changing your body position can help move it through. Lying on your back and pulling one or both knees toward your chest (sometimes called wind-relieving pose) compresses and then releases the intestines, helping gas bubbles shift toward an exit. Walking also helps. Even a 10 to 15 minute stroll stimulates the muscles of your digestive tract and encourages gas to pass naturally rather than pooling in one spot.
Gentle twisting movements work too. Lying on your back with knees bent and letting them fall to one side compresses the colon on the opposite side, pushing gas along. The key with all of these is relaxation. Tensing your abdominal muscles holds gas in place, while relaxing them lets it move.
Over-the-Counter Options
Simethicone (the active ingredient in products like Gas-X) is the most widely available gas relief medication. It works by lowering the surface tension of gas bubbles in your digestive tract, causing small bubbles to merge into larger ones that are easier to burp up or pass. It doesn’t reduce how much gas your body produces. It just makes what’s already there easier to expel. Because simethicone isn’t absorbed into your bloodstream, side effects are rare.
Activated charcoal tablets are another option, though the evidence is more mixed. In a double-blind trial comparing charcoal to placebo across two population groups, charcoal significantly reduced the amount of gas produced in the colon and improved symptoms of bloating and cramping. However, charcoal can interfere with the absorption of medications, so timing matters if you take prescription drugs.
For gas caused specifically by beans, lentils, broccoli, cabbage, or other high-fiber vegetables, enzyme supplements containing alpha-galactosidase (sold as Beano) can help. These enzymes break down the complex carbohydrates in those foods before they reach the colon, where bacteria would otherwise ferment them and produce gas. You take the enzyme with your first bite of the problem food, not after.
Peppermint Oil for Spasms and Pressure
If your gas pain feels more like cramping or pressure than simple bloating, peppermint oil may help. It relaxes the smooth muscle lining your intestines by blocking the calcium channels that trigger muscle contraction. This antispasmodic effect lets trapped gas pass through rather than getting held behind a clenched section of bowel. Enteric-coated capsules are the standard form, designed to dissolve in your intestines rather than your stomach, which reduces the chance of heartburn.
Habits That Create Extra Gas
A surprising amount of gas comes not from digestion but from swallowed air. Every time you eat, drink, or swallow saliva, a small amount of air goes down with it. Certain habits dramatically increase that volume:
- Eating too fast or talking while eating
- Chewing gum or sucking on hard candy
- Drinking through straws
- Carbonated beverages
- Smoking
Slowing down at meals makes a real difference. Chew each bite thoroughly and swallow before taking the next one. Drink from a glass instead of a straw. Save conversation for between bites or after the meal. These changes won’t eliminate gas entirely, but they can noticeably reduce the air-swallowing component.
Dietary Changes That Reduce Gas Production
Most intestinal gas is produced when bacteria in your colon ferment carbohydrates that your small intestine didn’t fully digest. The biggest culprits are a group of short-chain carbohydrates found in foods like onions, garlic, wheat, beans, certain fruits (apples, pears, watermelon), dairy products containing lactose, and sugar alcohols used in sugar-free gum and candy.
A structured low-FODMAP diet, which temporarily removes these fermentable carbohydrates and then reintroduces them one at a time, leads to meaningful improvement in 50% to 80% of people with irritable bowel syndrome, with bloating and flatulence among the symptoms that respond best. You don’t necessarily need to follow the full protocol. Simply identifying your personal triggers, whether that’s dairy, beans, or a particular vegetable, and moderating your intake can be enough.
Cooking methods matter too. Soaking dried beans overnight and discarding the soaking water removes some of the complex sugars that cause gas. Cooking vegetables softens their fiber and makes them easier to digest than eating them raw.
What About Probiotics?
Probiotics are heavily marketed for digestive health, but the evidence for gas specifically is limited. A systematic review found that composite probiotic blends (combinations of multiple bacterial strains) reduced abdominal pain and bloating in some studies, while single-strain supplements did not show the same benefit. Notably, an international expert consensus found that probiotics tested so far do not help reduce flatulence in people with IBS. They may help with other digestive symptoms, but if gas is your main complaint, probiotics are unlikely to be a first-line solution.
Signs That Gas May Signal Something Else
Occasional gas, even frequent gas, is rarely a sign of a serious problem. But gas that comes alongside other symptoms deserves medical attention. Blood in your stool, unintentional weight loss, persistent vomiting, worsening abdominal pain, fever, night sweats, or a sudden lasting change in bowel habits are all red flags. The same applies if your symptoms are new, persist for more than a few weeks, or are noticeably different from your usual pattern. A family history of gastrointestinal cancers also lowers the threshold for getting evaluated.