Bloating and wind

Bloating is a feeling of fullness, pressure or trapped wind in your tummy. Some people may notice their tummy get bigger when they feel bloated.

Wind is gas inside your gut. You get rid of it from your body when you: 

• Fart, known as flatus
• Burp, known as belching

Everyone burps and farts, but it can sometimes be embarrassing.

It’s common to have gas in your gut, whether you have Crohn’s or Colitis or not. Everyone produces several litres of gas a day through the usual processes of digestion. But only around 200ml, which is a bit less than a cupful, usually stays in your gut.

• Some gas is absorbed into your bloodstream. Your body reuses this or gets rid of it when you breathe out.
• The rest of the gas is released when you burp or fart. The number of times you fart a day varies from person to person. Sometimes you might not even be aware you’re doing it.

Bloating and wind commonly affect people with Crohn’s or Colitis. They can develop for lots of reasons, including:

• Problems breaking down or absorbing certain foods: Your body may not absorb or digest sugars or starchy foods well. This means they pass into your large bowel, where bacteria can feed on them and produce gas.
• Changes in the balance of bacteria in your gut: This can lead to more gas being made.
• Constipation: This can slow the movement of food through your gut and may stop gas escaping.
• Gut sensitivity: Your gut may be more sensitive than usual to gas or other bowel contents.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): IBS is a common digestive condition. Some symptoms are similar to Crohn’s or Colitis. But they are two very different conditions. Bloating is a common symptom of IBS. More than 3 in 10 people with Crohn’s or Colitis also have IBS, or IBS-like symptoms. Some people with IBS may have gut symptoms even if their Crohn’s or Colitis is under control.
• Coeliac disease: Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease. The body’s immune system attacks the tissues in the small bowel when you eat gluten. This can cause a range of tummy problems. If you have coeliac disease, you may be more likely to develop Crohn’s or Colitis than the general population. And if you have Crohn’s or Colitis, you are more likely to develop coeliac disease, but to a smaller extent.  
• Lactose intolerance: Lactose is a sugar found in dairy products, such as milk, cream and cheese. People with lactose intolerance do not digest lactose properly. Instead, it is fermented by the gas-producing bacteria in your large bowel. People with Crohn’s may be slightly more likely to have lactose intolerance than people with Colitis or the general population. Some people with Crohn’s or Colitis only get symptoms of lactose intolerance during a flare-up.
• Complications of Crohn’s or Colitis: Bloating can also be due to complications of Crohn’s or Colitis, like scar tissue from surgery. Rarely, it can be a sign of a more serious condition, such as toxic megacolon. Toxic megacolon can happen if you have severe inflammation in your large bowel. The bowel wall becomes thin, and the large bowel can become bloated with gas. 

• Swallowing air: Some people might swallow too much air. Everyone swallows air when they eat, drink or talk. Some people swallow more air than others. You swallow more air if you smoke or chew gum.

Everyone is different. What works for one person may not work for another. But some people have found the suggestions below helpful.

Think about the way you eat

• Try to create a relaxed environment when you eat. Stress can affect how your body digests food.
• Eat slowly with your mouth closed. Chewing each mouthful thoroughly lowers the amount of air you swallow with your food.
• Try eating several small meals a day instead of fewer large meals.
• Eating a large meal late at night can make some people feel uncomfortable. Try leaving longer between eating and going to bed.

Think about the food you eat

Certain foods can make bloating or wind worse. A food diary or app could help you notice if any foods make your symptoms worse. Make a note of everything you eat and any possible effects you have.

Some people find that the following foods affect them:

• Foods that contain starches that can be difficult to digest. This includes:
  • Onions
  • Leeks
  • Lentils
  • Cabbage
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Asparagus
  • Beans
• Wheat products, including:
  • Breads
  • Breakfast cereals
  • Pasta
  • Cakes
  • Pastries 
• Some people use wheat alternatives instead, like rye, corn, oat or rice products. But there is not much evidence to know whether or not this is helpful for people with Crohn’s or Colitis.
• Sugary foods, especially foods that contain a sugar called sorbitol. This is found naturally in some fruits. It’s also used as an artificial sweetener.
• Fatty foods. You could try lower-fat options, or baked or grilled foods instead of fried.
• Dairy products like milk, cheese or yoghurts. If dairy makes your symptoms worse, you could try non-dairy alternatives like soy, oat, rice or nut milks. But try to choose products with added calcium.
• Spicy foods.
• Foods high in bran fibre, like brown bread and some cereals. Unless you have a stricture, there is no need to limit fibre in general. You could try foods high in soluble fibre instead, like ispaghula or linseed. These can actually help symptoms.

If you do cut down on possible trigger foods, it may take a few weeks to notice any difference. It’s important to get back to eating a healthy, balanced diet when you start to feel better.

If you think you have lactose intolerance

If you have Crohn’s or Colitis and you also have lactose intolerance, cutting down on foods and drinks that contain lactose might help ease bloating and wind. You could choose dairy alternatives with added calcium or look for lactose-free dairy products. Check the ingredients on foods you buy to see if they contain lactose.

Find out more about lactose intolerance in our information on food.

If you have IBS

If you have irritable bowel syndrome as well as Crohn’s or Colitis, a low FODMAP diet might help ease bloating and wind. But there is not enough high-quality evidence to know for sure if it’s effective.

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. These are carbohydrates that are hard to digest. When the undigested carbohydrates move through your gut, they feed bacteria in your large bowel. This releases gas and can lead to bloating and wind.

We have more detail on a low FODMAP diet in our information on food.

Drinking

You might also find it helpful to: 

• Limit the caffeine you have in coffee, tea, cola or other drinks. You could try drinking peppermint tea instead.
• Avoid fizzy drinks because they contain gas.
• Drink slowly instead of gulping down large amounts. Some people with Crohn’s or Colitis say that drinking a lot in one go makes them gassy. Some people find this worse if they drink in this way at mealtimes. For some people, taking sips rather than large gulps of liquid can help.
• Not drink too much alcohol.

Other tips

• Some people find that moving around, sitting or lying in different positions helps their symptoms. Gas moves through your gut faster when you sit up or stand, rather than lie down. When you are in bed, you could try lying in different positions to see if any feel more comfortable.
• Massaging your stomach from right to left can help to release trapped gas.
• Try to take regular gentle exercise to help gas move through your gut. Some people find a short walk after a meal helps.
• If your lifestyle is not very active, increasing your physical activity might help your symptoms. For example, if you sit for a long time at work, try to take regular breaks to move around.
• Wear clothes that are not too tight around your waist. These could put extra pressure on your tummy.
• Stress can affect your digestive system. If you experience stress, try to find ways to help you manage it. The NHS has tips on managing stress. Or you might also find our information on mental health and wellbeing helpful.
• If you’re not able to control when you fart, you might find it useful to look at our information on bowel incontinence.

Herbal therapies, medicines and supplements

Some people use herbal therapies or herbal medicines to help with bloating and wind. At the moment, there is not much evidence to support these.

• Peppermint can improve symptoms like bloating and wind in people with IBS. But there is no evidence to know if it has the same effect for people with Crohn’s or Colitis. You can buy it from pharmacies, supermarkets or online. Different brands are available as capsules or liquid medicine.
• Some people find that a medicine called simeticone helps with bloating and wind. You can buy it from pharmacies, supermarkets or online. Different brands are available as tablets, capsules or liquid medicine. Simeticone helps gas bubbles pass more easily through your gut. It does not get absorbed into your bloodstream.
• Some people say herbal remedies like chamomile, fennel or peppermint help eases wind. But there is no high-quality evidence to know whether they work in people with Crohn’s or Colitis.
• Some people with IBS find that probiotics help their symptoms. Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain friendly bacteria. You can buy them as:
  • Drinks
  • Yoghurts
  • Tablets
  • Powders
• Fermented foods that are probiotic include:
  • Miso
  • Kefir
  • Kimchi
  • Tempeh
  • Sauerkraut
  • Kombucha
• There is no high-quality evidence that these probiotics ease bloating or wind for people with Crohn’s or Colitis. But, alongside prescribed medicines, they might help some people with mildly active Ulcerative Colitis get the condition under control. Some people get bloating as a side effect of probiotics. If you’re thinking of taking probiotics, speak to your IBD team.

If you’re worried about smells, you could try:

• Making sure the room you’re in is well-ventilated.
• Lighting a scented candle, wax melt, aromatherapy oil burner or incense stick.
• Using an air freshener. You could use a solid block freshener that works all the time, or a freshener that releases a fragrance at regular intervals.
• Using neutralising sprays or gels to help get rid of smells. You can get these from pharmacies, supermarkets or online.
• Wearing underwear or pads that absorb smells. These are made using activated carbon fabrics that filter and trap gases. You can also get odour-absorbing bedding, cushions and other products. They’re available to buy online. Try searching ‘odour filtering clothes’.

We follow strict processes to make sure our information is based on up-to-date evidence and is easy to understand. We produce it with patients, medical advisers and other professionals. It is not intended to replace advice from your own healthcare professional. 

We hope that you’ve found this information helpful. Please email us at evidence@crohnsandcolitis.org.uk if:

• You have any comments or suggestions for improvements
• You would like more information about the evidence we use
• You would like details of any conflicts of interest

You can also write to us at: Crohn’s & Colitis UK, 1 Bishop Square, Hatfield, AL10 9NE. Or you can contact us through our Helpline by calling 0300 222 5700.

We do not endorse any products mentioned in our information.