What to do when gas gets you down

Everyone has gas. Embarrassment sometimes prevents us from finding out what's normal, what's excessive, and what helps.

We all have it, and we all prefer not to talk about it. For one thing, gas is embarrassing: It departs the body, often audibly, through burps and flatulence. In certain circumstances, it produces tortured-sounding bowel noises called borborygmi. Gas can also be uncomfortable, causing abdominal pain and bloating—symptoms that may appear on their own or in conjunction with a problem such as irritable bowel syndrome.