Definition: Refers for gas in the digestive tract or expulsion of gas from a body orifice, usually the anus. The average adult excretes 400 to 1200 cc of gas every day, with the number of gas expulsions number from a dozen for some up to a hundred for some people.
Flatus expelled from the lower intestine contains hydrogen, methane, skatoles, indoles, carbon dioxide and small amounts of oxygen and nitrogen.
Excess intestinal gas can sometimes be controlled by diet though that may not help in all cases. Flatulence is not dangerous but can be embarrassing.
Pronunciation: fla'tus
Also Known As: flatulence
Common Misspellings: flatis
Examples: John always had a lot of flatus after eating Mexican food.