Vaginal Gas

everytime i cough i fart
everytime i cough i fart

What are the causes of vaginal gas?

Air gets trapped inside your vaginal canal in a variety of ways. Your vaginal canal (or birth canal) is the muscular area inside your body where you place a tampon during menstruation. The trapped air has nowhere to go but out — the sound you hear is air being pushed out of your vagina.

Several factors cause air to become trapped inside your vagina. Some of the most common are:

  • Sexual activities: Sex is one of the biggest causes of vaginal gas. When a penis, sex toy or finger moves in and out of your vagina, air can get pushed inside. When it’s removed from your vagina, the air is released. Vaginal gas happens more in certain positions or when you change positions during sexual intercourse.
  • Using tampons: Like sexual intercourse, pushing a tampon or menstrual cup into your vagina during menstruation may force air into your vaginal canal. The air escapes when you remove the tampon or cup, and you hear a queef.
  • Weak pelvic floor muscles: Menopause, childbirth and other causes of pelvic floor dysfunction increase your chances of vaginal flatulence because they weaken your pelvic floor muscles.
  • Vaginal exams: It’s common to pass gas out your vagina during a pelvic exam. When your provider inserts a speculum into your vagina, this allows air to enter. A speculum is the device provider’s use to see inside your vagina.
  • Vaginal fistulas: A fistula is an opening between your vaginal canal and your urinary or digestive organs (such as your bladder or intestines). Vaginal fistulas are typically the result of trauma, surgery or other disease. Other than vaginal gas, symptoms of a vaginal fistula include leaking pee, foul-smelling pee and fecal incontinence.
  • Physical movement: Yoga, exercise and other movements like running can cause air to get trapped inside your vagina because your vagina is slightly opened or stretched during these activities.

It’s fine if air accidentally gets pushed into your vagina. You shouldn’t push or blow air into your vagina intentionally as it can cause air to get trapped in your blood vessels (air embolism).

Can vaginal gas cause pain?

Trapped gas inside your vagina doesn’t usually cause pain. It may be a sign of an underlying condition, like a vaginal fistula, if it does. If you feel pain from your vagina or have symptoms of a vaginal fistula, it’s best to contact your healthcare provider so they can take a look.

This post was last modified on December 6, 2024 6:48 am