Queefing (Vaginal Gas) Overview

Now, here’s something you never learned in sex ed classes but probably in the most embarrassing moment ever, such as during sex, yoga, or exercise. We’re talking about queefing or passing gas through the vagina. 

Queefing or vaginal gas is an involuntary bodily action which occurs when the air that has been trapped inside the vagina gets released. With a loud and embarrassing noise, of course. 

Scientifically, queefing is known as “flatus vaginalis” or vaginal flatulence. Many also refer to it as vaginal farts. Yet, apart from the sound, queefing has nothing to do with actual farts. While gas from your rectum is a byproduct of the digestion process, vaginal gas is simply air from outside the body that finds its way into the vagina. 

Under regular circumstances, queefing is relatively rare. Vaginal walls are muscular and clasped together. Air bubbles can still sometimes get trapped inside, for example, if your pelvis is tilted in an upright position when changing positions during sex, exercising, or doing yoga.

However, queefing can become more frequent or even excessive such as after having a baby.

 

The Most Common Cause of Queefing

If you spend a few minutes online looking for the causes of queefing, you’ll come across multiple sources, even ones from medical professionals, stating that it’s nothing to be concerned about. Bodies make weird things, and you should simply own your queefs and laugh them off. It’s just air. Air that gets trapped in the vagina. 

Some sources may be more generous and state that queefing is a result of sexual activity, exercise, or the use of female hygiene products such as tampons or menstrual cups. All these activities allow air to get trapped inside your vagina. 

And sure, an odd queef here and there may indeed be simply due to you getting in an odd position. But what if you experience regular or even excessive queefing? 

Not very helpful, would you say? 

Rarely do they address the actual reasons for queefing. OK, it’s air trapped inside your vaginal canal. But why does it actually happen?

In most cases, vaginal gas is caused by pelvic floor dysfunction.

What Is Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Why Can It Cause Queefing?

 

The pelvic floor is a complex structure and its muscles and tissues are interconnected with those of the vagina. In addition to that, the opening to the vagina is a part of the pelvic floor.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is an umbrella term that refers to various issues surrounding our pelvic floor. It can be a natural occurrence due to aging and approaching menopause or a result of injury or damage to the pelvic floor, such as during pregnancy, especially if you’ve experienced intense labor or have had episiotomies or severe tearing. 

Menopause and injury to the pelvic floor muscles and tissues make them weaker and less reflexive. As a result, the pelvic floor is unable to efficiently tighten and relax when necessary. 

Thus, it becomes more prone to incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and vaginal flatulence. Since the muscles and tissues in the pelvic floor aren’t functioning optimally and are unable to fully support the body, it becomes much easier for air bubbles to find their way into the vagina and become trapped there. 

While in many instances, pelvic floor dysfunction is due to weakened pelvic muscles and tissues, a tense and tight pelvic floor can also lead to dysfunction.

In this case, the muscles and tissues in the pelvic floor are continuously engaged and overworked. This impairs their ability to engage even more and relax when necessary, leading to pelvic floor and vaginal issues. 

Your vaginal flatulence is likely caused by pelvic floor dysfunction if you also:

• suffer from fecal or urinary incontinence

• have pelvic organ prolapse

• pee a little after sneezing, coughing, jumping, or running

• experience pain or have a hard time climaxing during sex

• have general pelvic pain or pressure

• have inexplicable lower back pain

• suffer from constipation or regularly have strained bowel movements

If you suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction, we have some great news for you. There are quite a few ways that can help you effectively prevent and minimize queefing. Some of them you can do independently whereas others will require expert guidance and advice. Nonetheless, all of them are completely natural.

How to Effectively Prevent Queefing If You Have Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

You can prevent queefing by addressing the root cause of the issue and improving your pelvic floor health. 

That simple.

Below are some vaginal flatulence treatments that you can benefit from: 

1. Strengthening Your Pelvic Floor Muscles and Tissues

Since pelvic floor dysfunction is often due to a weakened pelvic floor, focusing on strengthening it can help your pelvic muscles and tissues regain and even improve their tone. 

This can provide better support to your pelvic organs and improve your pelvic floor’s ability to involuntarily contract and relax as needed. So, you will not only be able to prevent and minimize embarrassing queefs but your sex life is likely to improve as well. That’s a good enough reason on its own, isn’t it?

You can strengthen your pelvic floor through:

• Hypopressives – the hypopressive method focuses on improving the functionality and muscle tone of the core and pelvic floor through postures, exercises, and breathing practices. Hypopressive routines are short and gentle, yet can improve and reverse even severe pelvic floor dysfunction such as pelvic organ prolapse.

• Yoga or Pilates – Pilates often involves routines that focus on the core and pelvic floor.

• Regular acupuncture treatments – acupuncturists are able to isolate pelvic muscles and tissues and gently stimulate them with needles.

• Belly Dancing – belly dancing provides a female-friendly environment and is impossible without gently involving and working out the pelvic floor.

• Working with a pelvic floor physical therapist – if you would like to consult a professional, consider booking an appointment with a physical therapist who specializes in the pelvic floor. They can suggest a personalized treatment method that can help you isolate and activate pelvic floor muscles and tissues, gradually improving their functionality. 

2. Improving the Elasticity of the Pelvic Floor Muscles and Tissues

While strengthening the pelvic floor is important, you should also include practices that help you release and improve the flexibility of the pelvic muscles and tissues. This will improve the overall functionality of your pelvic floor, helping you to prevent queefing in addition to other benefits.

Some practices such as hypopressives, acupuncture, and pelvic floor therapy can help you with both – strength and flexibility. In addition to them, the following treatments can help you with vaginal flatulence:

• Block therapy – this treatment method focuses on releasing blocks in the connective tissues which can inhibit the performance of the pelvic floor muscles and tissues.

• Vaginal steaming – this ancient practice involves sitting or squatting over a steaming pot of a herbal infusion. This helps to soften and relax pelvic floor muscles and tissues as well as provide additional benefits of herbs.

•  Scar tissue remediation– if you have developed scar tissue in your pelvic area due to injury or surgical intervention, working with it can improve its elasticity, helping your pelvic floor muscles and tissues to better perform their functions and support your body.

• Yoga – it’s an integrated movement form that involves the development of strength and flexibility as well as breathing exercises, all of which can improve pelvic floor health. While you may let out a few queefs as you build pelvic floor strength and functionality, that’s not a reason to quit. With an increased demand for online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are plenty of resources that you can use without ever leaving your home.

•  Herbs – there are various herbal products that can support female health. You can use them internally such as by drinking lady’s mantle infusion as well as supplement that with homemade vaginal suppositories made with essential oils which your body can absorb directly into the bloodstream. 

3. Improving Your Habits

It’s important to address pelvic floor dysfunction holistically. While you will most definitely benefit from strengthening and releasing your pelvic floor, lifestyle, and diet can help you improve your pelvic floor health and prevent embarrassing queefing.

Here are a few options to consider:

•  managing or losing weight to reduce excess pressure on the pelvic floor,
•  eating a clean diet, such as paleo,
•  consuming foods rich in collagen, magnesium, and Vitamin D, all of which support the pelvic floor tissues,
•  quitting smoking,
•  avoiding clothing that is excessively tight,
•  managing stress and anxiety, and
•  maintaining a correct posture while standing, walking, and sitting.

Vaginal Fistulas, a Less Common, but More Serious Queefing Case

While it’s less frequent, queefing can also be caused by vaginal fistulas, a more serious female health condition. 

A vaginal fistula is an abnormal opening in the vaginal wall that connects it to another organ, such as the bladder, colon or rectum. Fistulas can develop following a traumatic injury, instrumental delivery, surgery, infections, chronic inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease, or radiation.

Since there is a hole connecting your vagina and another organ, air along with urine or feces can make its way into the vagina. As a result, you will also be passing gas through your vagina. 

If vaginal fistulas are cause of your queefing, you are likely to experience additional symptoms such as:

• frequent urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, or vaginitis, vaginal inflammation,
• regular diarrhea, 
• pain during sex,
• stool or urine leaking through the vagina, 
• strong, unpleasant smell in vaginal discharge,
• pain in the abdominal, vaginal, or rectal area, or
• urinary or fecal incontinence.

If you suspect that it’s your case, it is best to book a medical exam to confirm that. Your doctor will then recommend medical treatment that will seal the holes letting the air and urine or feces in.  

Improve Pelvic Floor Health and Prevent Queefing with MoonRise

At MoonRise, we are dedicated to female health and tackling issues that many find embarrassing or not important enough.

If you’d like to prevent and minimize queefing by improving your pelvic floor health, check out our Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Program developed by women who’ve suffered pelvic issues such as this one.