How Long Can Air Stay Trapped in Your Body?

September 30, 2025 •

5 min read

While it's common for digestive gas to resolve in minutes or hours, air trapped in other parts of the body, such as the chest or bloodstream, is a more serious concern that can persist for days or weeks. The question of how long can air stay trapped in your body depends entirely on the location and cause, ranging from benign discomfort to potentially fatal medical emergencies.

Quick Summary

The duration of trapped air varies greatly depending on its location, from hours (digestive gas) to days or weeks (surgical residual gas or a collapsed lung). An air embolism in the bloodstream is a medical emergency with severe risks.

Key Points

Digestive Gas is Temporary: Trapped gas from digestion typically resolves within a few hours through burping or flatulence.
Post-Surgical Air Resolves in Days: Residual gas from laparoscopic surgery is mostly absorbed within 24 hours, but can linger for up to a week.
Trapped Air Under Skin Dissipates in Weeks: Subcutaneous emphysema, or air trapped under the skin, usually clears up on its own within 10 to 14 days.
Pneumothorax Can Last for Weeks: Air from a collapsed lung (pneumothorax) can take several days to weeks to be reabsorbed, with more severe cases requiring intervention.
Air Embolism Requires Immediate Action: Air entering the bloodstream is a medical emergency that can become fatal quickly if not treated immediately with procedures like hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
When to See a Doctor: Persistent pain, worsening symptoms, or issues following surgery or trauma should prompt a medical evaluation.

The question of how long air can stay trapped within the body does not have a single answer; the duration varies dramatically based on the location and cause of the trapped air. A minor case of gas from digestion may last only a few minutes or hours, while a serious medical condition like a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) can involve trapped air for weeks. Understanding the different types of trapped air is crucial for determining the appropriate response, from at-home remedies to urgent medical care.

Understanding Trapped Air in Different Body Systems

Digestive System: Benign But Uncomfortable

Trapped gas in the digestive system is a common occurrence and is rarely a cause for serious concern. This gas can result from swallowing air while eating or drinking, or from the natural fermentation process of food in the intestines. The body typically expels this gas through burping (from the stomach) or flatulence (from the intestines).

For most people, symptoms of trapped digestive gas, such as bloating and abdominal pain, are temporary and resolve on their own.

Duration: Trapped digestive gas can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. Persistent discomfort lasting more than a few days could indicate a different or underlying issue.
Symptoms: Symptoms include bloating, belching, flatulence, and abdominal discomfort.
Relief: Simple remedies like gentle walking, yoga poses (like the child's pose), drinking warm water or herbal teas, and over-the-counter medications can help provide relief.

Post-Surgical Air: Residual Gas from Procedures

Following certain surgical procedures, especially laparoscopic surgery, air can become trapped within the abdominal cavity (pneumoperitoneum). During these procedures, carbon dioxide (CO2) gas is used to inflate the abdomen to give the surgeon a clear view and working space. While most of the CO2 is released at the end of the procedure, residual gas can cause discomfort.

Duration: Unlike the nitrogen-rich air from open surgery, CO2 is quickly reabsorbed by the body. For most patients, this post-surgical pneumoperitoneum resolves within 24 hours. However, some studies have shown that residual gas can persist for several days, with 96% of patients seeing resolution within 7 days. In rare cases, it can last longer.
Symptoms: The most common symptom is referred shoulder pain, which occurs when the gas irritates the diaphragm and the nerve pathways connecting to the shoulder.
Treatment: Mild cases are managed with rest and observation. Walking can help the body reabsorb the gas more quickly. In severe cases, a doctor may need to drain the gas.

Subcutaneous Emphysema: Air Under the Skin

Subcutaneous emphysema is a condition where air becomes trapped in the tissue layers just beneath the skin. This is most often a mild side effect of a chest or lung injury, certain surgeries, or medical procedures.

Duration: Mild cases typically resolve on their own within 10 to 14 days as the body reabsorbs the gas.
Symptoms: The affected area of skin may feel swollen and produce a crackling sound or sensation when pressed.
Treatment: Mild cases only require observation. For more severe cases, supplemental oxygen can help accelerate the reabsorption of the air. Drains may be necessary for deep or rapidly expanding emphysema.

Collapsed Lung (Pneumothorax): Trapped Air in the Chest Cavity

A pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between the lung and the chest wall, putting pressure on the lung and causing it to collapse. This can be caused by an injury (traumatic pneumothorax), certain medical procedures, or can happen spontaneously.

Duration: A very small pneumothorax may heal on its own within a few days to two weeks as the body reabsorbs the air. Larger pneumothoraces, especially those requiring a chest tube to drain the air, may require a hospital stay and take longer to resolve.
Symptoms: Symptoms include sudden, sharp chest pain and shortness of breath. A larger pneumothorax can cause more severe symptoms like rapid heart rate, chest tightness, and a bluish skin color.
Treatment: Treatment depends on the severity. Minor cases are observed, sometimes with supplemental oxygen. Larger or more symptomatic cases may require a needle aspiration or a chest tube to remove the air. In severe cases of a tension pneumothorax, it is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.

Air Embolism: A Medical Emergency in the Bloodstream

An air embolism (or gas embolism) is a rare but life-threatening condition where air bubbles enter the bloodstream and travel to vital organs like the heart, brain, or lungs. It can occur during surgical procedures, from injuries, or, in rare cases, during central line placement.

Duration: The duration depends heavily on the volume and location of the air. A very small, benign bubble is absorbed into the blood and exhaled through the lungs relatively quickly, in minutes or hours. However, a large air embolism can cause rapid and severe complications.
Symptoms: Symptoms are severe and include sudden onset of shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion, and possibly stroke-like symptoms.
Treatment: This is a medical emergency. Treatment is immediate and may include hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help break down the air bubbles and prevent further damage. The position of the patient may also be adjusted to prevent air bubbles from traveling to the brain.

Comparison of Trapped Air Types


Condition	Location	Typical Duration	Seriousness	Symptoms	Treatment Approach
Trapped Digestive Gas	Stomach & Intestines	Minutes to Hours	Mild (Benign)	Bloating, burping, flatulence, abdominal discomfort	At-home remedies, OTC meds
Post-Surgical Gas (Laparoscopic)	Abdominal Cavity	Hours to Days	Mild (Temporary)	Shoulder pain, bloating	Observation, gentle activity
Subcutaneous Emphysema	Under the Skin	10–14 Days	Mild to Moderate	Crackling skin, swelling	Observation, oxygen therapy
Pneumothorax (Collapsed Lung)	Chest Cavity	Days to Weeks	Moderate to Severe	Sharp chest pain, shortness of breath	Observation, chest tube, surgery
Air Embolism	Bloodstream	Rapid (Minutes to Hours)	Severe (Medical Emergency)	Sudden shortness of breath, neurological symptoms	Immediate medical intervention, hyperbaric oxygen

Conclusion: Differentiating Causes and Seeking Help

The time air can remain trapped in your body is highly dependent on where it is located and how it got there. While common digestive gas is a temporary inconvenience, other forms like a pneumothorax or air embolism are serious medical issues that require prompt attention. Knowing the signs and symptoms for each type is essential for deciding when a problem is a minor discomfort versus a medical emergency. If you experience severe, persistent, or worsening symptoms, especially following surgery or an injury, it is critical to seek medical help immediately. For digestive issues, lifestyle changes and home remedies can often provide relief. For more comprehensive and authoritative information on lung-related conditions like pneumothorax, refer to resources like the American Lung Association.

Frequently Asked Questions

Gentle exercise like walking, certain yoga poses (such as the child's pose or knee-to-chest), drinking warm liquids like herbal tea, and gently massaging the abdomen can provide quick relief for trapped digestive gas.

While trapped digestive gas is usually harmless and temporary, persistent or severe pain accompanied by other symptoms like fever or vomiting could indicate a more serious underlying condition. Air trapped in other areas, like the chest or bloodstream, is a serious medical emergency.

Following a laparoscopic procedure, the CO2 gas used to inflate the abdomen typically resolves within 24 hours, though some residual gas may last for up to a week. The duration can be longer in some cases, but it is a temporary condition.

A collapsed lung (pneumothorax) is typically accompanied by a sudden, sharp chest or shoulder pain that worsens with deep breathing or coughing, along with shortness of breath. Severe cases can cause chest tightness, a rapid heart rate, and fatigue.

The effects of a large air embolism can be rapid, potentially causing a near-instantaneous cardiac arrest. Small air bubbles, however, may not cause immediate symptoms and are reabsorbed by the body more quickly, often within minutes or hours.

Air trapped under the skin (subcutaneous emphysema) is usually reabsorbed by the body within 10 to 14 days. Supplemental oxygen can be used to speed up the process.

No, bloating can be caused by various factors, including water retention, constipation, food intolerances, and hormonal changes. It's not always solely due to trapped gas.