What happens if we hold in our farts?

Holding in farts can be harmful to your health - Photo: Getty Images

The average person produces between 0.5 and 1.5 liters of gas per day. Most farts are odorless, but it is rare for people to take the risk of farting in public, especially during important occasions/events or moments.

So how does holding in farts affect our bodies?

Gas is a natural byproduct of digestion, and holding it in can cause discomfort, bloating, and even nausea. According to Ellen Stein, MD, a spokesperson for the American Gastroenterological Association, the human body has different ways of dealing with this buildup of gas.

“There are lots of different changes and cycles that happen with the bacteria in our gut to help us digest. The good news is we have one, and the bad news is that gas has to come out anyway,” says Stein.

According to LiveScience, not all food components are used by the body, especially if the body cannot completely break down certain substances. For example, people with lactose intolerance (a sugar found in dairy products) do not absorb lactose and instead ferment it in the digestive system, causing symptoms such as bloating and diarrhea.

Gas can also build up during normal digestion. According to the American Society for Microbiology, hydrogen sulfide (the gas that gives farts their rotten-egg smell) is produced when beneficial bacteria in the gut break down proteins.

Farting is the body's natural way of dealing with these gases, so people who hold it in during the day usually do it during breaks or when their bodies relax during sleep at night.

Holding it in all the time can be harmful to your bowels over time, says Stein. Small pouches called diverticula can form in the colon due to the strain of constant bloating, and these can be harmful if they become infected.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuyen-gi-xay-ra-neu-chung-ta-nhin-xi-hoi-20241002141513579.htm