Buzz
It’s normal to pass gas anywhere from five to 23 times a day. Yet, various social situations might make you feel compelled to hold it in. Here’s a look at what could happen if you keep that gas trapped in your body instead of letting it go.
So why do we pass gas in the first place? Well, it’s a natural bodily function.
Understanding why we fart is essential in grasping the full picture.
We naturally swallow excess air during activities like eating and talking. Additionally, as your large intestine breaks down food, gases are produced—especially from foods like beans, broccoli, and dairy. When too much gas accumulates in your digestive system, your body needs a way to release it. Unless you're purposely holding back to avoid embarrassment on a date, that gas typically escapes as a fart.
Is it risky to hold in a fart?
If you hold in your flatulence, it can cause discomfort like indigestion, bloating, and even pain. Furthermore, the added stress of trying to keep it in can often intensify your physical discomfort, as Healthline highlights.
Fortunately, there’s minimal scientific evidence to suggest that holding in a fart causes long-term health problems, aside from temporary discomfort. In almost all cases, that gas will find its way out, one way or another.
You could expel gas through your mouth
Well, kind of. Here’s how it works: When you hold in a fart, “some of the gas can pass through your gut wall and be reabsorbed into your bloodstream,” as stated by Healthline. That gas may eventually be exhaled through your lungs. So, you might end up breathing out gas that’s essentially a mouth fart. (Don’t worry—it won’t taste like one.)
The true risk lies in an obstructed colon
The only time you should be truly concerned about holding in a fart is if there’s a severe blockage in your colon. In such cases, the built-up gas can cause your colon to inflate like a balloon—something that’s demonstrated in a Brainiac video through a cartoon. Fortunately, this scenario is incredibly rare and only occurs in critically ill patients, as Dr. Lisa Ganjhu mentions in Women’s Health.
Is it possible to die from holding in a fart?
Ultimately, research shows that holding in a fart is not likely to be the cause of death (unless you’re one of those rare critically ill individuals with a severe colon blockage). Technically, it’s possible you could die while holding in a fart, but that would be a coincidence, not a cause-and-effect situation. And honestly, that would be a pretty awful way to go.
How to reduce excessive farting
Your eating habits and digestive health play a major role in your gas production. It’s worth paying attention to these common gas-inducing foods to determine if they might be causing more frequent farting:
Beans and lentils
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables
Fruits, oat bran, and other foods rich in soluble fiber
Lactose, dairy products
Sorbitol, the artificial sweetener (found in gum)
Besides adjusting your diet, another trick to help reduce your farting is eating and drinking more slowly to minimize the amount of air you swallow. Check out these tips to reduce bloating as well. Additionally, you might want to address any underlying health issues like IBS or heartburn that could be contributing to your gassiness. Until then, just let it out!
