Whether you accept it or not, farting is a part and parcel of our existence. It’s definitely not something you want to do at your work meeting or worse – on a date. Although breaking the wind can be the kind of stuff you want to do without an audience, it’s not always feasible.
As a practical option, you can keep it in for hours before you’re home, so you can get the sweet relief of letting it all go. But holding in farts isn’t necessarily your best bet. It could do you more harm than good. So what happens when you hold in a fart? Is it bad to hold in farts? And what else can you do if you aren’t able to hold in your farts? Well, we’ve got the answers to all these questions. Read on to find out.
What Happens When You Hold in A Fart
When your body builds up excessive intestinal gas in the stomach, all that gas builds up, somehow it has to escape: holding in farts will only make you feel even more uncomfortable because of the buildup of extra pressure. That buildup leads to two possible situations which are not very pleasant either. In one, that air is going to exit your body through your mouth in the form of a burp and in another case; in the form of a completely uncontrollable fart.
Burping is often a result of eating air i.e some people tend to swallow more air when they are talking or chewing a gum. That air gets accumulated in their stomachs before eventually coming out; usually as a burp. But, farting is more straightforward and embarrassing. We try to suppress it, we become tense, and leave no stone unturned to prevent that gas from escaping our butt.
But the real question is, is it bad to Hold in Farts
The positive news is that holding in farts is unlikely to do you any significant harm – although it does have awkward repercussions. ‘If you have an unhealthy volume of intestinal gas it will induce bloating and make you uncomfortable.
It can be very unpleasant and humiliating when you are in a social setting and your stomach produces odd, gurgling noises. That said, the only real exception to the fact that holding on your farts will not harm are people with severe obstructions in their colons.
While, there is a much lower risk of diverticula which causes pockets to develop in the colon wall. Such pockets may get infected in extremely rare cases, which will need medical care.
How can you Tame Farting
It is not always possible, holding in farts. Want a more simple way? We’ve listed down some tips to save you the discomfort and embarrassment. Thank us later!
Avoid gas inducing foods
Eating less of the well-known gassy products is one way to handle flatulence and belching. Common culprits include:
- Rich fiber foods – beans, legumes
- Fruits including pears, grapes, dates, figs, apples
- Vegetables include broccoli, brussel sprouts, and lettuce
- Dairy products including milk, cheese and ice cream
These items contain fiber, sugars, and starches that do not easily digest or absorb, and ultimately cause intestinal gas. These food items are also found to cause constipation too. Fiber is not readily digestible, so we depend on the bacteria in our intestines to break it down by fermentation in our intestines, a bi-product of fermentation is gas. Henceforth, high fiber foods can contribute to farting.
Also, foods that contain sorbitol, a naturally occurring sugar contained in fruits, are also found to have triggered the formation of gas in certain individuals. Others get bothered with carbonated soft drinks and fruit drinks. When you notice that certain foods are leading to unnecessary farting, remove it from your diet or eat it in moderate amounts.
Hold in FartsTake it slow
Unless you are Joey who wants to finish Monica’s thanksgiving turkey; eating and drinking should be a slow process. You tend to suck a lot of air as you eat or drink fast and that can cause gas. The quick route out? Eat, drink, and chew your food slowly.
Additionally, chewing properly helps us to keep our portion sizes in mind and avoid a full stomach. A bloated stomach places additional pressure on our digestive system, contributing to our troublesome enemy – farting.
Drink fluids – and lots of them
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Hydration is the key. Drinking sufficient water in a day has a hoard of advantages, allowing our kidneys to function better, keeping our skin and body healthy, and many benefits. In the case of farting, water could be your savior.
Dehydration will have an effect on your bowel function and how food travels through your gut. Sufficient intake of fluids will help to regulate your bowels, which helps prevent constipation and excess gas production. Also, it is recommended to drink about 30 minutes before a meal to help your stomach digest better.
Try herbs for relief
A variety of herbs with so-called carminative properties could prove beneficial to relieve the gas and prevent bloating. One of the herbs that have been found to have carminative properties is ginger. This is beneficial because if the stomach is emptying quicker, the gas will travel further through the small intestine to alleviate bloating and discomfort caused by gas accumulation.
Peppermint oil has also shown a significant improvement in IBS symptoms including abdominal pain. Additionally, chamomile tea is believed to assist with a variety of digestive issues, including stomach upset, bloating, and digestive gas, by calming muscles of the GI, and strengthening digestion.
Even after following all these tips, there are high chances that you may experience unexpected farts and that is completely natural. We have one simple advice – don’t hold in your farts. Your safest bet is to excuse yourself to a place where only God can hear you and let yourself loose.
Better now than having a squeak out in the middle of a meeting because you failed at holding in farts, right?
Also read; What Causes Excessive Farting?
