Explained: Six types of farts and what each of them can tell you about your health | The Times of India (2024)

Farting is one of the most normal and natural things our body does. It is associated with how good or bad our digestive system is functioning and can reveal a lot about our health in general. The idea behind why farting is considered funny or embarrassing is still unclear, but one thing people must know is that it is important to pass unnecessary gas or it could lead to uncomfortable bloating and stomach pain. Moreover, your farts can indicate a lot of other things happening inside your body. That said, here are six types of farts to pay attention to and what they can tell you about your health.

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Most farts are odorless and indicate that the digestive system is healthy.

Farts that have no smell only mean that too much air has accumulated in the body and is now ready to pass and exit. In fact, 99 percent of fart comprises odorless gasses, while the remaining 1 percent is typically sulfurous.

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If your farts have started to reek, smell like rotten eggs, there is something extremely wrong with your digestive system. It's either because of a food intolerance, high - fiber, high-sulfur foods, certain medications and antibiotics or could be more serious i.e. a bacterial infection in the digestive tract. Something as common as a constipation can also cause super-smelly farts.

As discussed, flatulence is a normal biological process. While some people pass wind just a few times a day, there are those who experience regular bouts of farting. Ideally, farting is said to be normal when you do it about 5 to 15 times a day. However, if it is more frequent and excessive, it could indicate something else.

In most cases frequent farting is an outcome of carbonated drinks. Soda, cola, booze, beer are the culprit to be precise. These cause more air to settle in the gastrointestinal tract, making one fart more often than usual. Normally, excessive flatulence can be caused by swallowing more air than usual or eating food that's difficult to digest. Recurring indigestion or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can also be some of the other causes of excessive farting.

Frequent flatulence is also caused by constipation, a condition wherein a person has an uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements.

When a person is constipated, the waste that should ideally pass sits for longer periods of time in the colon, causing excess gas to build up. This leads to frequent farting. Experts recommend eating fibre-rich foods, drinking water and moving around to improve digestion.

If you're experiencing bloating and constant abdominal pain accompanied by farting, then it could be a sign of food intolerance.

Bloating is usually a typical symptom of a food intolerance or allergy. These can cause excessive gas production and gas accumulation in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to frequent farting and abdominal cramping.

During menstruation, hormone levels can fluctuate dramatically, causing several digestive issues. High levels of estrogen in the body can often lead to gas and constipation. These can push your uterus to produce hormone-like chemicals called prostaglandins, which help in shedding the uterine lining. But when excess prostaglandins enter your bloodstream, it can make other muscles in the body contract, including the bowel. Hence leading to flatulence and irregular bowel habits.