Flatulence of any kind can be awkward to talk about, but burping is a totally normal and common experience. In fact, the average person passes gas 13 to 21 times a day, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, if your burps taste like rotten eggs or something else not-so-pleasant, it’s understandable to feel a little confused (or concerned).
“These are called sulfur burps due to the type of gas, hydrogen sulfide, created in the digestive tract,” explains Niket Sonpal, M.D., a board-certified gastroenterologist and assistant clinical professor at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City. Burps can come out with all sorts of different smells and tastes, as they may contain hydrogen sulfide (the source of that rotten-eggs taste) as well as mixtures of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, hydrogen, and even small amounts of methane gas, Dr. Sonpal explains.
The occasional malodorous burp is nothing to worry about (whew!). Most of the time, burps are caused by simply swallowing excess air when you eat quickly, breathe rapidly, smoke, or drink something fizzy like soda, says Jesse P. Houghton, M.D., F.A.C.G., a board-certified gastroenterologist and adjunct clinical assistant professor at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. They can also pop up when you eat something that triggers the bacteria in your gut to release gas as part of the normal digestion process. If you’re experiencing frequent smelly burps, though, that could be a sign of an underlying illness or gastrointestinal disorder.
So, wondering if your sulfur burps are within the realm of “normal” or something worth getting checked out? Read on for eight reasons why you might be having particularly stinky burps and when to see a doctor about them, with insight from digestion experts.
1. You ate lots of high-sulfur foods.
Most commonly, burps with a foul rotten-egg smell are due to hydrogen sulfide gas which is created when your body digests foods high in sulfur, says Harry J. Thomas, M.D., a board-certified gastroenterologist at Austin Gastroenterology in central Texas. The potential culprits are many: Proteins (meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy), cruciferous veggies (like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale), aromatics (garlic, onions, and leeks), processed foods, and drinks like beer and wine all contain sulfur in some form. If you had lots of these on the menu recently, likely all you need to do to alleviate your nasty burps is take some time off from these triggers.
2. Or you loaded up on too much fiber.
Granted, the vast majority of Americans don’t get enough fiber (the indigestible parts of grains, veggies, and fruits), but if you just began eating oatmeal for breakfast or taking a fiber supplement, that could be the reason for your sudden uptick in smelly burps. Why? Fiber-rich foods like whole grains, chia seeds, beans, and peas can lead to excessive gassiness and smelly burps in some people, says Dr. Sonpal.
If you suspect this is your situation, take a break and then slowly add these foods back into your diet. The health benefits of fiber—like improved digestion, blood sugar control, cholesterol levels, and a feeling of fullness after you eat that may help you lose or maintain your weight—are well worth pushing through a smelly burps phase.
3. It could be the result of a heavy dinner.
Rich meals high in butter, oil, and other fats are yet another diet-based trigger for smelly burps. “High-fat foods tend to sit in your stomach longer and take longer for your stomach to digest, which increases the likelihood that you’ll have foul-smelling belches afterwards,” explains Dr. Houghton. This is due to a fermentation process (similar to the one that turns grapes into bubbly). As your food slowly makes it through your colon, bacteria in your gut eat up starches and sugars, creating stinky gas as a byproduct.
4. A food intolerance could be to blame.
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If you’ve got smelly burps plus a slew of misery-making GI symptoms such as bloating, cramping, diarrhea, constipation, and even nausea, you could have a food intolerance. People with sensitivities often can’t properly digest foods with gluten (a set of proteins found in wheat and certain grains) or lactose (a sugar found in dairy) because they don’t have the enzymes required to break them down, explains Dr. Sonpal.
Whether you have celiac disease (an autoimmune disease spurred by the ingestion of gluten) or a non-celiac gluten sensitivity, you might experience digestive issues along with brain fog, headaches, and fatigue, per the Celiac Disease Foundation. While celiac disease can be identified with a blood test, typically a gluten sensitivity or intolerance simply takes removing gluten from your diet under the supervision of a dietitian or doctor. If you’re one of 65% of people worldwide who struggle to digest lactose, lactase enzyme pills like Lactaid may help your body better process that bowl of ice cream or cheese tray.
5. It may be a sign of a GI infection.
Bacteria by the name of Helicobacter pylori is so common that it may be present in half of the world population’s stomach lining, says Dr. Sonpal. While these infections are typically harmless, when they act up, they can cause frequent smelly burps and stomach aches. If left untreated, it can even lead to deeper issues like peptic ulcers (open sores that develop inside your stomach and upper part of your small intestine) or stomach cancer, per the NIH. If your stinky burps come along with severe or constant stomach pain or bloody or black stools or vomit, call your doctor. A course of antibiotics can help zap this stomach bug for good.
6. Your gut microbiome might be out of balance.
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, a.k.a. SIBO, can cause smelly burps and gas because excess bacteria produces an abundance of hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide gases in your small intestine, says Dr. Thomas. Usually, your small intestine is relatively low on bacteria compared to your large intestine, but an uptick in bacteria can make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients as they gobble them up and result in smelly burps as well as abdominal pain, bloating, cramps, and watery diarrhea. SIBO can occur as a complication of digestive disorders like Crohn’s disease, diabetes, or immunodeficiency conditions such as AIDS.
7. Chronic acid reflux could be the culprit.
Are your smelly burps accompanied by heartburn that strikes more than a few times a week? You might have gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as GERD, which causes the acidic contents of your stomach to rise back into your esophagus, says Sara Cerrone, M.D., a board-certified gastroenterologist at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead, NY.
When this happens, the gas that bacteria release as part of the digestion process enters your esophagus, too, which can give your burps a particularly foul smell, she explains. It’s a vicious cycle—the need to constantly swallow down that acidic upsurge can in turn also lead to more smelly burps, per the Mayo Clinic.
If Pepto isn’t cutting it, prescription antacid medications like H2 blockers such as famotidine (Pepcid) or proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole (Prilosec) can help ease your heartburn and smelly burps alike, says Dr. Cerrone.
8. You may have a digestive disorder.
Smelly burps plus serious GI distress—like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or abdominal pain—could also indicate that you’re dealing with something more serious. For instance, you may have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which causes chronic abdominal pain and shifts in your bowel habits, or delayed gastric emptying (a.k.a. gastroparesis), where it takes more time than usual for your stomach to pass food onto your small intestine, says Dr. Thomas.
While smelly burps alone don’t point to these disorders, they can come along with them. After diagnosis, lifestyle changes (like tweaking your diet) and prescription medications can help you better manage these GI conditions.
❗When to see your doctor about smelly burps
Most of the time, foul-smelling burps are more of a nuisance than anything else, and making short-term adjustments your diet and popping some over-the-counter antacids should help them go away. However, if you keep having smelly burps despite OTC medication or if they’re associated with other troubling GI symptoms, they are cause for concern, says Dr. Cerrone.
Along with smelly burps, the following symptoms are your cue to call a doctor:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Severe abdominal pain or cramping
- Bloody stool
- Unexplained weight loss
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Otherwise? Take some antacids to help cut down on your smelly burps and gas, and to prevent them from happening in the first place, make sure to eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly before you swallow, and avoid the foods you know tend to make you super gassy.
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Lauren Krouse
Lauren Krouse is a freelance writer who covers health, domestic violence, and self-advocacy. Her work appears in _Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Prevention, Self, HuffPost, and elsewhere. When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to meditate more, weightlifting, or walking in the woods with her partner and black lab.
