Farts are made up of many different gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, nitrogen, and several others. Some have an odor, while others do not.
However, if the fart contains hydrogen sulfide or gases from the digestion of meat, it will smell very bad. Farts will also smell bad if you haven't defecated, according to the health website Healthline (USA).
Imbalance in gut bacteria may cause more farting
On average, a person farts 15 to 25 times a day, or even more depending on diet. Most farts happen while sleeping. Although it is annoying to those around us, farting can tell us a lot about our health.
Gastrointestinal disease
Certain digestive conditions can cause excessive or very foul-smelling farts. For example, people with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) tend to produce more gas in their intestines.
Not only that, some other digestive problems such as constipation, gastroenteritis, eating disorders, dumping syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, autoimmune pancreatitis, stomach ulcers, and even diabetes can also cause excessive farting.
Food intolerance
People with food intolerances or sensitivities will face the problem of gas buildup in their intestines. Their intestines cannot break down certain foods, usually because they do not have the enzymes to digest that food.
As a result, they are more likely to experience bloating when eating certain foods. For example, people with gluten intolerance have difficulty digesting gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat and barley.
Another intolerance is lactose intolerance. This is caused by the body not producing or producing enough of the enzyme that breaks down lactose.
Using certain medications will make farts smell worse.
Gut bacterial imbalance
There are many different types of bacteria in your gut. They play different roles in your gut health. Some bacteria are gas-producing. If one type of bacteria overgrows, it can lead to an imbalance, producing more gas, causing bloating and flatulence.
Farts smell worse if there are more methanogenic bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria in the intestines. Sulfate-reducing bacteria in particular break down sulfur molecules in meat proteins and release foul-smelling gases.
An imbalance of gut bacteria not only causes frequent farting but is also accompanied by a number of symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, weight loss, indigestion, diarrhea, nausea and constipation, according to the non-profit medical center Cleveland Clinic (USA).
Use certain medications
Some medications, when taken, have a side effect of producing very unpleasant-smelling farts. Prescription drugs that commonly cause this side effect include the diabetes medication metformin, the antibiotics ciprofloxacin and augmentin, and cholesterol-lowering drugs such as lovastatin and atorvastatin.
Blood pressure medications like irbesartan, valsartan, losartan, and lisinopril can also cause foul-smelling farts. These medications can also cause bloating, constipation, or diarrhea, according to Healthline.
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