Flatulence: Farting can be a sign of illness
Flatulence is when someone farts a lot. What could be the cause? Have you perhaps changed your diet? In addition to the natural release of gases that occur during digestion, the intestines can react very sensitively to changes in diet or food. Intolerances in particular can lead to severe flatulence. Here you need to find out exactly which foods are causing a lot of hot air and adjust your diet accordingly.
Severe flatulence can also be a sign of a gastrointestinal infection, chronic inflammatory bowel disease or even colon cancer. If you have to fart a lot over a long period of time (more than 20 times) and have other symptoms such as stomach problems, nausea or even vomiting, then you should definitely see a doctor.
How flatulence occurs
As already described, gases are produced during the digestive process. They are mainly produced in the large intestine by bacteria that break down food and produce hydrogen and methane in the process. In addition, when we eat and speak, we also swallow a lot of air, which enters the stomach in the form of nitrogen and oxygen. Carbon dioxide is formed when edible fats are broken down in the small intestine at the same time. So there is also a little breeze from this side.
Incidentally, flatulence only smells unpleasant when fiber and sulfur-containing compounds from the food are broken down. To be more precise, it is the hydrogen sulphide that can be quite smelly. So anyone who eats a lot of wholemeal products has to deal with the foul smell, as do anyone who likes to eat eggs, garlic or cabbage.