Why Does My Gas Smell So Much

Passing gas, farting, or cutting the cheese. No matter what you call it, everyone does it. On some days, people fart more than others. And on other days, farts are smellier — and those days can be embarrassing. But what causes the smell to change?

In this article, we search for answers to some of life’s most embarrassing questions. We discuss the causes of smelly farts — and what you can do about them.

Where do farts come from?

Flatus and flatulence are the official medical words for farts and farting. Farts are made up of common gasses like hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide. These gasses aren’t toxic — they’re found in the air you breathe.

Gasses enter the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in three different ways:

• Swallowing air: Air is sucked into the lungs when you inhale, but some also enters the stomach. Eating or drinking too quickly, chewing gum or tobacco, and drinking fizzy beverages can increase the amount of air that enters the stomach.

• Creation of gas by bacteria in the colon: Healthy bacteria (normal gut flora) live in the colon and help digest food. The digestion process produces gasses. Certain foods are harder to digest than others, and some foods create foul-smelling gasses when broken down.

• Movement of air from the bloodstream to the bowel: A very tiny amount of air moves from the blood into the bowels. The amount is so small that it almost doesn’t count.

What causes farts to smell bad?

Most farts actually don’t smell at all. That’s because hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide — the main gasses that make up farts — don’t have odors. But everyone’s gut flora are different, and some people just have smellier farts than others.

What about farts that are so stinky they clear out the room? In these cases, something different occurs in the gut that adds the stinky odor. This is typically from something you ate. In rare cases, a medication or medical condition can cause the stink.

Causes of extra stinky farts include:

• Diet (more on this below)

• Lactose intolerance (inability to properly digest foods with lactose, like cow’s milk)

• Medications (especially antibiotics)

• Constipation (a traffic jam of extra stool can add odor to gas as it’s passed)

• Colorectal cancer (this is less likely without other concerning symptoms)

Some conditions can also cause stinky farts, and diarrhea often happens along with these conditions:

• Celiac disease (allergy to gluten)

• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), or too much bacteria in the GI tract

• Giardia infection (a common parasite)

How can you get rid of smelly farts?

Generally speaking, stinky farts will go away once the cause has worked its way out of your system. To help prevent smelly farts in the future, consider making some changes to your diet.

The following foods increase the amount of gas and smelliness of farts:

• Beans, lentils, and bean-based products (like hummus, tofu, and tempeh)

• Certain vegetables (like brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower)

• Certain fruits (like prunes and apricots)

• Beer

• Foods high in fiber (like whole grains)

• High-protein foods (like animal meat) and powders (commonly used to build muscle)

• Dairy products from cow’s milk (if you have a lactose intolerance)

• Artificial sweeteners in sugar-free foods (like xylitol and sorbitol)

• Fatty, fried foods

When something other than food causes smelly farts, the aim is to treat the underlying cause. For example, if your provider finds that you have SIBO, they’ll recommend treatment with antibiotics. You can treat lactose intolerance by avoiding dairy and/or taking lactase supplements to help the gut digest milk products. And if constipation is the problem, there are ways to deal with that, too.

Are there medications to decrease farting or the sltinkinessof farts?

Unfortunately, no. Though it might be nice to get rid of farts entirely, farting is just a part of life. Most people pass gas about 10 to 20 times per day.

Studies have shown that simethicone (GasX), activated charcoal, and alpha-galactosidase (Beano) aren’t very effective. Interestingly, there are odor-reducing products such as underwear made out of activated carbon fiber fabric or charcoal pads you wear inside of underwear. They might help, but these aren’t widely available.

Are smelly farts or too many farts a bad sign?

Lots of gas or very smelly gas can be embarrassing. Fortunately, it’s rarely a sign of a serious medical problem. When it comes to smelly farts or lots of farts, diet is most likely the culprit. But there are some symptoms that could raise concern for a bigger issue.

Talk to your provider if you experience any of the following concerning symptoms:

• Fevers

• Unintentional weight loss or loss of appetite

• Bloody stools or dark black, tar-colored stools

• Severe diarrhea

• Severe vomiting

• Severe abdominal tenderness

Your provider may ask you more questions, examine you, and possibly order some tests. Together you can come up with a plan to figure out what’s going on.