Farts: better out than in?

[Rake]

Can it actually harm you to hold in your farts? Is it truly better out than in?

[Dr Steve]

Can it actually harm you to hold in your farts? Is it truly better out than in?

I suppose if you pathologically held in your farts, your colon would expand to the point that it could no longer contract, causing a condition called "Megacolon". A non-contractile colon cannot evacuate, so you'd have a raging case of constipation too.

However, I must say, in 23 years of medical practice, I've never had to treat someone who simply "held in their farts" until something bad happened.

The whole system is designed to expel gas (as well as turds). If it wasn't, you'd spray fecal matter all over the place every time you let out a gasser. So feel free to toot ad lib. If you're worried about public embarassment, do what I do...learn how to expel gas silently, then blame it on the dog if it stinks. That's the classy way to do it. :smile: