Why You Should Pass Gas (And Other Stuff) For the Sake of Your Health

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In a move that is very characteristic of my well-known maturity, I'm writing today about farting. More specifically, I'd like to remind you that holding in the things that your body is trying to get rid of can actually be harmful to your health.

I started thinking about this after a family friend told me their road trip philosophy; when they have to pass gas, they give everyone time to roll their windows down first, then take care of that extra internal air. Before they made this rule, they would politely hold it in until the next rest stop, but the result would be a carload of upset stomachs.

The average person farts ten times a day. If you've ever met my brothers, you'd think that it was far more than that, but I digress. Anyway, as gross as the smell often is, especially in reference to the 'silent but deadly' variety, it can be bad for your body to hold them it. According to Dr. Levitt, a gastroenterologist (aka flatulence doctor), holding in farts too long can cause your colon to become bloated, and theoretically, the methane and other lethal gases could add enough toxins to your blood to poison you. Even if it isn't that extreme, holding in your toots can cause stomach pain, headaches and dizziness.

Another body excretion that is often held too long is urine. Everybody is busy these days, but whatever you do, don't forget to pee. Even if it means planning out a couple of bathroom breaks in your daily routine, remember that it's a necessity for your body. Most commonly, if you hold it in too long, you can give yourself a urinary tract infection (UTI). Another side affect of holding it in too long is that you can actually harm the muscles that allow you to hold it in the first place. Nobody wants to make themselves dependent on Depends, so to save yourself some embarrassment, visit that porcelain.

Holding in your belches isn't quite as potentially harmful, but it often causes stomachaches from swallowing all that air. Plus, burps usually come out anyway, and if they end up exiting your body via your nose, it can sting a bit.

And we've all read or heard of the book Everybody Poops, right? Well, it's because everybody is supposed to; it can be harmful to hold in what your body is trying to excrete. Holding in that waste can dry out your intestines and cause problems with constipation. If that happens, it might cause pain and discomfort when you finally find time to make a visit to the bathroom, and in extreme cases, it might have to be removed by a doctor - the hard way. So suck it up and go #2, even if you're not comfortable with the closest toilet's location.

Please let your boogers fly, too. OK, well, maybe not literally, but at least let yourself sneeze. If you try to hold one of these in, you can potentially burst blood vessels in your eyes. This may look cool on October 31, but any other day, it looks weird and it's painful. Holding in a sneeze can also damage or burst your eardrum. Plus, sneezes are satisfying, so why would you want to hold them in?

Let 'em rip.