Are you the type that farts in public? Read this

Bits of Me and You

I was in a preparation meeting for a planned conference.

In an interface with the ‘big people’, all was seemingly moving well until someone released a ‘bombardier’ into the atmosphere in form of an awful stench.

Unfortunately, in a setting where the ‘bombardier’ was released in a silent mode, all of us became suspects.

While some feigned nothing had happened, others walked out in expressed disgust only to return minutes later.

I stayed put in thought unsure what is the best action to take lest you could be wrongly labelled-owa bomu (loosely meaning the ‘The one of the BOMB’

Bits of YOU

I have been in the presence of colleagues debating what’s worse: releasing gas (fart) in silent mode to no one’s notice, or allowing the burden to excuse self from gathering, walk through rows of people to let it out in isolation with its natural bounce (sound)

This piece will offer some remedies.

Dr. Paul Kasenene of Wellness Care says such discomfort is at times normal, but shares certain conditions worsen them.

“When you build up gas in your stomach, it’s a normal thing but the body expels it through belching or flatulence (farting),” he explained.

“If it’s in the upper digestive system like the stomach, it usually called gas and it can be expelled through belching. But if it goes down the lower intestines or colon then that is through the back, it’s called farting or flatulence.”

Often time people hear rumbling sounds in the stomach which Dr. Kasenene says are medically called borboridimy and are basically what you hear when your intestines are moving.

They can be caused by a build up of gas among other factors.

He says, when the body realises that there’s gas, at a certain point the intestines have to move automatically to expel the gas.

It is therefore in such situations where you can’t really control it because the gas has to be expelled.

Other causes, he said, could include incomplete food digestion.

People who don’t digest food very well or have slow digestion usually present incomplete digestion which builds up gas or could be a factor of inflammation.

Doctors caution if not dealt with it can build up a clog and builds up gas inside the stomach.

Be concerned if these three are associated with pain, running stomach, constipation, blood in the stool or abnormal symptoms.

MIND YOUR FOOD

Food sensitivity or intolerance to certain types of food is a recipe for disaster, says Dr. Kasenene.

“The most common tend to be gluten which is a protein in wheat/barley, beer, diary products, casein protein which is hard to digest or lactose and they’ll build up gas”.

Other foods that could trigger flatulence include groundnuts, eggs, soya or certain types of fish.

He strongly advises against consumption of foods that tend to cause inflammation in the bowl and the resultant effect is gas -/produced and bloating.

Dr. Paul Kasenene’s Preventive Measures

– Make sure you eat regularly

-Eat smaller amounts to allow proper digestion

-By eating smaller amounts of food and chewing food more thoroughly digestion will begin from the mouth and less is done in the stomach and intestines.

-Avoid eating large chunks to prevent incomplete digestion.

-Avoid talking as you eat so that it allows less gas in the stomach and more complete digestion

-Drink enough water away from meals because dehydration can be associated with those abnormal sounds and accumulation of gas

– Consider taking probiotics- these are healthy bacteria.

-Taking probiotics and eating probiotic rich foods like fermented foods