# Stop "farting" around and answer the rest of the question! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 12, 2002, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-farting-around-and-answer-the-rest-of-the-question/118669 "2002-07-12T18:37:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![roesinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@roesinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roesinge)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-farting-around-and-answer-the-rest-of-the-question/118669/1 "2002-07-12T18:37:37Z")
Your article: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_079.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_079.html) fails to answer the original querant’s question of whether it is safer to “vent” than to “squelch”. Some claim that “holding it in” can lead to diverticulosis (pouches in the wall of the bowel), and eventual diverticulitis; but what does the evidence _really_ say, about this? Surely^H^H^H^H^H^HCertainly someone has studied this! (See, I didn’t call you Shirley!) – egr ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2002, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-farting-around-and-answer-the-rest-of-the-question/118669/2 "2002-07-13T03:38:21Z")
**shirley** said > [@](#): > > Some claim that “holding it in” can lead to diverticulosis (pouches in the wall of the bowel), and eventual diverticulitis; but what does the evidence _really_ say, about this? Since you seem to have some knowledge of this subject, could you post a source? _Who_ “claims” this? Link? Names? Cites? ---
**Author:** ![chunda21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e495f1/32.png) [@chunda21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chunda21)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-farting-around-and-answer-the-rest-of-the-question/118669/3 "2002-07-13T16:29:44Z")
Just read the “straight dope” on farting - especially the gases listed. Are you kidding? The “bottom burps” that everyone remembers purely for stench MUST contain copious amounts of hydrogen sulfide - “rotten egg gas” for the uneducated. My friend Laurie, who must be considered a contender for the title “fart champion of the known universe”, has frequently been asked NOT to eat eggs as a result! Comments, please? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-farting-around-and-answer-the-rest-of-the-question/118669/4 "2002-07-13T20:31:30Z")
> [@](#): > > The “bottom burps” that everyone remembers purely for stench MUST contain copious amounts of hydrogen sulfide - “rotten egg gas” for the uneducated. Some, probably, but you don’t need “copious amounts” of H[sub]2[/sub]S to make a big stink. Unfortunately, that’s one compound to which the human nose is extremely sensitive. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-farting-around-and-answer-the-rest-of-the-question/118669/5 "2002-07-14T07:28:10Z")
More info on farts. [http://www.thefart.com/more.html](http://www.thefart.com/more.html) ---
**Author:** ![Midgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Midgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Midgard)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-farting-around-and-answer-the-rest-of-the-question/118669/6 "2002-07-15T23:39:07Z")
Cecil also wrote: "From this we may deduce that burps and belches, which emanate from the stomach, consist mostly of air. " I was under the impression that “burps” and “belches” were different words for exactly the same thing, but Cece seems to make a distinction between them as if they were two different emanations…not true? -Midgard ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-farting-around-and-answer-the-rest-of-the-question/118669/7 "2002-07-16T02:57:40Z")
Cecil did answer the question about whether holding it in is bad for one’s health in this other column: [Does suppressing the urge to toot endanger one’s health?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_385.html)