Hot Farts: Why Do Some Feel Warmer Than Others Or Even Burn?

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HealthlineSubscribeWhy Do Some Farts Feel Warmer Than Others?

Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH — Written by Kimberly Holland on May 9, 2019

Causes
With constipation
Treatment
Health risks
Seeking medical help
Summary

Many things can cause your farts to feel warmer than usual, such as having low gas levels, wearing tight pants, or eating certain foods. They’re rarely a sign of any serious issues.

The average person farts, or expels gas from their rectum, 14 to 23 times per day. Many farts pass silently while you sleep. Others may come during the day, and those waves of gas can range from quiet but stinky to loud and odorless.

Occasionally, you may experience the sensation of “hot farts,” or feeling that the air passed during a fart is warmer than normal. The truth is the temperature of your toots is typically the same, but a few factors can make them feel warmer than normal.

Read on to find out what can cause that sensation and what you can do to keep gas passing tamed.

What causes burning farts?

On average, the temperature of the gas passed from your rectum is the same each time you break wind. Your farts may feel warmer in some instances. These causes may be to blame:

Low gas levels

It’s not bad to have fewer than normal farts. Each person’s gassiness level is unique and often based on the foods you eat and your lifestyle habits.

However, having less gas to pass may make toots seem hotter. That’s because when gas is expelled with a bit of force — that is, you have more to pass — it clears your rectum quickly. You don’t typically feel the air warm up around your anus.

If you have less gas, however, the gas may move slower with less force. In that case, the air may linger right around your bum, heating up the skin slightly.

Diarrhea

The temperature of your gas doesn’t increase when you have diarrhea, but the skin lining your anus and rectum may become sensitive as a result of the increased bowel movements. That can make everything more irritated and painful, including your farts.

Spicy food

What’s hot going into your body is likely to be hot coming out. Spicy foods often contain natural substances, such as capsaicin, which impart a fiery flame to your tongue — and they do much the same to your anus during a bowel movement.

The food itself won’t make the gas you’re passing hotter, but it may make the sensitive skin lining your anus more irritated. That can make farts seem warmer than normal.

Tight pants

If you have on tight underwear or tight pants, the gas you expel from your rectum will likely hover just a bit longer around your bum before it’s dispersed through the fabric.

Hot farts and constipation

Constipation and hot farts can go hand in hand. When your gastrointestinal (GI) system is backed up and you haven’t been able to have a bowel movement for a few hours or days, your bowels have less space for gas. That means you won’t exert as much force when you do fart, which can make the toots seems hotter than normal.

Constipation can be caused by several factors, including:

eating a diet low in fiber
drinking too little water
getting too little physical activity

How to get rid of burning farts

One fart isn’t typically “hotter” than another, but you may feel more heat than usual depending on what’s happening with your GI system at the time. These treatments can help prevent hot farts and might ease any stomach troubles you’re experiencing, too.

Eat more fiber

Fiber is the secret ingredient for better GI health. When you eat plenty of fiber from fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, you’ll lower your risk for constipation and increase your chances for regular bowel movements.

In other words, fiber keeps poop — and gas — moving right on through and out your rectum.

It’s important to note, however, that some fiber-rich foods, like broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, can actually increase the amount of gas you expel. They won’t increase the temperature of your farts, but you can anticipate passing a little more wind if you add these foods to your plate.

Take probiotics

When the bacteria in some probiotics are snacking on certain nutrients in your stomach and intestines, like fiber, they release microscopic amounts of hydrogen gas.

Some other probiotics, however, can actually break down that gas, which will reduce the amount of flatulence you have to pass. Fermented foods like yogurt, pickles, and kombucha are rich sources of these good bacteria.

Add herbs to your diet

Herbs like ginger, peppermint, and cinnamon have natural enzymes and chemicals that help your GI system move food faster. Some of these plants, such as peppermint, also have a calming effect on the intestines. That can help ease symptoms of diarrhea and reduce irritation in the sensitive skin.

Cut carbs

Your stomach can process a great deal of the food you eat, but there are some foods — ones with insoluble fiber, for example — that are just too difficult to break down. As the food sits in your stomach and the bacteria try to eat it, gases build up in your GI tract. That could increase the amount of gas you have.

You don’t want to cut all carbs — many healthy foods like fruits and vegetables are rich in carbohydrates. You should be selective about balancing some easy-to-process carbs with some that have more insoluble fiber. Beans, cabbage, cauliflower, and onions are all serious toot makers.

Drink more water

Air bubbles in carbonated beverages introduce more gas to your GI system. You may burp or belch more often and you may fart a few times. Still drinks, like water, tea, and wine are smarter for cutting the gas in your stomach. Also, staying hydrated helps prevent constipation.

Avoid spicy food

Scale back your spicy food intake if you experience fiery farts and bowel movements. Some of the chemicals in those hot foods can make sensitive rectum skin irritated.

Are burning farts good or bad?

Hot farts aren’t dangerous. In fact, they’re rarely a sign of anything you should be worried about. If you’re experiencing the high-temp gas passes with other symptoms like constipation or diarrhea, take steps to eat a properly balanced diet.

Diets that are filled with lean proteins, healthy carbs, fruits, and vegetables have a good balance of all the nutrients your GI system needs to keep things running smoothly and reduce the number of heated toots. Plus, a poor diet could lead to issues like vitamin deficiencies, an unhealthy microbiome, and much more.

When to see a doctor

Hot farts are rarely a sign of anything serious. But combined with some other issues, they may signal a bit of GI trouble or certain digestive disorders, like irritable bowel syndrome or even a bacterial infection.

If you start to experience other symptoms, like pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, consider talking with a doctor.

Takeaway

Simple adjustments to what you eat may be all that’s necessary to reduce gas buildup and lower your risk for hot farts. However, warmer than usual toots are rarely a sign of any serious issues. If you take steps to make your whole GI tract healthier, you can expect the scorching rumbles from your rectum to cease, too.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

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Gas. (2016).https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/7314-gas
Manichanh C, et al. (2014). Anal gas evacuation and colonic microbiota in patients with flatulence: effect of diet. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2012-303013
Sparks D. (2016). Home remedies: Gas, belching and bloating.https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/home-remedies-gas-belching-and-bloating/
Symptoms & causes of constipation. (2018).https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/constipation/symptoms-causes
Wu K, et al. (2008). Effects of ginger on gastric emptying and motility in healthy humans.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18403946

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Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH — Written by Kimberly Holland on May 9, 2019

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