Science has shown that 99% of fart is odourless. The human nose can easily detect even small quantities of hydrogen sulphide—a chemical that has an extremely foul smell. This makes the 1% a force to reckon with as it can cause dizziness, vomiting and in extreme cases, blindness.
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Lethal Force
In a now-viral video shared on TikTok, a holistic plastic surgeon from Michigan, Dr Anthony Youn has been explaining the science behind claims that stinky farts can cause momentary blindness.
Dr Youn was responding to a TikToker who said they lost their sight for three minutes after letting out a particularly pungent fart.
As ridiculous as it might sound, Dr Youn provided some theories to back the claim. The video has been viewed more than 3.1 million times and in it Dr Youn said:
Although this is very unlikely, if the gas you pass is extremely pungent, it could contain large amounts of hydrogen sulphide. Studies show that hydrogen sulphide is very effective at reducing blood pressure.
'My Husband’s Going Blind'
And it doesn’t matter if it's loud or not. The lethal effect of a silent but really stinky fart could still force your eyes shut temporarily.
If [a fart] reduces blood pressure to the central retinal artery, your silent but deadly toot could theoretically make you go blind. So be careful if you're making a lot of bubbles in your bathtub!
People from various cultures tend to find humour in fart stories, and that is reflected in most of the comments the video generated. Some people were shocked and somewhat sceptical about the revelation, but others went to town with it. One user wrote:
I've been around others who passed gas and I almost threw up, definitely got dizzy... so I can see going blind from someone else as a possibility.
Another opined:
OMG my husband's going blind!
