Sulfur Burps and Watery Diarrhea: What to Do If You Have Diarrhea Along with Sulfur Burps?
What causes sulfur burps and diarrhea? How to treat sulfur burps and diarrhea at home? Discover the answers to these questions and more.
Causes of Sulfur Burps and Diarrhea
The causes of sulfur burps and diarrhea are often simple and easy to fix, but in some cases, they can be more complicated and require a visit to the doctor. Here are some of the common reasons you may be experiencing this combination of symptoms:
1. Sulfur in Foods
Certain foods contain hydrogen sulfides that can cause sulfur burps when the proteins are broken down. This may also upset your intestinal tract, leading to a one-time case of diarrhea after consuming the offending food. These foods include red meat, poultry, preservatives, eggs, dairy, fruits, vegetables, legumes, tea, coffee, and various supplements.
2. Infections in Your Digestive Tract
There are a few infections that can cause sulfur burps and diarrhea, often accompanied by other symptoms like vomiting, fever, and nausea. These include giardiasis (a parasite infection), H. pylori (a bacterial infection), and an overgrowth of normal intestinal flora.
3. Poor Diet
Eating too fast or consuming too much of certain foods can lead to sulfur burps and diarrhea. Eating too many proteins in a single meal can cause sulfur gas to form in your digestive tract.
4. Chronic Health Conditions
Some chronic digestive conditions, such as pancreatitis, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, GERD, and irritable bowel syndrome, can also cause sulfur burps and diarrhea.
Home Remedies for Sulfur Burps
If you’re experiencing sulfur burps, there are a few things you can try at home to alleviate the issue. However, if these remedies don’t work, it’s best to consult a doctor.
1. Eat Right
Reducing your intake of high-sulfur foods, such as eggs, dried fruits, dairy, and high-sugar foods, can help. Increase your intake of high-fiber foods and drink plenty of water with meals to help flush the sulfur through your system.
2. Try Warm Lemon Water with Honey
Drinking a warm mixture of lemon juice and honey can help cleanse your system of toxins and sulfur.
3. Use Pepto Bismol™
This antacid medication may help calm your stomach and reduce sulfur burps by grabbing the sulfites and pulling them out of your digestive tract.
4. Drink Baking Soda
Mixing a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of water and drinking it can help neutralize stomach acids and the gas they produce, potentially alleviating sulfur burps.
When to See a Doctor
If the home remedies mentioned above don’t provide relief or if the sulfur burps and diarrhea are accompanied by other concerning symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor. They can help determine the underlying cause and provide appropriate treatment.
Prevention Tips
To help prevent sulfur burps and diarrhea, it’s important to be mindful of your diet, eat slowly, and stay hydrated. Avoiding high-sulfur foods, maintaining a balanced diet, and addressing any underlying digestive issues can all contribute to reducing these unwanted symptoms.
Key Takeaways
- Sulfur burps and diarrhea can be caused by various factors, including sulfur-rich foods, infections, poor diet, and chronic health conditions.
- Home remedies like adjusting your diet, trying warm lemon water with honey, using Pepto Bismol™, and drinking baking soda can help alleviate sulfur burps.
- If home remedies don’t provide relief or if other concerning symptoms arise, it’s important to see a doctor to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment.
- Preventive measures, such as being mindful of your diet, eating slowly, and staying hydrated, can help reduce the occurrence of sulfur burps and diarrhea.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes sulfur burps and diarrhea?
Sulfur burps and diarrhea can be caused by several factors, including consuming sulfur-rich foods, infections in the digestive tract, poor diet, and certain chronic health conditions.
How can I get rid of sulfur burps at home?
You can try home remedies like adjusting your diet to reduce high-sulfur foods, drinking warm lemon water with honey, using Pepto Bismol™, and drinking baking soda to help alleviate sulfur burps.
When should I see a doctor for sulfur burps and diarrhea?
If home remedies don’t provide relief or if the sulfur burps and diarrhea are accompanied by other concerning symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment.
How can I prevent sulfur burps and diarrhea?
To help prevent sulfur burps and diarrhea, it’s important to be mindful of your diet, eat slowly, and stay hydrated. Avoiding high-sulfur foods and addressing any underlying digestive issues can also contribute to reducing these symptoms.
Conclusion
Sulfur burps and diarrhea can be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from the foods you eat to underlying health conditions. By understanding the potential causes and trying home remedies, you can often find relief from these unpleasant symptoms. However, if the issue persists or is accompanied by other concerning symptoms, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.
What to Do If You Have Diarrhea Along with Sulfur Burps?
Everyone burps. It is a natural process of digestion when gasses are created in your digestive tract. Normally, they smell close to the foods that you ate recently and no cause for concern. When you have sulfur burps your body is creating a gas from proteins that contain sulfur. It is known as hydrogen sulfide gas. There are microbes in your digestive system that break down the sulfur and release it. Most often, these microbes are part of the “good bacteria” and nothing to worry about. If you have sulfur burps and diarrhea, you may have bacteria that are infectious.
Causes of Sulfur Burps and Diarrhea
The causes are often very simple and easy to fix. Some are more complicated and require a visit to the doctor. Here are some of the reasons you may be experiencing:
1.
Sulfur in Foods
On occasion, you may eat foods containing hydrogen sulfides that cause sulfur burps when the protein is broken down. This may also upset your intestinal tract with a one-time case of diarrhea after eating the offending food. These are foods that have complex proteins in them:
- Red meat
- Poultry
- Preservatives (prepackaged cold foods, canned foods and dried fruits)
- Eggs
- Dairy (milk, cheese, cottage cheese)
- Fruits (bananas, watermelon, avocado)
- Vegetables (Swiss chard, yams, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, onions)
- Legumes (peas, lentils, beans, soybeans, alfalfa, carob, jicama)
- Tea and coffee
- Grains (corn, sesame seeds, coconut, sunflower seeds, oats, almonds, and walnuts)
- Whey protein powder
- Amino acid supplements
- Vitamin B supplements
2. Infections in Your Digestive Tract
There are a few infections that can cause you to have sulfur burps and diarrhea. There are usually other symptoms like vomiting, fever, and nausea. You need to check with your doctor to see if you have any of these:
- Giardialamblia: This is a parasite that comes from contaminated food or water. It will cause sulfur burps, bloated abdomen, diarrhea, and bad gas passing. It needs prescription medication,and not being treated promptly can cause dehydration.
- H. Pylori: This is a bacterial infection of the stomach that can cause gastritis and even ulcers. It is accompanied by bloating and heartburn. Your doctor will give you a course of antibiotics and antacid medications until the infection is gone.
- Normal intestinal flora: Your digestive system is full of “good” bacteria that help to digest your food. If you have an overgrowth of this bacteria, you may experience sulfur burps, bloating, and even diarrhea. This is common in people who are lactose intolerant or fructose intolerant. Your doctor can give you antifungal medication.
3. Poor Diet
Eating too fast or eating too much of the wrong foods can cause you to have sulfur or rotten egg type burps. When you eat too fast you may not be chewing your food enough to start the digestive process or swallowing too much air with your food. Eating too many proteins in a meal will cause sulfur gas to form in your digestive tract.
4. Chronic Health Conditions
Some chronic digestive conditions can cause sulfur burps and diarrhea. These include:
- Pancreatitis
- Crohn’s disease
- Celiac disease
- GERD (gastrointestinal reflux disease)
- Irritable bowel syndrome
If you have any of the above disorders, talk to your doctor about necessary dietary modifications to prevent this side-effect of eating.
Home Remedies for Sulfur Burps
There are a few things you can try to help get rid of sulfur burps at home. Keep in mind that if these things do not help, you should see your doctor.
1. Eat Right
If you notice that you’re getting sulfur burps after eating, try getting rid of high sulfur foods in your diet or at least cut back on them. Reduce the amount of eggs and dried fruits, dairy and high sugar foods. Cut them out of your diet and then add them back in slowly to see which one is causing you trouble. You can also increase your intake of high fiber foods and drink plenty of water with meals. This will help flush the sulfur through your system.
2. Try Warm Lemon Water with Honey
Place warm water in a teacup or mug and squeeze in the juice of ½ a lemon. Add a teaspoon of honey to sweeten and drink every morning. This will help cleanse your system of toxins and sulfur.
3. Use Pepto Bismol™
This pink stomach medication is an old standby for tummy troubles. This may help calm your tummy and get rid of sulfur burps. It may help grab the sulfites and pull them out of your digestive tract.
4. Drink Baking Soda
Baking soda can neutralize your stomach acids and the gas it produces. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda into one cup of water then drink it. It will make you burp and it may smell like eggs or sulfur. You may also throw up, so stay near a bathroom. You will feel better in just a few minutes after the gas is completely passed.
5. Consume Seltzer Water
Seltzer water can help you burp up any gas in your stomach. The water can also help flush your system. Add a splash of cranberry juice to make a delicious spritzer and drink after meals.
6. Try herbal and natural remedies to help ease sulfur burps and diarrhea:
- Probiotics (helps to replace the healthy good bacteria in your digestive tract)
- Ginger tea
- Peppermint tea or candy
- Papaya (has natural digestive enzymes)
- Cardamom (an Indian spice that aids digestion)
- Yogurt
- Chamomile
- Fennel seed
When to See a Doctor
It can be a very normal thing to have a one-time case of sulfur burps and diarrhea if it is something not agreeing with your stomach. If diarrhea continues, or vomiting occurs, you need to see a doctor right away. Bacterial and parasitic infections of the digestive tract need prompt medical attention and treatment with antibiotics. These infections can lead quickly to dehydration and complications in the bowel. If you try the remedies above and they do not work, also call your doctor. This is especially important in small children who can become dehydrated very quickly.
Is It COVID-19 or Something Else?
COVID-19 can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, which can be difficult to distinguish from other ailments like food poisoning or the stomach bug.
Gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or even gas can develop with a wide range of conditions, infections, or even chronic disorders.
This article will focus on gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea and sulfur-smelling burps, and when to suspect COVID-19 or something else as the cause.
Symptoms | Food poisoning | Stomach bug | COVID-19 |
diarrhea | yes | yes | yes |
bloody diarrhea | sometimes | sometimes | sometimes |
burping or gas | no | no | yes |
nausea | yes | yes | yes |
vomiting | yes | yes | yes |
stomach cramps | yes | yes | yes |
fever | sometimes | sometimes | yes |
fatigue | yes | yes | yes |
loss of taste or smell | no | no | yes |
Every year, about 48 million people in the United States experience some level of food poisoning. Some cases may go almost unnoticed, but about 128,000 U.S. people are hospitalized for food poisoning every year, and about 3,000 die.
The symptoms and severity of food poisoning can depend on what type of food poisoning you have and how much of the affected food you consumed. Common symptoms of food poisoning include:
- an upset stomach
- nausea
- vomiting
- stomach cramping
- diarrhea
- fever
These symptoms can develop within hours or days after you consume an affected food or drink. In most cases, you can ride out a case of food poisoning at home. It’s best to focus on drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
How to treat food poisoning and when to seek medical help
There’s not much you can do to treat mild cases of food poisoning at home. Try doing things that improve your symptoms, such as eating bland foods if you can tolerate them, and drinking plenty of water.
If you develop any of the following symptoms, this is a sign of a more serious form of food poisoning and you should contact a doctor or other healthcare professional:
- diarrhea with a fever above 102°F (38. 8°C)
- diarrhea that lasts for three or more days with no improvement
- diarrhea that contains blood
- vomiting that prevents you from keeping any food or fluids down
- dehydration
- decreased urination
- dizziness
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The stomach flu is a collection of symptoms rather than an actual diagnosis in most cases. The stomach flu is not actually a type of influenza at all. It’s a generic name given to gastroenteritis, which is inflammation that occurs in the stomach or intestines for a variety of reasons.
Bacteria, parasites, and even some chemicals can cause gastroenteritis, but viruses are one of the most common culprits. The onset of gastroenteritis symptoms can depend on the cause and even the type of virus.
- Norovirus is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis. Symptoms usually begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure and can last up to 3 days.
- Rotavirus infections begin about 2 days after exposure and symptoms usually last between 3 and 8 days. There is a vaccine to prevent rotavirus infection.
- Adenovirus symptoms start between 3 and 10 days after exposure to the virus and can last for up to 2 weeks.
- Astrovirus symptoms begin 4 or 5 days after exposure to the virus and can last for up to 4 days.
Other viruses can also cause gastroenteritis, including coronaviruses, but these are less common.
Symptoms of gastroenteritis usually include things like:
- watery diarrhea
- stomach cramping
- nausea
- vomiting
- possible fever
How to treat stomach bugs and when to seek medical help
You can treat most stomach bugs at home. You may never know or need to know what type of virus or bacteria caused your infection. Try to get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and eat small amounts of bland foods as tolerated.
That said, if you develop any of the following symptoms, you should seek medical treatment:
- a change in your mental state
- confusion
- diarrhea that lasts more than 2 days
- frequent vomiting that leads to dehydration
- six or more loose stools in 1 day
- severe pain in the abdomen or rectum
- stools that are black, tarry, or bloody or that contain pus
- a high fever
- changes in your urination
- other signs of dehydration
Depending on the cause of your infection, a doctor may prescribe intravenous fluids, antibiotics, or antiviral medications.
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There are many causes of stomach infections. The coronavirus is just one type of virus that can cause viral gastroenteritis.
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses, and there are several forms, including the one that causes COVID-19 infections. There are also several variations and mutations of the virus that causes COVID-19, and some types affect your gastrointestinal system in different ways.
Some of the more common gastrointestinal symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection may be overlooked before other symptoms like fever and respiratory symptoms because they’re so common to a number of stomach issues.
However, about 5 to 10 percent of people who get COVID-19 end up with some form of digestive symptom.
Stomach and digestive symptoms that have been linked to COVID-19 infections include:
- diarrhea
- nausea
- vomiting
- cramping or abdominal pain
- loss of appetite
- burping
Diarrhea is the most common gastrointestinal symptom associated with COVID-19 infections. There’s debate as to whether or not the appearance of digestive problems signals more or less severe cases of infection.
How to treat COVID-19 stomach symptoms and when to seek medical help
If you think your upset stomach, diarrhea, or other symptoms are linked to COVID-19, take an at-home COVID-19 test or call a healthcare professional for testing. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also appear long after an initial COVID-19 infection as part of long-haul COVID-19.
Treatment of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with COVID-19 is similar to other forms of upset stomach. Rest and hydration are key, but more severe symptoms may require medical care.
Researchers are still trying to determine the best way to manage gastrointestinal symptoms related to long-haul COVID-19.
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What causes sulfur burps and what’s the best way to get rid of them?
Sulfur burps is the name given to burps that have a very particular smell, like that of rotten eggs. Burps can happen any time but may occur more when you are having other gastrointestinal problems.
In most cases, the types of food you’re eating and how you’re eating them can cause sulfur burps. Avoiding foods that create a lot of gas and taking time to eat more slowly can help reduce sulfur burps.
What’s the fastest way to cure diarrhea?
There’s really no cure for diarrhea, and managing this symptom usually depends on the cause. If you have a chronic condition that causes diarrhea, treatment is more complex.
In most cases of diarrhea caused by certain types of foods or simple stomach bugs, there are over-the-counter medications that can help you manage your bowels.
However, the biggest concern is to avoid dehydration caused by diarrhea by drinking fluids. Most cases of diarrhea resolve in about 2 days.
Are sulfur burps and diarrhea a sign of pancreatic cancer?
Sulfur burps and diarrhea can appear with many types of stomach problems, including pancreatic cancer. Your pancreas makes chemicals called enzymes that help you digest food. When you have cancer, the production of these enzymes can be affected.
Any changes in digestion can lead to problems like diarrhea and increased gas production. Talk with a doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms repeatedly or for long periods of time.
Can long-haul COVID-19 affect the gastrointestinal system?
Long-haul COVID-19 and the symptoms associated with this chronic, post-infection condition are still being researched. But there are a number of symptoms that have been linked to the severe inflammation COVID-19 causes throughout the body.
If you experience gastrointestinal symptoms after a COVID-19 infection, talk with a doctor about treatment strategies and ways to reduce inflammation in your digestive tract.
Stomach problems like smelly burps, nausea, and diarrhea are linked to all kinds of conditions, infections, and diseases.
The key to knowing the cause of your symptoms and how to treat them is to pay attention to other symptoms or changes that occur alongside your gastrointestinal problems.
For most acute infections, the key to treating gastrointestinal symptoms is to drink plenty of water and to rest. If your symptoms get worse after a few days, talk with a doctor about other possible causes and treatments.
Rotten egg belching and diarrhea: causes, treatment
Causes
Treatment and prevention
Such an unpleasant symptom as belching of rotten eggs is a consequence of putrefactive processes in the stomach cavity, when the resulting gas with a characteristic smell of hydrogen sulfide enters the oral cavity. Often this condition is accompanied by diarrhea. This anomaly indicates pathological changes in the functions of the digestive system. What can cause this and what are the causes of this pathology?
Causes
Putrefactive processes in the cavity of the gastrointestinal tract develop against the background of slow motor function of the stomach and reduced secretion of digestive enzymes. Under these conditions, the food eaten is not digested and is not evacuated from the stomach in time, but stagnates, decay of sulfur-containing proteins in the food eaten develops with the formation and release of a large amount of hydrogen sulfide.
If there is a rotten eructation, nausea and diarrhea, you should immediately consult a gastroenterologist or general practitioner. Only a specialist can identify the true causes of the pathology that has arisen by prescribing a number of diagnostic tests:
- FGDS or fluoroscopy,
- ultrasound,
- general and biochemical blood test, analysis of gastric juice for acidity,
- immunoassay,
- biopsy of the gastric mucosa is possible.
The reasons for the appearance of such a symptom as belching of rotten eggs accompanied by diarrhea are varied, but the most common is low acidity of gastric juice against the background of hypoacid gastritis with chronic inflammation of the mucosa. There are other causes of this pathology:
- chronic pancreatitis with reduced enzymatic function,
- biliary dyskinesia,
- Crohn’s disease,
- duodenitis and enteritis,
- pyloric stenosis,
- intestinal bacteria and parasites, giardiasis,
- intestinal infections (salmonellosis),
- intolerance to certain foods.
With normal acidity of gastric juice, good digestion of food is observed and putrefactive processes are restrained. If the secretory function changes downward, the digestion process is disturbed. This may be the result of reversible functional failures in the work of the stomach, for example, when overeating fatty foods, during stresses of a nervous nature. Often, children or young people complain about belching rotten eggs.
If negative effects are repeated, acute effects can gradually turn into a chronic pathology with the development of irreversible changes: atrophy of the gastric mucosa, a decrease in its motor function.
Rotten belching is often accompanied by diarrhea, the causes of which are associated with the development of dysbacteriosis as a result of digestive disorders. As a result, there is an excessive growth of pathogenic microflora, which leads to the appearance of loose stools, flatulence, and a violation of the absorption of nutrients by the body.
Failure in digestion is also observed in diseases of the biliary tract (cholecystitis, dyskinesia), in which the production of bile occurs in insufficient quantities and it is difficult to release it from the gallbladder. In conditions of bile deficiency, the digestion of fats is disturbed, the secretory and motor function of the intestine suffers.
In case of pancreatic pathology, the production of pancreatic enzymes is disrupted, which also adversely affects the process of digestion of food: reduced enzyme activity causes the development of putrefactive processes in the intestinal cavity, belching of rotten eggs, nausea and diarrhea occur.
If rotten belching occurs in combination with symptoms such as blood-streaked diarrhea, high fever and severe weakness, bloating, nausea, Crohn’s disease (granulomatous enterocolitis) should be examined.
Another cause of rotten belching can be congenital or acquired food intolerance. For example, lactose intolerance in hypolactasia is a deficiency of the lactase enzyme, which is indispensable for the normal digestion of milk.
Patients with hereditary fructose intolerance suffer from similar symptoms when eating fruits and vegetables, sweet juices, legumes.
Putrid eructation of eggs is characteristic of such a rare hereditary disease as celiac disease (celiac disease). This pathology is characterized by intolerance to the cereal protein gluten, while the body of patients does not digest bread, cereals and flour products.
Belching with hydrogen sulfide is a symptom of another pathological condition – pyloric stenosis, which develops as a result of multiple scarring of the duodenal ulcer. The pyloric section of the stomach narrows, the normal transport of food from the stomach to the small intestine is disturbed, food stagnates in the stomach for a long time and undergoes fermentation and putrefaction.
Treatment and prevention
Treatment of diseases with symptoms of hydrogen sulfide belching is prescribed by a doctor after a qualified and complete examination. Infectious processes in the gastrointestinal tract require antibiotic therapy. With reduced enzymatic activity, enzymatic preparations, adsorbents, agents that stimulate peristalsis are prescribed. When the intestines are affected by parasites, antiparasitic treatment is used.
With reduced stomach acidity and enzymatic activity, a diet with restriction of certain foods is resorted to as a prophylactic. The list of such products includes:
- whole milk,
- cream and heavy sour cream,
- legumes,
- certain vegetables: cabbage, courgettes, tomatoes, onions,
- fruits: cherry, plum, citrus,
- nuts.