Men’s Health magazine: How pooping can kill you

Strange as it may sound, there’s a pretty well established link between bowel movements and death, according to digestive health expert Dr. Satish Rao.

Blame a rare condition called defecation syncope, a fancy term for the loss of consciousness, or fainting, that can occur while pooping.

You essentially bear down to poop. You take in a deep breath and hold it, before trying to exhale against your closed-off airway, explains Rao, the director of the Digestive Health Center at Augusta University.

But when you hold your breath in this manner, several important changes are occurring elsewhere in your body, too.

Read more about How Pooping Can Kill You on the Men’s Health magazine website.