Doctor explains why shoppers feel the urge to poop in hardware stores

Something strange is happening inside hardware stores across the world, prompting health experts to weigh in on the bizarre phenomenon.Shoppers are reporting a sudden and unexplained urge to go to the toilet after nipping into popular hardware store Bunnings.While it’s not uncommon for humans to receive a call to action without much warning, particularly after a morning coffee or two, the instantaneous need to go for a poo while roaming the aisle of Bunnings is bizarrely shared by others.One Melbourne man recently took to social media to ask “why?” the Australian hardware chain proved to have a similar effect as “the strongest laxative” on his bowel movements.While podcast host Froomes, who suffered a “harrowing” accident in 2023 as a result, said it happens every time she’s in the store.Her experience was shared by comedian Alright Hey who said her story reassured him as he had thought he was the only person it happened to.What’s behind the Bunnings bathroom urge?Sydney medical practitioner, Dr.Zac Turner, said the curious occurrence highlights the profound (and occasionally inconvenient) relationship between the brain and the gut.“The enteric nervous system (ENS), often called the ‘second brain’, governs digestive processes and chats constantly with the brain via the vagus nerve,” he told news.com.au.“This gut-brain banter can lead to surprising outcomes, including sudden bowel movements triggered by sensory or psychological cues.”Scientists have discovered in several studies that things such as smells, physical exercise, stress and lighting can trigger the gut into having an immediate reaction – all of which can be activated during a visit to Bunnings.“Bunnings is a sensory playground: timber, fertilisers, potting mix, and varnishes mingle with the unmistakeable aroma of sausages sizzling outside.

These smells can stimulate the vagus nerve, kicking digestion into gear and creating that all-too-familiar urgency,” Dr Zac exp...