I Intestinal Gas - Its Syndromes

Not only the ancient man was tormented by the whirlwinds in his bowel but even today belching, bloating and flatulence remain all too common to the modern man. Although the syndromes related to intestinal gas were recognised since time of Hippocrates, the treatment of these syndromes had been far from satisfactory (I). The advent of space exploration, and with it the recognition, that gaseous distention of the intestinal tract is a troublesome problem for those who venture into the outer space, aroused scientific interest in gastrointestinal gas. Bloating and excessive flatulence are one of the commonest gastrointestinal symptoms with which a patient presents to a physician. We, in the present article, will review the genesis of and the problems related to gastrointestinal gases.