The flatulence is the gas or air presence in the intestine that can or not be expelled across the year, or sometimes it is expelled by the mouth in the shape of eructations.

The intestinal gases form in the large intestine for the digestion of the food for the intestinal flora (bacteria). If these gases take place of excessive form or are retained they can produce abdominal, sometimes intense pains, in general of sharp form (colics) but in other persistent occasions and light (heaviness of stomach).

In spite of being a very annoying symptom it usually does not stem from important illnesses.
Also it can happen that without any alteration of the gas quantity it is possible to produce the abdominal pain for the increase of the sensibility of the intestinal mucous membrane to a few normal gases, as it happens in certain intestinal illnesses.

Between the most frequent causes of gas increase they are:

As the causes of the gas excess are of personal habits, only changing the same ones it can improve the problem.

• He must eat less food with fibre, principally cereals, wholemeal bread, vegetables (the cauliflower, the spinach, the lettuce, etc...).
• To eat slowly, chewing well the food before being swallowed.
• To relax after the meal.
• Avoid to chew chewing gums.

If in spite of changing nutritive habits the flatulence persists a lot of time, or in case of having excessive gases and it collaborates to intense abdominal pains or loses appetite or a showy slimming exists, it must consult the problem with his doctor.

After a case history with the description of his symptoms and a finished exploration his doctor can do a few complementary explorations for the diagnosis:

• Abdominal ultrasound scan
• Study of the gastrointestinal transit with barium
• Study of the blood presence in dregs and urine
• I study endoscópico (gastroscopia and colonoscopia)
• Abdomen radiographies
• Scanner (TAC) of abdomen