Flatulence is the illness in which patient having excessive stomach or intestinal gas. This can result in uncomfortable feelings of bloating, as well as increased belching or passing of gas from the rectum. Flatulence occurs when a food does not break down completely in the stomach and small intestine. As a result, the food makes it into the large intestine in an undigested state.



Flatulence can be embarrassing, but it is a common problem and affects everyone at some point. On average, the majority of people passes gas 15 times a day but anything up to 40 times in one day is considered normal.

Causes

Flatulence is also known as farting; it is the act of passing intestinal gas from the anus. There is only two main causes of gas in the gastrointestinal tract. It is either swallowed air or it is produced by bacteria that normally inhabit the intestines, primarily the colon. Swallowed air is rarely the cause of excessive flatulence. The usual source is the production of excessive gas by intestinal bacteria. The bacteria produce the gas (hydrogen and/or methane) when they digest foods. The undigest food is primarily sugars and polysaccharides (e.g., starch, cellulose), because that have not been digested during passage through the small intestine.

If you have had a change in your usual diet then this can cause your body to produce more wind than usual. This is because the bacteria that live in our bowels get used to coping with whatever we eat on a regular basis, and have a bit more difficulty handling anything we're not used to.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms can vary widely from person to person and often resemble those of other diseases. Among the most common are :-

Abdominal pain or cramping

A bloated feeling

Gas (flatulence)

Diarrhea or constipation

Mucus in the stool

Treatment

Experience has shown that the most common ways to reduce the discomfort of gas are changing diet, taking medicines, and reducing the amount of air swallowed. If there is maldigestion of specific sugars-lactose, sorbitol, or fructose--the offending sugars can be eliminated from the diet. In the case of lactose in milk, an alternative treatment is available. Enzymes that are similar to intestinal lactase can be added to the milk in order to break down the lactose prior to its ingestion so that it can be absorbed normally.

Some people find that yogurt, in which the lactose has been broken down partially by bacteria, produces less gas than milk. There also are certain types of vegetables and fruits that contain types of starches that are poorly digested by people but well digested by bacteria. These include beans, lentils, cabbage, brussel sprouts, onions, carrots, bananas, apricots, and prunes.