Nearly all of the population has fe

Nearly all of the population has felt, at one time or another, gassy, bloated or distended.For many, these are transient sensations that occur after eating, resolve spontaneously, and donot lead to medical consultation. For others, however, abdominal bloating and distension arechronic, bothersome and negatively affect daily life. The prevalence of bloating and distension issubstantial, ranging from 16-31% in the general population, and as high as 66-90% in patientswith IBS (1-6). Women generally report higher rates of bloating than men, while patients withIBS and constipation have higher rates than those with IBS and diarrhea (5,7,8-10).The impact of chronic abdominal bloating and distension on quality of life is substantial(11). Seventy-five percent of patients with bloating (without IBS) characterize their symptoms asmoderate-to-severe in nature, while 50% report that symptoms cause a reduction in dailyactivities (2). The economic impact of chronic bloating and distension has not been well studied.