New insights into bloating and abdominal distension: is it all outlet obstruction?

The sensation of bloating, a common but poorly understood problem, is the subject of two papers in this issue. The first study showed that patients with bloating as their main complaint have delayed clearance of infused gas from the colon, while the second study showed that bloaters had impaired defecation. Together, these studies suggest that behavioral factors may be important in this important symptom complex and propose novel approaches to its treatment.