Bloating and functional gastro-intestinal disorders: Where are we and where are we going?

Bloating is one of the most common and bothersome symptoms complained by a large proportion of patients. This symptom has been described with various definitions, such as sensation of a distended abdomen or an abdominal tension or even excessive gas in the abdomen, although bloating should probably be defined as the feeling (e.g. a subjective sensation) of increased pressure within the abdomen. It is usually associated with functional gastrointestinal disorders, like irritable bowel syndrome, but when bloating is not part of another functional bowel or gastrointestinal disorder it is included as an independent entity in Rome III criteria named functional bloating. In terms of diagnosis, major difficulties are due to the lack of measurable parameters to assess and grade this symptom. In addition, it is still unclear to what extent the individual patient complaint of subjective bloating correlates with the objective evidence of abdominal distension. In fact, despite its clinical, social and economic relevance, bloating lacks a clear pathophysiology explanation, and an effective management endorsement, turning this common symptom into a true challenge for both patients and clinicians. Different theories on bloating etiology call into questions an increased luminal contents (gas, stools, liquid or fat) and/or an impaired abdominal empting and/or an altered intra-abdominal volume displacement (abdomino-phrenic theory) and/or an increased perception of intestinal stimuli with a subsequent use of empirical treatments (diet modifications, antibiotics and/or probiotics, prokinetic drugs, antispasmodics, gas reducing agents and tricyclic antidepressants). In this review, our aim was to review the latest knowledge on bloating physiopathology and therapeutic options trying to shed lights on those processes where a clinician could intervene to modify disease course

The prevalence of sexual behavior disorders in patients with treated and untreated gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Abstract Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic disease. Sexual behavior is often altered in chronic illness. The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual behavior in patients affected with GERD before and after medical or surgical treatment in comparison to healthy controls (HC). Methods: Upper GI endoscopy and 24-h ambulatory pH testing were performed to confirm GERD in symptomatic patients. GERD patients completed an anonymous questionnaire on sexual life before and after medical or surgical treatment. Results: Compared with HC, untreated patients with GERD showed more frequent difficulty in attaining orgasm and painful intercourse. GERD patients after surgical treatment had significantly more difficulty in attaining orgasm, while after continuous medical treatment GERD patients compared with HC had significantly more difficulty in attaining orgasm, higher painful intercourse, lower sexual desire, and perceived more frequently that the partner was unhelpful. When compared with untreated conditions, GERD patients after surgical treatment had a significant improvement in attaining orgasm and in painful intercourse but a significant decrease in sexual desire, a lower satisfaction with their sexual life, and a higher prevalence of an unhelpful partner, whereas GERD patients after medical treatment had a decrease in all indices of sexual behavior. Conclusion: Untreated GERD is associated with disorders in sexual behavior. Compared with HC, only the surgical group partially improved after treatment