Meteorism is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal distension caused by excessive production or accumulation of gas in the stomach or intestines.
Intestinal gas is usually not noticed until it is passed rectally (flatulence), but the entire digestive tract, from the stomach to the rectum, contains intestinal gas as a natural consequence of swallowing and digestion.
Some foods, such as beans, are not fully decomposed until they reach the large intestine (colon), where bacteria subject them to a fermentation process. Excess intestinal gas sometimes indicates a digestive disorder, but the emission of gas several times a day is completely normal.
