<P> Since problems involving intestinal gas present as different (but sometimes combined) complaints, the management is cause related . </P> <P> While not affecting the production of the gases themselves, surfactants (agents that lower surface tension) can reduce the disagreeable sensations associated with flatulence, by aiding the dissolution of the gases into liquid and solid faecal matter . Preparations containing simethicone reportedly operate by promoting the coalescence of smaller bubbles into larger ones more easily passed from the body, either by burping or flatulence . Such preparations do not decrease the total amount of gas generated in or passed from the colon, but make the bubbles larger and thereby allowing them to be passed more easily . </P> <P> Other drugs including prokinetics, lubiprostone, antibiotics and probiotics are also used to treat bloating in patients with functional bowel disorders such as IBS, and there is some evidence that these measures may reduce symptoms . </P> <P> A flexible tube, inserted into the rectum, can be used to collect intestinal gas in a flatus bag . This method is occasionally needed in a hospital setting, when the patient is unable to pass gas normally . </P>

Where does the majority of flatulence come from