Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of meteorism (flatulence).
Family history
- Are there any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in your family that are common?
Social history
- Is there any evidence of psychosocial stress or strain due to your family situation?
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- Do you often feel bloated after eating?
- Do your clothes pinch your stomach?
- Do you have a feeling of pain/pressure in the middle/lower abdomen?
- How long have you had the discomfort?
- Are the complaints consistent or what has been better or worse?
- Do you have:
- Belching?
- Heartburn?
- Nausea?
- Do you have abdominal pain? If so, where and when?
- Do you have increased meteorism after consuming.
- Milk and dairy products?
- Fruit?
- Sorbitol-containing foods (sorbitol is a sugar substitute; contained, for example, in: dried dates, apples, apricots)?
- You noticed an improvement by:
- Bowel movement?
- Winds?
- Lying down?
- Rest?
- Laxative?
- Have you noticed any unwanted weight loss?
- Have you noticed blood buildup or mucus buildup on the stool?
- What other symptoms did you notice?
Vegetative anamnesis including nutritional anamnesis.
- Has your appetite changed?
- What are your eating habits like?
- Do you like to eat legumes, and the like?
- Do you smoke? If yes, how many cigarettes, cigars or pipes per day?
- Do you drink alcohol? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses per day?
- Do you use drugs? If yes, what drugs and how often per day or per week?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (gastrointestinal diseases).
- Operations
- Allergies
Medications
- Anion exchange resins (colestipol, colestyramine).
- Antiadiposita (orlistat)
- Antibiotics
- Rifaximin
- Antidiabetics
- Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (acarbose, miglitol).
- Biguanides (metformin)
- Calcium (in case of overdose)
- HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzymeA reductase inhibitors; statins) – atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin.
- Laxatives
- Phytotherapeutics – nettle root (Urtica dioica).
- See also under “Gastrointestinal discomfort caused by drugs“.