Tell you the truth, healthy person, women and men, have a small amount of gas, about 150ml, in the gastrointestinal tract. Too much air intake and indigestion could lead to excessive gas in GI tract. Thus failure of passing this gas through rectum would result in this symptom. Clinically common diseases causing distended belly are erophagia, acute gastric dilatation, pyloric obstruction, ileus, enteroplegia, persistent Constipation, hepatic and biliary disorders, and some certain systemic diseases. In addition, bloated abdomen also occurs in late trimester pregnancy but don't worry it is only a kind of physiological change.

Pathogenesis of gas bloating in western minds
(1). Food fermentation after eating;
(2). Air inhalation;
(3). Gas malabsorption in GI tract;
(4). Disorder of gas discharge in GI tract.

Pathogenesis of gas bloating in TCM minds
(1). Impairing of spleen and stomach;
(2). Syndrome of stagnation of liver Qi;
(3). Syndrome of accumulated dampness-heat;
(3). Attack by cold pathogen.