PATIENT PRESENTATION MARKER

Painful wind

What this marker measures

The degree to which bother is experienced from painful wind.

Health categories/Interpretations informed by this marker

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Clinical features
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‍● Lower GI symptoms: painful wind is a commonly-reported lower gastrointestinal symptom that can affect quality of life.
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Interpreting the result

PRESENT

Questionnaire responses indicate being bothered a lot by painful or trapped wind, or wind that is difficult to pass, in the last 7 days.

PARTIALLY PRESENT

Questionnaire responses indicate being bothered a little by painful or trapped wind, or wind that is difficult to pass, in the last 7 days.

NOT PRESENT

Questionnaire responses indicate not being bothered by painful or trapped wind in the last 7 days.

Patient management insights

supplementation

Take peppermint oil: enteric-coated peppermint oil may reduce abdominal pain, distension and excess wind in IBS. Where painful wind is reported, peppermint oil could address both components.^1,2
Practice point

Take oral sodium butyrate: oral sodium butyrate may reduce abdominal pain, distension and excess wind in IBS. Where painful wind is reported, oral sodium butyrate could address both components.^3–5
Practice point

clinical management

Trial gut-directed hypnotherapy: gut-directed hypnotherapy may reduce abdominal pain and excess wind in IBS. Where painful wind is reported, gut-directed hypnotherapy could address both components.^6,7
Practice point

Tips for patients discussion

"Your questionnaire responses show that painful or trapped wind has been bothering you. It's a very common symptom and can affect how you feel day to day. There are a few options we can try to help ease it, and we'll start with the one that best suits your situation."

Source references for all clinical associations, interpretation definitions, and patient management insights on this card.

1. Cappello, G. et al. Peppermint oil (Mintoil) in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective double blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Dig Liver Dis39, 530–536 (2007).
2. Liu, J.-H. et al. Enteric-coated peppermint-oil capsules in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective, randomized trial. J Gastroenterol32, 765–768 (1997).
3. Banasiewicz, T. et al. Microencapsulated sodium butyrate reduces the frequency of abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Colorectal Dis15, 204–209 (2013).
4. Scarpellini, E. et al. Efficacy of butyrate in the treatment of diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Dig Liver Dis Suppl1, 19–22 (2007).
5. Lewandowski, K. et al. The effectiveness of microencapsulated sodium butyrate at reducing symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Prz Gastroenterol17, 28–34 (2022).
6. Peters, S. L. et al. Randomised clinical trial: the efficacy of gut-directed hypnotherapy is similar to that of the low FODMAP diet for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther44, 447–459 (2016).
7. Lövdahl, J. et al. Nurse-administered gut-directed hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: a two-year follow-up study. United European Gastroenterol J13, 1307–1317 (2025).