Burping and passing a gas – Not only do both of these activities help you get rid of excess air in your body, but they’re also completely normal.
Burping is a natural part of life. Burping excessively, on the other hand, isn’t.
If you’re suddenly dealing with excessive burping or noticing that other people aren’t as frequent burpers as you are, you might be wondering what’s up!!!
Well, here I am going to enlist some of the reasons you might be a burping machine and some tips to stop it.
What is Excessive Burping?
What is burping? It is your body’s mechanism of releasing trapped air in your upper digestive tract.
Belching is another name used for burping.
As far as excessive burping is concerned, there is no universal definition of it. However, if a person believes he is burping more frequently than usual, they may be burping excessively.
What Causes Excessive Burping?
Burping is usually caused by ingested air accumulating in the oesophagus, the tube that joins your throat and stomach. This air accumulation is frequently caused by:
- Drinking or eating too quickly
- Chatting while eating and drinking
- Eating with ill-fitting dentures
- Consuming carbonated beverages
- Sucking on hard candy
- Smoking
- Gum chewing
When is it A Problem?
It’s typical to burp up to four times after a meal. However, several conditions can cause you to burp a lot more. These include:
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Burping may become more frequent as a result of GERD. When the sphincter at the top of a person’s stomach becomes weak, stomach acid can leak into the oesophagus, causing them to burp more frequently.
Burping less frequently can be helped by treating the symptoms of GERD. A doctor may counsel a person with GERD to undertake lifestyle changes, such as decreasing weight or quitting smoking, or giving drugs, such as antacids.
Some Other Digestive Issues
Some other issues of digestive tract that can cause excessive burping include:
Helicobacter pylori Infection: Moving next to what causes excessive burping is H. pylori infection. Infection with H. pylori can also cause symptoms such as nausea, bloating, unexplained weight loss, or abdominal pain.
Indigestion: It is often known as dyspepsia, is characterised by pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen. Belching, bloating, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting are all possible symptoms.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Irritable bowel syndrome can also result in stomach cramps, excessive burping, diarrhoea, and constipation.
Meganblase Syndrome
Doctors at Bahria International Hospital say that Meganblase syndrome is an uncommon condition that causes excessive air swallowing after eating a large meal.
This might generate a huge gas bubble in the stomach, which can cause pain and excessive belching. It can also make you feel bloated and cause shortness of breath, which might be misinterpreted as a heart attack.
Behavioural adjustments are routinely used to treat Meganblase syndrome.
Aerophagia or Supragastric Belching
Aerophagia and supragastric belching are both conditions in which a person intentionally or unconsciously transfers air into their oesophagus.
Aerophagia occurs when a person eats air often. This air enters a person’s stomach, where it is either burped or passed via the intestines.
Supragastic belching, on the other hand, occurs when the oesophagus releases air before it is swallowed and enters the stomach.
Burping is a common symptom of both aerophagia and supragastric belching.
How to Stop Burping?
After knowing what causes excessive burping, now let’s dive into how to stop it. So, if you’re having trouble getting rid of excess air in your stomach after a meal, consider the following remedies:
- After you’ve eaten, go for a walk or do some gentle aerobics. Digestion is aided by physical activity.
- Lie down on your side or attempt a knees-to-chest posture, similar to the wind-relieving stance, until the gas subsides.
- Limit actions like laughing and drinking too quickly that lead you to swallow air quickly.
- After you’ve finished your meal, drink some ginger tea. Benefits of ginger have been shown to alleviate gastrointestinal distress and prevent stomach acid from backing up into the oesophagus.
- Consume fennel seeds after meals. Fennel is supposed to help release gas from the intestinal tract and aid digestion.
- Enjoy a cup of chamomile tea. It is thought to aid in the prevention of acid reflux.
- To neutralise stomach acid and prevent heartburn, which can cause burping, take an antacid.
You can also learn about how to get rid of stomach gas naturally.
Tips to Prevent Burping
Finding techniques to minimise the amount of air you ingest can help you have fewer burping episodes. Here are some tips that can help you with excessive belching prevention.
Change Your Eating and Drinking Habits
Here are some suggestions to help you avoid swallowing too much air:
- Slowly eat and drink.
- Avoid talking while chewing.
- Don’t use straws.
- Consume fewer calories.
Modify Your Diet
Some suggestion on dietary modifications include:
- Avoid carbonated beverages, such as beer.
- Chewing gum or hard sweets should be avoided.
- Reduce your intake of foods that induce gas, such as those high in carbohydrate, sugar, or fibre.
Make A Few Lifestyle Changes
Consider the following tips to make changes in your life style:
- Stop smoking
- If you have dentures, ensure they are comfortable.
- Reduce stress.
Change Your Behaviour
Burping may be a taught behaviour or habit. Try following therapies that have showed potential in the treatment of persons who burp excessively:
- Diaphragmatic breathing
- Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Biofeedback
When to See A Doctor?
Dr. Bilal Bin Mukhtar who is one of the top gastroenterologists in Pakistan says that a person who burps regularly but has no other symptoms or finds that burping has a negative impact on their quality of life does not need to contact a doctor.
If a person’s frequent burping bothers them but they don’t have any other symptoms, keeping a food diary to note what foods or drinks cause it may be enough to minimise it.
If this does not help and frequent burping is still harming a person’s quality of life, they should consult a doctor to see if the problem is caused by aerophagia or supragastric belching. Various types of therapy may aid in the reduction of both of these disorders.
Outlook!
A person’s excessive burping may be reduced by taking easy steps at home. If this does not work or if a person is experiencing any additional symptoms, they should consult a physician. A doctor can decide the most effective therapy and management choices after determining the underlying causes of an individual’s frequent burping. To consult with the best gastroenterologists near you, you can make an appointment via Healthwire.