Belching a Lot, Burping a Lot and Some Facts

Belching a lot is the release of intestinal gas or the discharge of gas from the stomach via the mouth. When the gas escapes from the mouth, it is accompanied with a sound which is commonly known as belch or burp. Amongst the common causes of burping a lot, the general cause is the swallowing of too much air.

Swallowing of air and belching a lot are both natural occurrences resulting from drinking or eating hastily. Drinking beverages that are carbonated or chewing gums also allow air to enter the stomach which is then naturally expelled by burping a lot. Burping happens a lot more commonly with infants because they tend to swallow more air when they feed and it occurs every time after they have been fed. This act is necessary for infants as it helps them relieve any discomfort they feel because of the gas that accumulated due to swallowing of air.

Aside from the swallowing of air that causes belching a lot, there are other causes for the buildup of intestinal gas. Belching sometimes occurs with conditions that slow down digestion such as gastroparesis, which is a condition of postponed emptying the stomach. Accumulation of gas and subsequent burping can likewise be due to mechanical obstructions like pyloric obstruction caused by the stoppage between the small intestine and the stomach. Women who are pregnant may experience belching due to the alteration of the hormones that decelerates the process of digestion. In addition, belching can also happen with conditions that harm the normal process of digestion such as in hiatal hernia, acid reflux or stomach acid deficiency. These cases cause burping a lot after meals and it may develop into a chronic condition.

Belching is hardly ever linked with medical emergency. If your belching comes with chest pain, vomiting, high fever, persistent nausea and abdominal pain, seek medical attention immediately, particularly if the belching is very persistent.

OTHER SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH BELCHING A LOT

Burping a lot may be coupled with other symptoms aside from the ones stated above although this depends on the underlying condition, disease or disorder. If the symptoms frequently upset the digestive tract then it may involve other body systems as well.

Symptoms associated with belching that upset the digestive tract include:

• Nausea without or with vomiting – a feeling of sickness that inclines the person to vomit.

• Heartburn – a kind of indigestion which is caused by acid regurgitation through the esophagus.

• Flatulence – a condition where there is too much gas within the alimentary canal.

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

• A change in bowel habits.

• Abdominal bloating, distension or swelling.

Furthermore, burping a lot may occur from nervous habit and sometimes linked with general symptoms such as nervousness, emotional stress and anxiety.

There are serious symptoms of belching a lot that might point to grave conditions although these rarely happen; particularly one that will signal medical emergency. However, if you do experience these symptoms in addition to belching a lot, seek medical help right away.

• Bloody stool, rectal bleeding or vomiting blood

• Acute abdominal pain

• Breathing or respiratory problems like difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, not breathing, wheezing, choking

• High fever which exceeds 101 degrees Fahrenheit

• Palpitations, chest pressure, chest tightness or chest pain

CAUSES OF BELCHING A LOT

Burping a lot is result of air escaping from the digestive tract which is most of the time a normal consequence of swallowing air into the stomach. Everyday behaviors and habits that allow the ingestion of air are the common causes of the belching.

• Wearing dentures that are poorly fitted

• Nervousness or emotional stress

• Eating hastily

• Drinking hastily

• Drinking using straw

• Drinking beverages that are carbonated

• Chewing gum

• Breathing using the mouth

There are a lot of conditions that affect the digestive tract and lead to belching. These conditions include intestinal obstruction and gastroparesis or the deferred emptying of the stomach, hiatal hernia, gastrointestinal reflux disease or GERD, among others.

The following conditions may also manifest burping a lot as one of their symptoms.

• Tumors within the gastrointestinal tract

• Pyloric obstruction which is an obstruction between the small intestine and the stomach

• Pregnancy

• Peptic ulcer

• Pancreatic disease

• Intestinal obstruction

• Hiatal hernia

• GERD

• Gastroparesis

• Gastritis

• Gallbladder disease

• Food allergy or intolerance

REMEDIES FOR BELCHING A LOT

There are natural remedies that you can do in order to prevent you from belching a lot.

• Try your best not to take in too much air when having your meals and chew your food thoroughly. Swallowing of air commonly happens when one talks during a meal. Also swallowing of saliva frequently tends to allow air into the stomach during eating.

• Reduce intake of carbonated drinks such as beer and sodas since they are some of the major causes of belching. This is the simplest remedy although others may find it hard if they are already addicted to drinking carbonated drinks. Slowly reduce the number of carbonated drinks you take in until you gradually become accustomed to drinking less.

• Another one of the simplest methods in reducing the buildup of air in the stomach is cutting down on the amount of food that produces air within the stomach. Examples of such foods are ice cream, milk and onions. Observe which food causes you to burp a lot and avoid or reduce the consumption of such food.

• When you are talking, do not swallow as air will go into the stomach. This habit is common among many people. When people talk, they unconsciously tend to ingest air. To get rid of the habit, ask someone to give you a heads-up when you swallow while talking.

There are researches that noted that belching a lot is a learned behavior. It is a habit that is, at the beginning, induced unconsciously. Recent studies also contend that belching is a behavioral condition rather than an indication of an acute medical problem.