Belching

What is belching?

Belching (burping) is the natural process of air leaving your stomach through your mouth. Every time you swallow food or drinks, you also swallow air. This swallowed air stretches your stomach until it can’t hold any more. Then, a muscle at the lower end of your esophagus (the connection between your throat and stomach) relaxes so that air can escape from your mouth. This is a belch. Another name for it is eructation.

Everyone belches once in a while. It’s a normal bodily function that helps release extra air from your digestive system. Occasional belching is nothing to worry about. But excessive belching can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. If you’re concerned about burping too much, see your healthcare provider to rule out any medical causes.

What causes belching?

Many factors can lead to excessive belching. These include taking in too much air, what you eat and drink as well as any underlying health conditions you have.

Swallowing air is the most common cause of excessive belching. This can happen if you:

• Eat or drink too quickly.
• Talk while you eat.
• Chew gum.
• Suck on hard candies.
• Drink carbonated beverages.
• Smoke.
• Wear poorly fitting dentures.
• Experience chronic postnasal drip or congestion.
• Mouth breathe.
• Snore or use a CPAP machine.

Certain foods and drinks can also cause excessive belching because they’re difficult to digest or produce gas as a byproduct. These include:

• Beans.
• Peas.
• Lentils.
• Cabbage.
• Onions.
• Broccoli.
• Cauliflower.

Belching may be a symptom of certain medical conditions. To make a diagnosis though, your healthcare provider will look for other symptoms, as well. These conditions may include:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or acid reflux: A condition that causes acid from your stomach to flow upward into your esophagus.
• Functional dyspepsia: A type of chronic indigestion that causes stomach ache, a feeling of fullness or bloating during and after meals.
• Gastroparesis: A condition in which your stomach wall muscles are slow in moving.
• Gastritis: A condition that causes inflammation of your stomach lining.
• Peptic ulcers: Sores on your esophagus, stomach and the upper part of your small intestine.
• Lactose intolerance: A condition in which your body can’t properly digest lactose, an ingredient in dairy products.
• Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori): Bacterial infections in your stomach lining.
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO): An imbalance of the microorganisms in your gut that maintain healthy digestion.
• Rumination syndrome: A feeding and eating disorder in which food that’s undigested comes back up from your stomach.
• Aerophagia: Air swallowing habit, unintentionally, particularly when anxious, stressed or nervous.

How do you treat gastric belching?

Belching is a natural process that typically doesn’t require treatment. But if you have excessive belching that doesn’t go away, you may want to see your healthcare provider to determine if you have an underlying health condition. Treatment will depend on your specific condition but may include the recommendation to avoid certain foods and drinks, including:

• Carbonated beverages, like beer and soda.
• Foods high in carbohydrates.
• Milk and other dairy foods. You can drink Lactaid® milk or nondairy milk options like almond or soy milk.

Your healthcare provider may recommend the low FODMAP diet. This eating plan cuts out certain foods that your body doesn’t absorb properly and that can result in gas symptoms.

Your provider may also recommend meeting with a dietitian for specific advice.

How to stop belching at home

To relieve belching at home, you can try lying in a knee-to-chest position or on your side or until the gas passes. You should also avoid:

• Chewing gum.
• Eating quickly.
• Eating gas-producing foods and beverages.

What are the possible complications or risks of not treating it?

Typical belching doesn’t require treatment, but that can vary depending on the root cause.

Excessive belching can be a sign of a problem in your digestive system. If left untreated, it’s possible that your symptoms can worsen. You may also start to experience other symptoms until a provider diagnoses and treats the issue.

Can belching be prevented?

Belching is a natural process. But you can sometimes prevent it by avoiding items that are more likely to make you belch. To prevent belching, you can also:

• Sit down when you eat and take your time eating. (Don’t eat too fast.)
• Avoid carbonated beverages like sodas and alcohol.
• Take a probiotic supplement to aid in your digestion.
• Exercise regularly with special focus on core body muscle strengthening.

When should belching be treated by a healthcare provider?

Most of the time, belching isn’t a major issue. You should reach out to your healthcare provider if the belching doesn’t stop, or if you develop other symptoms like:

• Fever.
• Abdominal pain.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Fatigue.
• Numbness.
• Weakness.
• Regurgitation or vomiting.
• Diarrhea.

Is belching a sign of a heart attack?

Belching itself isn’t a typical sign of a heart attack. Heart attacks usually present with a different set of symptoms, most commonly chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness or discomfort. But it’s very important to know there are many nontypical presentations of heart attack, and when in doubt, it’s best to check it out.

If you’re experiencing belching, it’s more likely due to something you ate or how you ate it. But it’s important to be aware of all your symptoms. If you have chest pain — especially if it’s severe, crushing or radiating to other areas like your arm or jaw — along with belching, then it’s best to err on the side of caution and seek immediate medical attention. Other symptoms of a heart attack can include:

• Nausea.
• Sweating.
• Dizziness.
• Fatigue with any physical exertion.