Causes of Excessive Belching and Excessive Burping
Many of us eat too fast and swallow air with food. This can lead to excessive burping or excessive belching; causing embarrassment when there are others around. It can also create problems in our digestion and further down the line, our intestines will pass on this air in the form of gases which will further embarrass with noise and odor that can be really offensive.
Just what causes this problem of excessive belching and how can it be prevented is an old question we really don’t know all the answers to. But it is definitely the cause of problems in our abdomen such as gastric distention. This can cause the diaphragm to inflate and give us painful pressure in that area of the abdomen. It can also cause the esophagus to rupture when there is too much pressure due to the gastric buildup. In this case some stomach content may be aspirated into the lungs. Ulcer is another problem created by these gases.
Swallowing air causes excessive burping, that is bringing that air back to the surface and allowing it to escape. An occasional burp or belch is normal and when kept relatively quiet, is not a social issue. However, when an over abundance of air is taken in to the stomach, it creates excessive belching.
Air is swallowed normally through the course of eating or even just swallowing fluids such as water. When carbonated drinks such as a soda pop are ingested, they often create an over abundance of air to find its way into our stomach and this in turn creates excessive burping to relieve the pressure brought on by that air. Air becomes a gas in the stomach when acid forms gases to digest food. When this is belched back up it often smells odorous due to those gases. The same thing happens whenever this air or gas is passed downward, first through the small intestine, and then the large intestine and out through the rectum. This air is then called flatulence.
Aerophagia or excessive swallowing of air can be a medically induced problem as in the case of noninvasive (NIV) ventilation. This is most common in treating respiratory problems. Another cause can be a general anesthetic used in surgery. Air is introduced in abundance when intubation is used during surgery.
Being lactose intolerant is yet another cause of excessive belching or excessive burping. It creates gases that must be removed from the stomach or they will create pressure and a distended abdomen or undue pressure on the diaphragm.
Smoking also creates air in the stomach due to inhaling the smoke along with air. This makes smoking double bad as the smoke is now finding its way to the smoker’s stomach.
Certain foods contribute to excess air or gas in the stomach, thus causing excessive burping. Beans are notorious for creating problems with pressure from gas. Some people also have intolerance for certain kinds of food (specifically those which contain carbohydrates) that give them gas while others have no issues with the same food.
You can find more information about excessive belching and excessive burping on our websites.
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