Excessive burping could mean more than a full stomach—here’s what your body’s trying to tell you

Burping or belching, a natural bodily function, releases the audible escape of the buildup of air from our stomach through our mouth. This excessive burping can be an alarming sign of underlying medical conditions or disorders. In order to understand what exactly these medical conditions are, this article explores the information around; what is burping, what causes it, excessive burping- symptoms of medical conditions, difference between occasional burping and frequent burping. Excessive burping is a sign of potential health issues and behavioural disorders.

What is burping or belching?

Remember getting scolded by your mother at the dinner table for making a sound after a hearty meal? That sound is called Burping. Belching or Burping is a natural process of releasing the air trapped in your stomach through your mouth. In layman's words, when we swallow any kind of food or drink, we end up swallowing air along with it, and this air stretches our stomach until its limit, then a muscle at the lower end of the stomach called the oesophagus relaxes, releasing the trapped air through the mouth. This entire process is called burping or belching, or eructation.

What causes excessive burping?

The very prominent question, “What causes burping?”- is an answer that is associated with several reasons. These reasons are further categorised into two: ‘normal burping’ or ‘symptom of underlying health condition’. The swallowing of air is the primary cause of excessive burping, which can be done during the following activities:

• Eat and drink too quickly
• Talk while eating
• Drinking Carbonated beverages
• Wearing ill-fitting dentures
• Chewing Gum
• Smoking

Excessive burping: Symptom of potential health issues

When the burping is frequent and accompanied by other symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, weight loss, etc. It is a sign of potential health issues as below:

• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

When stomach acid flows back up the oesophagus, it leads to gastroesophageal reflux, also known as acid reflux. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, excessive belching is considered not just an isolated syndrome but also an associated symptom in patients with gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).

• Functional Dyspepsia/Chronic Indigestion

Functional Dyspepsia or Indigestion is a pattern of symptoms that occur together. It occurs while you are eating and digesting. The isolated symptom of dyspepsia is frequent belching along with discomfort in the upper belly, nausea, and bloating.

• Helicobacter Pylori Infection

Helicobacter Pylori is a bacteria that causes H. Pylori infection, also known as stomach infection. One of the most common symptoms of this infection is frequent belching or burping.

• Supragastric Belching

According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, Supragastric Belching is a clearly defined pattern found in patients of aerophagia (frequent belching).

• Meganblase Syndrome

Meganblase syndrome is a functional gas bloat syndrome that includes swallowing of large amounts of air while eating or drinking. This air reaches the stomach and creates a large bubble that escapes through burping. This entire process is quite painful for a human body and its symptoms are somewhat similar to heart attack.

How to avoid excessive burping

It is to be noted that excessive belching can be avoided; however, if it is a symptom of a medical condition, then professional help is needed. The following are lifestyle tips to get rid of excessive burping:

• Avoid carbonated drinks such as soda, beer and similar others
• Avoid foods high in carbohydrates-
• Eat your food and drink slowly
• Quit smoking
• Wear fitted dentures
• Take a short walk or physical exercise after eating

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