Causes of belching in adults. Variety of forms of regurgitation. Malignant tumors of the stomach

Belching with air is a natural phenomenon, if it does not go beyond the norm. Involuntary release of gases is considered quite normal if it does not cause discomfort and pain, if this phenomenon does not become constant and frequent, if the air is released in small and inconspicuous portions.

What is important to know about belching?

Belching is the sudden passage of air through the mouth from the stomach or esophagus. This phenomenon is due to the ingestion of a certain amount of air during the absorption of food, liquid. If the stomach is functioning correctly, then there is always a release of gas through the mouth. This contributes to the performance of the body's motor performance.

Most often, belching occurs during or after eating. If everything is in order with human health, then during the swallowing reflex, up to 5 milliliters of air enters the body, which gradually accumulates at the bottom of the stomach, in the so-called gas bubble. Having reached a certain size, the gas burps. The most pronounced eructation in lovers of carbonated drinks.

In different parts of the world, this fact is treated differently. According to tradition, for some it is the norm of behavior in society, for others it is condemned.

If belching occurs against the background of painful sensations, accompanied by the smell of "rotten eggs", then we are talking about pathology. In this case, diagnosis and appropriate treatment is required. Physicians define such aerogaphy as a manifestation, considering the pathology to be a violation of the normal functionality of the stomach.

There are many reasons that provoke the occurrence of belching in the air in people. However, there are a number of features and factors in the manifestation of the release of gases for adults and children. It should be emphasized that belching can be the norm for one age group, and a deviation for another, and for similar reasons.

Factors causing its appearance

For adults, belching can be caused by the following reasons:

Dysfunctional breathing through the nose, lack of synchrony;
Diseases, gums and oral cavity;
Rapid consumption of food "on the go";
Overeating and frequent feasts;
Speech while eating;
Strong load after eating;
The use of chewing gum;
Second half of pregnancy;
Abundant use in the form of drinking carbonated drinks;
Neurosis;
Pneumatosis of the stomach;
Poor chewing of food;
stressful situations.

All these are natural causes, not related to the detection of pathology. However, there are a number of reasons that are characteristic of the pathological conditioned reflex - aerogaffia.

Such factors can be diseases and dysfunctional conditions:

Difficulty breathing through the nose associated with a disease or deformation of the nasal cavities;
Violation of chewing and swallowing functions due to diseases of the oral cavity and teeth;
Profuse salivation and frequent swallowing;
Chronic gastritis;
Violation of the motor activity of the stomach and a decrease in tone;
Stenosis pyloroduodenal;
Narrowing of the esophagus;
Disorders of the cardiovascular system, especially in ischemic disease with angina attacks;
Gallbladder damage;
Diaphragmatic hernia;
food allergy;
Cardiospasms;
Worm infestation;
peptic ulcer;
Aneurysm of the descending aorta.

Many diseases occur against the background of malnutrition, excessive consumption of carbonated drinks, especially cheap sparkling wine, beer, soft drinks. Often the cause of belching air is bad habits: smoking and alcohol.

Varieties of belching with air

There are several types of rejection of air from the body through the mouth of a pathological plan:

With the smell of "rotten eggs": occurs when hydrogen sulfide and ammonium nitrate are formed against the background of infectious and inflammatory diseases of the stomach;
Belching with acidic air, indicating an increased content of gastric juice;
Putrid belching, indicating stagnation of food in the stomach and lack of digestive enzymes;
Belching with the smell of acetone is a characteristic symptom of diabetes;
Rancid belching is evidence of an increased level of bile and throwing it into the stomach.
Often belching is seen as a symptom of some disease.

May be combined with other symptoms:

heartburn;
bloating;
Pain;
Arbitrary gas separation from the intestines;
flatulence.

Any frequent belching of air should be regarded as a deviation in the work of the body. Diagnostic measures are always required to accurately establish the causes and treatment.

Associated symptoms

Often, burping with air is accompanied by additional symptoms that may indicate the presence of a serious abnormality in the functioning of the organs or the presence of a disease.

If belching is periodic, episodic, then we are talking about physiological causes. Such dysfunction disappears if you change the tactics of nutrition, daily routine, lifestyle.

Constant belching may be accompanied by:

Pain in the abdomen;
Bloating, flatulence in the stomach;
heartburn;
Nausea and vomiting;
Constipation or diarrhea.

If a rare eructation is not dangerous, then a constant one with pathological deviations is fraught with serious surprises and illnesses.

Lump in the throat

Belching air and feeling like a lump in the throat are symptoms of one of the following diseases:

Neurosis against the background of stressful situations;
Oncology;
Esophagitis - inflammation of the mucous membrane of the esophagus;
Pharyngitis - inflammation of the larynx;
Disorders of the thyroid gland;
Expansion of the esophagus - diverticulum;
Hernia of the esophagus and diaphragm.

Most often found:

Esophagitis, accompanied by burning sensation after eating, pain behind the sternum, muscle spasm, rejection of food. There may be a violation of the movement of food through the esophagus. Lack of treatment exacerbates the development of the process;
Neurosis as a reaction of the body to external influences. Spasm of the esophagus during eating causes an increased ingress of air into the stomach, and lump - a reaction of the nervous system.
Bronchial asthma, hypertension and cervical osteochondrosis are sometimes accompanied by a lump in the throat and frequent belching of air.

If attacks occur frequently, then you need to see a doctor, and not wait for spontaneous healing. A mandatory examination is necessary to exclude the worst option - laryngeal cancer.

Chest pain

It happens that belching with air is accompanied by pain in the chest. You can find out the cause of this condition only with the help of an outpatient examination. A possible factor may be coronary artery disease, and the result, in the absence of the necessary treatment, myocardial infarction.

The second most common disease with similar symptoms is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Symptoms are similar to heart disease, however, the cause is problems with the esophagus. Most often, women over the age of 50 suffer from this.

Chest pain, accompanied by belching, is a manifestation of some other diseases:

Achlasia cardia;
Diverticula of the esophagus;
Hernia of the esophageal opening of the diaphragm;
Peptic ulcer.

Frequent eructations with additional symptoms require careful attention and timely diagnosis.

Belching and pregnancy

Belching with air is observed in pregnant women quite often. This can be caused by malnutrition, eating a lot of fruits and nuts, eating in a lying position.

The influence of changes in hormonal levels has a very active effect on the health of a pregnant woman. Muscle tone decreases, which affects the nervous system and the throughput of the esophagus.

Sometimes belching is the only first symptom of pregnancy. The functioning of the digestive system changes, and the result is a slight upset with belching.

In the third trimester, against the background of an enlarged uterus, pressing on the organs of the digestive tract, belching is repeated more and more often. Doing household chores, it becomes increasingly difficult for pregnant women to bend. Uncomfortable postures can cause burping.

Exacerbated diseases during pregnancy can also provoke excessive accumulation of air, and then its involuntary exit.

If belching becomes a cause for concern, then you should complain about it to your gynecologist.

Carrying out diagnostic procedures

Diagnosis requires both tests and examination, as well as the collection of anamnesis with a comparison of patient data.

Initially, an anamnesis of the disease, all complaints and accompanying symptoms are collected. It is mandatory to clarify the time, frequency of belching, its correspondence to meals.

Then, an anamnesis of the patient's vital activity is collected: the presence of inflammatory, chronic, infectious and hereditary diseases.

It is necessary to know about surgical interventions and anomalies in development.

Further diagnostic measures are laboratory tests:

General and biochemical blood tests and;
Analysis for culture and for the presence of blood discharge;
Coprogram.

Belching with air- this is an involuntary sudden release of odorless gases from the stomach or esophagus through the mouth.

Normally, each swallowing movement is accompanied by the ingestion of a small amount of air (within 2-3 ml), which is necessary to normalize intragastric pressure. Subsequently, the air imperceptibly leaves through the mouth in small portions.

A noticeable eructation of air occurs when excess air enters the stomach during the absorption of food, and in some cases outside this process. This phenomenon may indicate the presence of gastric pneumatosis or aerophagia.

With the normal functioning of the stomach, such an eructation is not accompanied by any unpleasant sensations, since the air leaving it has neither smell nor taste.

Separately, it is worth paying attention to neurotic aerophagia, which is characterized by the ingestion of air outside the consumption of food. In this case, belching with air can occur both after eating and at any other time, with the exception of the sleep period. This is already a pathological syndrome that requires the attention of a specialist.

To understand the causes that contribute to the occurrence of belching, you need to understand how the digestive system works. Food entering the mouth passes through the esophagus and enters the stomach. If a person overeats, then the air present in the stomach comes out. This is a variant of the norm and only confirms that the organs of the digestive system are working smoothly. Therefore, if, after a hearty lunch or dinner, a person experiences belching with ordinary, odorless air, then this is not a cause for any concern.

Sometimes belching occurs against the background of physical training, when the contents of the stomach quickly move inside its cavity, which provokes the removal of air to the outside,

Also, burping can occur due to the fact that a person wears too tight trousers or belts. This prevents the stomach from expanding normally. Therefore, the body independently gets rid of the air inside. Most often, this situation is observed in people who are prone to fullness. Normally, after a while after eating, belching ceases to bother.

As a rule, all the reasons described above lead to the fact that belching rarely occurs. However, sometimes she begins to literally pursue a person. The reasons for this violation can be very diverse, and understanding them is not always easy.

Women in position, especially in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy, may suffer from belching. This does not indicate the development of any pathology. Everything is due to physiological reasons. During pregnancy, the uterus increases in size, begins to put pressure on the diaphragm and pushes the air in the stomach out.

Frequent causeless belching that occurs on an empty stomach is a cause for concern. If air comes out of the stomach that has an unpleasant smell, such as rotten eggs, or if a sour or bitter taste appears in the mouth, then this becomes a serious cause for concern. Such an eructation most often indicates diseases of the digestive system.

However, do not panic ahead of time. A comprehensive examination is necessary, since belching, accompanied by the unpleasant symptoms described above, may indicate improper food intake. The term aerophagia is not familiar to everyone. It involves swallowing large amounts of air while eating. This can happen when a person eats very quickly, does not chew food, eats “on the go”. Talking while eating, frequent chewing gum, wearing the wrong size or structure of dentures, smoking, therapeutic inhalations, and breathing too deeply can also cause large amounts of air to enter the stomach. All of these causes can lead to belching that is not associated with eating. Air will enter from the stomach simply because there is too much of it.

There are foods and drinks that can cause excess air to enter the stomach. First of all, this is true for soda. It contains carbon dioxide in dissolved form. After it enters the stomach, this gas accumulates there and tries to get out naturally.

Also, products-provocateurs of belching can be considered:

Fatty meals.

Garlic and onion.

Strongly brewed coffee and tea.

To get rid of belching caused by the "wrong" foods, simply eliminate them from your diet.

You need to be concerned about your own health if belching occurs frequently and is accompanied by the following symptoms:

Feeling of heaviness in the stomach.

Pain in the upper abdomen.

Such an eructation can be a signal of various diseases that affect the organs of the digestive system, for example:

Ulcer disease.

Inflammation of the pancreas.

Inflammatory phenomena in the esophagus.

Hernia of the esophagus.

Weak sphincter between esophagus and stomach.

Traumatic damage to the mucous membrane of the digestive system.

Gastroesophageal reflux.

Cancers of the digestive system.

With the normal functioning of the human gastrointestinal tract, belching of air after eating appears irregularly and rarely. This phenomenon may occur due to excessive swallowing of air in the process of eating food.

This happens if:

excessively quickly absorb food;

badly chew food;

eat on the go.

Belching after eating also appears:

when using gas-containing drinks, very hot or cold food;

because of the habit of talking while eating;

As a result, the swallowed air forms a large air bubble, which puts pressure on the walls of the stomach. Our body, as a balanced mechanism, must accept. And it does this by opening the cardiac sphincter between the stomach and esophagus. Excess air from the stomach enters the esophagus, then into the oral cavity, then burping occurs.

Multiple belching of air may occur as a result of a systematic violation of the rules of eating, but in some cases, it can also be considered as a pathological symptom indicating the development of neurotic aerophagia.

Causes of the disease:

difficulty breathing through the nose;

diseases of the oral cavity and teeth;

frequent swallowing of saliva due to profuse salivation.

Frequent swallowing of air not during meals is characteristic of a pathological conditioned reflex (neurosis).

Besides, Aerophagia can develop with:

disorder of tone and motility of the stomach;

cardiospasm;

narrowing of the esophagus;

aneurysms of the descending aorta.

The clinical picture is as follows:

There is a constant loud, sometimes "multi-story", belching of air, and in people suffering from hysteria, it may be accompanied by a loud scream.

Belching happens after eating, and at any other time, and sometimes it is observed almost constantly and disappears during sleep.

Complaints about sensations of fullness and heaviness, which are localized more often in the epigastric region.

There is bloating, in severe cases, very significant, resembling a picture characteristic of intestinal obstruction.

The occurrence of difficulty in breathing, up to attacks of suffocation, is less often noted.

Experts note that often a typical belching of air is observed in the patient directly upon examination, which disappears if his attention is diverted. The doctor can watch as the patient prepares to swallow air. He pulls his head forward, his chin is pressed to his chest, then he begins to make swallowing movements. With aerophagia, bloating in the upper half is noted. And the x-ray determines the high standing of the diaphragm, especially its left dome due to the enlarged air bladder of the stomach and the large accumulation of gases in the intestines.

Aerophagia can affect newborns and infants. In some cases, the child's nervous system cannot cope with the regulation of the digestive apparatus. The disease can also develop due to sucking on a milky breast or an empty nipple, which increases the amount of air swallowed.

The main signs of aerophagia in children:

crying while eating;

refusal of food and, as a result, weight loss.

When changing position or on their own, the child may burp air, then calm down and start sucking again. The diagnosis can be confirmed by X-ray examination. Some children get used to swallowing air, a child can be weaned from this habit by strict regulation of food intake. Aerophagia in children is associated, for the most part, with general neuropathy or an imperfect apparatus of nervous regulation of the digestive organs, and with age it disappears.

Stomach pain and belching

Pain in the stomach with belching of air may indicate a disease, be its harbingers or the consequences of improper nutrition.

How to get rid of belching air?

First of all, with such an ailment, a person thinks about the state of his health, but the aesthetic side of the problem also plays an important role. Therefore, when a person begins to regularly involuntarily burp, he is forced to look for ways that will save him from repeating such embarrassment.

Treatment methods for belching depend on the causes of its occurrence.

If we are talking about symptomatic aerophagia, then the main attention is paid to the disease that provoked its development.

With aerophagia, which is neurotic in nature, psychotherapy plays a major role:

You need to understand the essence of the disease and do everything possible to mobilize all your will to suppress the conditioned reflex. This is not an easy task, since swallowing air usually occurs involuntarily and imperceptibly for a person, and close people can help him here. The fact is that a person automatically causes a burp, swallowing air and believing that it will help get rid of the uncomfortable feeling of bloating. It is on this attempt that his attention should be focused. The disappearance of belching will disrupt the entire pathological conditioned reflex and lead to its complete attenuation.

Food must be taken slowly, excluding conversations.

It is necessary to follow a diet that excludes foods that linger in the stomach for a long time.

It is better to eat often, but in small portions.

In severe cases, it may be necessary to separate the intake of liquid and solid food.

Suitable for physical education and breathing exercises.

It is necessary to calm and strengthen the nervous system.

If the cause of burping with air lies in malnutrition, then you will have to radically change this approach and begin to follow the following simple rules:

Try to stop talking while eating. The habit of talking and eating at the same time is inevitably accompanied by the swallowing of excess air and, as a result, leads to belching of air.

Chewing food thoroughly with your mouth closed is known to improve digestion as well as reduce gas formation in the stomach.

If you smoke, try not to swallow air and smoke.

Reduce intake of foods that cause belching:

beverages containing carbonic acid and beer;

milk, as well as ice cream;

Do not drink drinks through a straw, along with the liquid, air enters the stomach. Do not eat when in a state of nervous excitement. Try to distract yourself, calm down, maybe take a little walk before eating.

Do not abuse chewing gum. The normal rhythm of the stomach can go astray due to excessive chewing movements. Try to eat more foods rich in trace elements and vitamins.

Avoid excessive exercise after meals. The human body needs rest for 2-3 hours for normal digestion of food. Heavy physical labor and sports loads after eating lead to a violation of the natural peristalsis of the digestive tract, which provokes belching.

Refuse whipped "airy" drinks, for example, from a milkshake, it contains air bubbles, which also go to the stomach. Sometimes the cause of belching is hidden in some product, it must be identified and excluded from the diet.

After eating, many people like to lie down, this should not be done, it is better to take a little walk. Don't overeat. Remember that the human body is able to digest any amount of food (of course, within reasonable limits) on average until the age of forty. After that, the enzymatic functions of the body gradually decrease, and excessive gluttony can lead to various problems, from excess weight to the appearance of involuntary regurgitation. Do not drink hot drinks, as air is drawn in along with the hot liquid.

Education: Diploma in the specialty "Medicine" received at the Russian State Medical University. N. I. Pirogova (2005). Postgraduate studies in the specialty "Gastroenterology" - educational and scientific medical center.

While eating, not only food, but also air is in the human esophagus. Its volume depends on anatomical and physiological features, condition, nature of food, food culture and many other factors. Therefore, there is nothing unnatural in periodic belching: the air mass must come out naturally, it cannot be retained in the esophagus. But if there is an eructation of odorless air constantly, regardless of food intake, this indicates a violation of digestion.

The reasons

Belching, by definition, is the return movement of air from the gastrointestinal tract with subsequent exit through the mouth. Only air that has entered the esophagus and stomach can return with it. Normally, it is odorless, enters the esophagus with each swallowing movement. Without it, the body will not be able to normalize the intragastric pressure necessary for normal digestion.

When too much air accumulates in the cavity of the stomach, it begins to put pressure on the stomach walls, and a partial weakening of the sphincter occurs. This allows you to "bleed" excess air, which will go up the esophagus and out of the mouth.

If the intestines and stomach are working normally, a small amount of air absorbed with food comes out gradually and imperceptibly, it has no smell. But when a significant amount is ingested, a loud burp is observed. A lot of air can get in with or without food. Swallowing air and constant air belching appear with aerophagia, or pneumatosis of the stomach.

Important! Aerophagy is called both the swallowing of air and the constant air belching.

Belching without food is caused by neurotic aerophagia. In this state, a person constantly swallows air and then burps it. This process stops in sleep.

In a healthy person, profuse odorless eructation appears when:

improper food intake;
the use of carbonated drinks;
pregnancy;
physical activity immediately after eating.

Lack of food culture is:

constant conversations at the table;
too fast, hasty food and snacks on the run;
swallowing large unchewed pieces of food;
overeating - the more eaten, the more air is swallowed with food;
smoking while eating or drinking and immediately after them.

The constant use of chewing gum also leads to belching of air. If hypersalivation (increased salivation) occurs for any reason, swallowing a large amount of saliva causes aerophagia. But it should be remembered that up to six months, increased salivation for a child is the norm.

The formation of excess air mass in the stomach and esophagus leads to the use of carbonated drinks, low alcohol, beer and sparkling wine. After them there is a burp. A milkshake also leads to aerophagia, during the preparation of which the liquid is aerated (its saturation with air bubbles).

Important! Any liquid drunk with a straw increases belching. Drinking from tin cans leads to the same effect.

After taking soda, a strong eructation occurs, since sodium bicarbonate reacts with hydrochloric acid contained in gastric juice. This produces a large amount of carbon dioxide, which exits the esophagus from the stomach to the outside. Pregnant women burp air due to the pressure of the enlarged uterus on the diaphragm (this also causes hiccups). observed in the last trimester.

In smokers, belching appears after smoking if a meal ends with a cigarette or a person smokes between meals. Excessively hot or cold food leads to aerophagia. In a child in the first months of life, the formation of the work of the whole organism takes place, and until the digestive system is established, a large amount of air is swallowed. The less milk in the breast, the more intensively the baby sucks, sucking in air along the way. Therefore, after feeding, it is necessary to hold the baby in an upright position so that he can burp and get rid of the air mass.

Important! Sucking on a pacifier is the reason why a child has frequent air burps.

Norm or pathology: how to distinguish

Normally, belching is odorless and, with proper nutrition, occurs imperceptibly, in small portions. The person does not experience discomfort and pain. The main symptom of pathology is bad breath. This phenomenon is called halitosis. Halitosis can be a symptom of many conditions, including:

dental;
otolaryngological;
gastroenterological;
cardiological;
oncological;
neurological.

Bad belching is accompanied by pain, flatulence, general malaise. But such symptoms may be absent with neurological aerophagia, when the patient is under stress, due to nerves often swallows air. This creates a lump in the throat. Also, strong odorless belching can occur with nasal congestion and difficult nasal breathing.

What diseases

With dental diseases, such as gingivitis, periodontal disease, caries, and others, an eructation with a fetid odor appears. Belching, smelling of acetone, indicates a violation of the kidneys and liver. Yeast signals a fungal bacterium caused by Candida albicans, increases after eating sweets, pastries and some other foods.

Important! Drinking dark, unfiltered beers can also cause yeast-smelling burps.

Aerophagia occurs with gastritis, gastric ulcer, tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.
Belching with a putrid odor appears with such complex anatomical pathologies as megaesophagus and esophageal diverticulum.

With these diseases, the walls of the esophagus expand. Strong belching with a putrid odor (the reason is food accumulating in the esophagus and diverticulum), often with food particles, can speak of these data. Belching with the smell of rotten eggs is a sign of low acidity of the stomach and gastritis that began on this soil.

A person with complaints of aerophagia is examined by a doctor, paying attention to such symptoms of dyspepsia as abdominal pain (especially in the pit of the stomach), bloating and flatulence, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and the smell of belching. The patient may complain of cardiological pain, burning and squeezing behind the sternum.

To clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct a general examination with palpation of the abdominal organs, listening to heart sounds. It is also necessary to do an X-ray examination. The picture will allow you to see the high standing of the diaphragm due to the stomach overflowing with air, to determine the presence of obstruction of the stomach and its causes. A blood test (general and biochemical) and urine is required. Laboratory data will show the presence or absence of inflammation, changes in the function of the liver, pancreas, etc. Often, fibrogastroduodenoscopy is performed - an endoscopic examination in which the state of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum is assessed, the presence of signs of inflammation, ulceration. Neurosis is diagnosed by behavioral signs, the diagnosis is confirmed by a neuropathologist.

When belching is caused by pathological changes, treatment is determined in accordance with the diagnosed disease. These can be antacids, cholagogues, anti-inflammatory drugs, antifungal drugs, etc. If conservative treatment does not eliminate the cause, surgery is indicated (for example, diverticulum closure operations), and in case of dental diseases, their treatment and filling or removal.

In cases where constant air belching is provoked by a neurological factor, the patient needs to take a sedative, follow a diet with fractional nutrition, composed of easily digestible dishes. In other cases, it will be enough to slightly change the mode of eating, limit the use of foods that provoke belching (among them are onions, beer, soda).

Important! Fresh fruits, if eaten at the end of the meal, cause aerophagia due to the organic acids they contain. They interact with digested food, belching occurs.

It is believed that after eating it is useful to lie down. But gastroenterologists advise some time to be in a standing or sitting position, and even better to take a leisurely walk. When walking, intestinal peristalsis and gastric motility improve, the air bubble gradually and imperceptibly leaves the stomach to the outside. But such a pleasant type of procedure as a bath should be set aside for a while: if you lie down in warm water immediately after eating, the blood supply to the stomach will worsen, as the blood will rush to the skin.

There are other ways to deal with aerophagia:

breathing exercises;
light stroking massage of the abdomen clockwise, starting from the iliac region (by the way, this method is very effective for flatulence and colic in infants);
herbal remedies.

Treatment with folk methods

Belching can be treated with folk remedies when its cause is already known and the doctor has approved such treatment.

cranberry and aloe

Squeeze the pulp of aloe leaves to get half a glass of juice, squeeze out the same amount of cranberry juice. To this volume, add a glass of water (need boiled) and 1.5 tsp. honey. Mix and take 1 tbsp. l. after meals for a week.

Magnesia

Instead of baking soda, which often stops hyperacidosis, it is better to use magnesia - the very one whose injections help lower blood pressure. 1 st. l. dissolve in a glass of water and drink on an empty stomach in the morning. Consume a week.

Potatoes and carrots

Squeeze half a glass of fresh carrot and potato juice, take 10 days, 2 tsp. before eating.

If a person does not pay attention to aerophagia, he may miss the symptoms of a serious illness. With constant air belching, gastric motility and peristalsis are disturbed, spasms of the esophagus develop. Aerophagia in infants leads to painful colic, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Belching is the reflux of the contents of the esophagus or stomach into the oral cavity. Usually it is preceded by a feeling of fullness and heaviness in the epigastrium, which is due to increased pressure in the stomach. Ejection of excess stomach contents into the esophagus or pharynx and oral cavity relieves this condition.

It can be burped with food, acidic stomach contents or air. The features of the latter option and its reasons will be considered in this article.

Belching of air in healthy

Normally, the stomach on an empty stomach contains air in the form of a gas bubble, the volume of which directly depends on the size of the stomach. The average portion of air in the stomach of an adult is 0.5-1 liter. Air enters the stomach when:

swallowed during meals (especially hasty)
deep breathing through the mouth
frequent swallowing, hasty speech
smoking
consumption of carbonated drinks
chewing gum

In a perfectly healthy person a strong belching of air can occur if he is full to the point of amazement and simply clogs the stomach with food so that the sphincter of the inlet of the stomach cannot close completely, and the gas under pressure will be pushed back into the esophagus and throat. The same thing can happen if, after a heavy meal, a person begins to bend over, jump, or run, squeezing the stomach or displacing it. With tight belts and belts, especially in obese people, it is also possible to achieve an increase in intragastric pressure, against which there is an eructation of odorless air.

Obese people are more prone to belching that is not related to disease. She often suffers from those who abuse strong coffee or tea, garlic, onions, and fatty ones.

Patients without gastrointestinal problems, but forced to use inhalers due to other diseases, excess air also enters the stomach.

In pregnant women, the growing uterus gradually displaces the internal organs and props up the diaphragm, which can also provoke this unpleasant symptom.

Constant belching of air with pathologies of the stomach

The main condition leading to regurgitation of air is the failure of the cardia of the stomach (insufficiency of the cardia), which does not fully close. This deviation is diagnosed by x-ray examination of the stomach or by endoscopy (EGD).

Insufficiency of the cardia is divided into degrees.

At the first degree the muscle of the inlet of the stomach is not completely compressed, leaving up to a third of the lumen with deep breathing, which provokes belching.
The second gives a gaping of the lumen of the cardiac section by half the diameter and also frequent belching of air.
With the third, not only complete non-closure of the cardia with a deep breath is necessary, but also the phenomenon of reflux esophagitis due to the constant reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus.

The failure of the cardiac sphincter explains frequent belching, the causes of which are as follows:

An overcrowded stomach in people prone to overeating, as well as in people with slow motor skills and digestive disorders (atrophic gastritis, hypomotor dyskinesia of the gastrointestinal tract), including obese people and pregnant women on the background of hormonal changes.
Weak lower esophageal sphincter, hiatal hernia.
Increased intragastric pressure against the background of inflammation (peptic ulcer) or tumors, as well as pylorospasm or pyloric stenosis.
Surgical interventions on the cardial part of the stomach with the removal or damage of the sphincter.
Injuries and burns of the esophagus and stomach.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease

The most common cause of belching is gastroesophageal reflux disease. At the same time, the circular muscle-pulp, which locks the inlet of the stomach, does not completely close, causing the reflux of what is in the stomach or air into the esophagus and pharynx. Belching is provoked by forward bends, a long horizontal position.

in addition to belching with air and sour (heartburn), GERD causes pain behind the sternum or in the left side of the chest
nausea, episodes of vomiting
rapid satiety and bloating
extragastric manifestations are also characteristic: cough, shortness of breath, heart rhythm disturbances in the form of tachycardia or arrhythmia (Houdin's syndrome), atrophic or hypertrophic pharyngitis, manifested by sensations of scratching in the throat and difficulty swallowing.

Gradually, the mucosa of the esophagus is eroded or even covered with ulcers. With prolonged untreated esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus or intestinal-type metaplasia of the esophageal mucosa may develop, which increases the risk of cancer of this organ.

The second gastric cause of belching air is gastritis.

Gastritis can be infectious, toxic, alimentary, autoimmune, radiation. In the clinic of acute or chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa, nausea and belching with air may be present. At the same time, it is combined with both acute or dull aching pains, heaviness in the epigastrium, and with vomiting.

With lesions of the body of the stomach by atrophic processes

belching with air can also be accompanied by a rotten eructation. Characterized by a decrease in appetite, rapid satiety. Less commonly, a clinic similar to dumping syndrome (weakness after eating, nausea and belching, sudden urge to defecate, loose stools) manifests itself. Also, belching in combination with weakness, reduced efficiency, pallor of the skin, brittle nails, dry skin and hair may indicate iron deficiency or B12 deficiency anemia against the background of a violation of the absorption of iron or vitamin B12 due to atrophic processes in the gastric mucosa against the background of chronic gastritis .

With antral forms of gastritis

most often occurring against the background of Helicobacter pylori infection, belching with air can alternate with heartburn and fasting or early sucking pains in the epigastrium.

Stomach ulcer

How to behave when burping

Since such a condition is a manifestation of a large number of diseases and pathological conditions, if it is present, it is reasonable to seek a diagnosis from a general practitioner or gastroenterologist. After establishing the true cause of the problem, treatment should first of all be directed to the underlying disease. Treatment of belching sometimes takes quite a long time.

At the household level, for temporary relief of an unpleasant phenomenon, it is worth recommending:

eat small meals without large intervals between meals (4-5 meals per day are optimal)
give up smoking, soda, excess chewing gum, eating in a hurry.
immediately after eating, you should not go to bed, as well as engage in physical work or sports.
it makes sense to reduce excess weight for those who have it.

Thus, the timely appeal for qualified medical care for burping with air gives a chance to get rid of it as quickly and reliably as possible.

Belching is the process of expelling excess gases from the stomach through the oral cavity. This phenomenon normally occurs in all healthy people. However, constant profuse belching can be a cause for concern. Analysis of the cause and treatment of belching with air after eating in this case becomes the task of a gastroenterologist.

Causes of belching after eating

If you examine the stomach of a healthy person on an empty stomach, you can find a small amount of air in it. It is swallowed with food or drinks, and the volume of such a gas bubble can range from 0.5 to 1 liter. When you eat, the gas rises. When pressure inside the stomach becomes high enough, the sphincter that seals the stomach does not close completely and air is released into the esophagus.

Normally, belching can be provoked by the following factors:

binge eating;
quick snacks on the go, poor chewing;
consumption of carbonated drinks and beer;
the use of foods that cause increased gas formation (fresh fruits, garlic, onions, legumes, cabbage, radish);
use of inhalers;
use of chewing gum;
active movement immediately after eating;
tight belts;
increased body weight;
pregnancy.

A single burp of air that does not smell of anything other than food eaten is a normal physiological process. Thus, the stomach gets rid of the increased pressure that has arisen.

Diseases leading to belching

Another picture is observed if the eructation is caused by any pathological process.

You should be on the lookout for the following symptoms:

repeated and excessively profuse belching;
the appearance of a strong feeling of fullness, nausea or pain in the stomach;
throwing into the esophagus along with the air of gastric juice and food;
the appearance of foreign odors in the eructation.

Similar phenomena are usually associated with digestive disorders and can occur with a variety of diseases:

gastritis;
gastroesophageal reflux disease;
stomach ulcer;
pyloric stenosis;
stomach cancer;
scleroderma of the esophagus;
pathology of the diaphragm (hernia);
duodenogastric reflux;
pancreatitis;
cholecystitis;
cholelithiasis.

Sometimes frequent belching is not associated with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In some cases, it can be caused by a neurotic condition, as a result of which a muscle spasm develops, causing the stomach to contract involuntarily.