Belching after eating - causes and treatment

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 heavy burping can be 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. During meals, gas rises. When the pressure inside the stomach becomes large enough, the sphincter, which closes the stomach, does not close completely and air is released into the esophagus.

Normally, the following factors can provoke belching:

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

A single burp of air that does not smell anything but eaten food is a normal physiological process. Thus, the stomach gets rid of the resulting high blood pressure.

Belching Diseases

A different picture is observed if the belching is caused by some pathological process.

You should be wary of finding 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 air of gastric juice and food;
• the appearance of odors in the burp.

Such 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;
• esophageal scleroderma;
• pathology of the diaphragm (hernia);
• duodenogastric reflux;
• pancreatitis
• cholecystitis;
• cholelithiasis.

Sometimes frequent burping 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.

Pathology classification

To understand the causes of burping, you need to observe its nature. This will further help the doctor diagnose the disease.

Why is sour burping food?

The appearance of an acidic taste in the mouth after belching or its accompanying by throwing the contents of the stomach into the esophagus can occur for various reasons. Much depends on how long after eating this phenomenon develops:

Acid burping is often accompanied by other symptoms:

• nausea;
• pain behind the sternum or in the stomach;
• severe heartburn;
• stool disorders.

Often there is vomiting, which in severe cases can be in the nature of a "fountain" and occur immediately after eating. For an accurate diagnosis, you must visit a doctor.

Belching with bitter air

The appearance of a taste of bitterness during belching is a signal of throwing bile into the stomach. Normally, bile is secreted into the lumen of the duodenum, and it should not be in the stomach.

If this happens, the cause may be the following pathologies:

• duodenogastric reflux;
• cholelithiasis;
• chronic cholecystitis.

Also, the reflux of bile into the stomach and persistent belching with bitterness occur with diaphragm hernias.

With the smell of acetone

Belching with the smell of acetone is an alarming symptom that requires immediate attention to a specialist. Acetone in small quantities is formed by the breakdown of proteins and fats, and is normally invisible with belching.

A characteristic odor may appear with the following pathologies:

• thyrotoxicosis;
• diabetes;
• nephrosis and renal failure;
• severe infections.

Often, acetone burping accompanies women who follow the “protein” diets with a low content of carbohydrates - the digestive system can not cope with excessive protein load.

Odorless burp

Persistent burping with odorless air is most often the result of aerophagy. This term literally translates as “eating air” and means the pathological ingestion of large portions of air and their further burping. Aerophagy is not necessarily related to food intake. The patient may also swallow air while talking, swallowing saliva, or while breathing.

The development of aerophagy can be caused by both normal violations of the rules of a healthy diet, and a number of pathologies:

• violation of nasal breathing;
• inflammatory processes in the larynx and oral cavity;
• profuse salivation;
• neurotic conditions.

Aerophagy caused by neurosis is treated under the supervision of a neurologist, and in some cases, a psychiatrist consultation is required.

What diagnostic measures are carried out?

Diagnostic measures for complaints of persistent belching begin with a medical history and a standard patient survey.

During the survey, the doctor finds out the main points that help determine the future strategy:

• burping frequency;
• her dependence on meals;
• burping character (duration, smell, presence of extraneous smacks);
• the presence of concomitant symptoms (pain, nausea, vomiting, heartburn).

Next, laboratory diagnostics are prescribed - urinalysis, biochemical blood analysis, coprogram.

After which, depending on the results, instrumental diagnostic methods are selected:

• Ultrasound of the digestive system;
• esophagogastroduodenoscopy;
• fibrogastroduodenoscopy;
• colonoscopy;
• pH measurement of gastric juice.

Only a complete medical diagnosis allows you to understand why belching occurs, and prescribe adequate treatment.

Belching after eating

It is important to understand that there is no special “belch” pill. Since belching after eating is only one of the symptoms of a long series of diseases, treatment should be aimed specifically at eliminating the cause.

Medications

Depending on the diagnosis and condition of the patient, the doctor may prescribe drugs that normalize the acidity and motility of the stomach, reduce gas formation:

The information on drugs provided is for guidance only. Treatment of diseases accompanied by belching can occur only under the supervision of a specialist.

Folk remedies

If an eructation appears episodically and is not associated with a serious pathology, you can alleviate the condition with the help of some folk remedies:

1. Mint tea. 1 teaspoon of dry grass brew 1 cup boiling water, leave for 5 minutes, strain and add 2 teaspoons of honey.
2. Calamus root. Grind the dry root in a coffee grinder, pour 0.5 teaspoon of the powder into warm water, stir and drink.
3. Infusion of chamomile and linden. 1 teaspoon of dry chamomile pharmacy and 1 teaspoon of linden blossom, brew 1 cup boiling water, wrap and insist 30 minutes. Strain, optionally add 1 teaspoon of honey.

Such folk recipes from burping as a solution of apple cider vinegar, soda, horseradish tincture, fresh cranberry juice or crushed egg shells should be avoided. Such tools can dramatically change the acidity of gastric juice, provoke microtrauma and ulceration of the walls of the stomach.

Pathology prevention

Belching can be prevented if you follow the main rules of eating:

• eat fractionally, in small portions, do not overeat;
• do not abuse fizzy drinks and alcohol;
• monitor a balanced diet;
• avoid snacks on the go;
• chew food thoroughly, eat slowly;
• talk less about food;
• limit foods that provoke increased gas formation in the stomach;
• keep track of weight.

After eating, you should not immediately begin to actively move, but you also can’t go to bed. You need to sit a bit to allow air to calmly exit the stomach.

The rules of a healthy diet are not only a preventive measure against burping. They help to avoid the development of severe pathologies of the digestive system.