Belching, called “ructus” by medical professionals, affects many people of all ages. It usually happens after eating a sumptuous meal. The most common cause of harmless belching is fatty, sweet or carbonated foods and drinks. In rare cases, however, a serious illness can also be the cause.
Belching – what is behind it?
Burping is first of all a sign that there is air in the stomach. When swallowing, a little air often enters the digestive tract with the food pulp. The swallowed air and gases from carbonated drinks then make their way out in the form of a burp.
Air is also produced during the digestive process, especially when it comes to foods that are difficult to digest, such as fatty roasts, creamy desserts or raw vegetable salads containing fibers. This air then escapes either upward or downward, causing flatulence in the latter case.
Heartburn – the acid regurgitation
Particularly unpleasant is the acid regurgitation, in which stomach acid enters the oral cavity (reflux) and is accompanied by burning chest pain (heartburn). This can happen to anyone at one time or another, without there having to be an immediate illness.
Only when heartburn occurs very frequently, pain occurs regularly or changes in the mucous membrane of the esophagus are present, one speaks of a “reflux disease”. The complaints are then typically aggravated by lying down, alcohol, smoking and stress.
Indications of pathological belching
Frequent belching in itself is not dangerous. What is unpleasant are accompanying symptoms such as foul breath, chest pain or nausea. Nighttime heartburn can result in sleep disturbances. A constant feeling of fullness, in turn, can lead to weight loss.
If the mucous membrane of the esophagus comes into contact with the acidic gastric juice over a long period of time, pathological changes can occur in the mucous membrane cells – even cancer cells can then develop.
In rare cases, belching may be an indication of an obstruction to the passage of the food pulp in the gastrointestinal tract, such as a tumor. If, in addition to belching, there is difficulty swallowing or weight loss, a doctor should be consulted to rule out a serious cause.
Change eating habits
To avoid increased air production, it may already be helpful to change your diet:
- Carbonated drinks such as beer, soda and cola bring potentially causative gases into the stomach.
- Foods that stimulate gas production should be consumed in moderation or not at all if you are experiencing discomfort. These include raw vegetable salads, cabbage, onions, whole grains and legumes.
- In addition, conscious and slow eating is recommended to swallow as little air as possible. Focus on the food and do not talk while chewing.
Remedies and home remedies for constant belching.
After a meal, exercise can help boost digestion to prevent uncomfortable belching. A digestive walk is better than a nap for digestion in this case. If you suffer from acid regurgitation and chest pain, it helps to keep your upper body elevated when sleeping – for example, with additional pillows.
In this case, irritants such as alcohol, nicotine and particularly fatty or sweet foods should be avoided. Relief can also be provided by deflating teas made from caraway or fennel. If none of this helps or if pain occurs, a doctor should be consulted.
13 tips for prevention
The following tips can help you prevent belching:
- Still water instead of carbonated drinks.
- Eat slowly and consciously
- Talk or eat – but not both at the same time
- Chew thoroughly
- Consume fatty food only in moderation
- Reduce food that is difficult to digest
- Sleep with the upper body elevated
- Reduce stress
- Avoid alcohol, coffee and nicotine
- Many small meals instead of a few large
- Take dinner three to four hours before bedtime
- A digestive walk is better than a nap
- No tight pants or tight belts
