Air Swallowing: Causes, Treatment & Help

Aerophagia is a condition in which there is excess air in the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by chronic stomach cramps, bloating and, somewhat rarely, shortness of breath. The cause is usually the swallowing of air with increased mouth breathing or chewing, swallowing and speaking too quickly. In most cases, aerophagia remains harmless and is treated via breathing as well as speech training; however, severe aerophagia can cause the esophagus to rupture because of the altered air pressure conditions in the stomach.

What is air swallowing?

Aerophagy is a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Typical symptoms include abdominal pain, stomach cramps, bloating, and increased belching. Aerophagia is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Typical symptoms include abdominal pain, stomach cramps, bloating and increased belching. Patients often also experience a persistent feeling of fullness or even shortness of breath. The cause of these symptoms is an excess of air in the digestive system, which sometimes presses uncomfortably on the lungs, which explains the feeling of shortness of breath. Excess air in the stomach occurs when the patient swallows excessive amounts of air. Up to a certain extent, air swallowing is normal and remains entirely without consequences. Excess air is then expelled by regurgitation. However, excessive amounts of air can no longer be regulated by mere regurgitation. Above a certain amount of air, oxygen thus enters the small intestine, which can result in painful gastrointestinal cramps and chronic flatulence.

Causes

Among the most common causes of aerophagia is a stuffy nose or other respiratory problem that forces the patient to breathe through the mouth. While breathing through the nose does not allow masses of air to enter the stomach, mouth breathing sometimes causes large amounts of air to be swallowed, resulting in painful oxygen accumulation in the small intestine. However, food intake can also be causative for aerophagia. People who eat or drink too quickly, for example, swallow an extremely large amount of air. People who drink a lot of carbonated beverages are particularly at risk. If you also like to chew gum, particularly large quantities of air collect in the stomach and penetrate as far as the small intestine. In some cases, aerography also occurs when a patient speaks too quickly. Another cause can be poorly fitted dentures. Sometimes, however, aerophagia is the concomitant of another disease. For example, allergy sufferers with lactose intolerance often suffer from the phenomenon.

Diseases with this symptom

  • Allergy
  • Lactose intolerance
  • Three-month colic

Diagnosis and course

We speak of actual aerophagia only when the patient suffers from persistent discomfort. If individual symptoms of those mentioned above occur only sporadically, then it is probably not the phenomenon, but a normal regulatory phenomenon of the gastrointestinal tract. However, someone who suffers from bloating and stomach cramps continuously for three months within a year, for example, may be affected by aerophagy. The physician makes the diagnosis mainly on the basis of the patient’s medical history, which gives him important information about the patient’s individual eating and speaking behavior. Under certain circumstances, the physician rules out other clinical pictures via differential diagnostic procedures and secures the diagnosis of aerophagia by listening to the patient with a stethoscope. In most cases, aerophagia is not further threatening in its course. Only in extreme cases do variants of the disease occur that cause the esophagus to rupture due to a greatly increased air pressure in the stomach. Such extreme cases can sometimes occur if the patient does not initiate measures to stop swallowing air after being diagnosed with aerophagia.

Complications

In principle, air swallowing should be regarded as an extremely unpleasant but harmless symptom. Nevertheless, complications can also occur in the context of air swallowing. In general, all consequences of air swallowing in a broader sense can be understood as a “complication”. Thus, there is usually more or less severe abdominal pain and quite severe flatulence. These symptoms usually represent a burden for the patient. There is sometimes a strong feeling of discomfort.However, if air swallowing is very pronounced, serious complications may arise that can endanger the health and sometimes even the life of the patient. Particularly in small children, there is a risk of intestinal obstruction in the context of a strongly pronounced air swallow. Such an obstruction is considered life-threatening and requires immediate therapy in the hospital. Another possible complication, which can occur in extreme cases, is rupture of the esophagus. This complication, which is also life-threatening, occurs when large amounts of air are swallowed, exerting a strong pressure on the esophagus that it ultimately can no longer withstand. In addition, respiratory distress can occur in the setting of severe flatulence, which is common with air swallowing.

When should you go to the doctor?

It is perfectly normal to swallow air when eating or drinking. It is not necessary to consult a doctor because of this. Sufferers can chew more consciously and slowly and should avoid carbonated drinks. However, unintentional air swallowing can lead to such amounts of air in the abdomen that the abdomen is severely distended. The affected person has the feeling that the heart is being squeezed out of him. It is true that self-treatment with Lefax, fennel or caraway tea can be used here. But it is better if the doctor investigates the causes of the increased swallowing of air. Aerophagy can cause severe discomfort, flatulence and chronic gastrointestinal symptoms in adults. Especially when this phenomenon occurs in children, it can lead to serious complications. Therefore, if children repeatedly complain of abdominal pain, a visit to the pediatrician should be considered. Air swallowing can have such dramatic effects in children that it can lead to gastric volvulus, intestinal obstructions or breathing difficulties. Immediate action is necessary when such sequelae are suspected. Without timely medical intervention, life may well be in danger. The physician can test affected adults for food intolerances. He can question dietary, drinking and eating habits. The physician should also rule out psychosomatic reasons for the air swallowing. In the worst case, air swallowing in adults can lead to tears in the esophagus.

Treatment and therapy

The treatment of air swallowing is a causative one. Thus, in therapy, the patient learns to stop the very habits that caused the excess air in the stomach. One starting point, for example, is learning to chew and swallow emphatically slowly with the mouth completely closed. In individual cases, a change in diet may be indicated. Carbonated beverages as well as coffee and chewing gum are eliminated in the course of this, for example. Wrong speech habits can be adjusted in logopedic care if they are related to the excess air in the digestive tract. Often the therapy is accompanied by breathing exercises to relax the patient. On the other hand, the patient learns about nasal breathing during these exercises. In some cases, yoga practices are used for the purpose of breathing exercises. If the air swallowing is related to medical devices or dental implants, the therapy responsible for the excess air may be replaced or switched. Herbal teas such as fennel or chamomile are often used to relieve acute symptoms. Appropriate medications may be able to regulate gas formation in the intestinal tract. In rare cases, the administration of sedatives accompanies the course of therapy. This measure becomes necessary, for example, for severely frightened patients or people with mental disabilities.

Outlook and prognosis

Air swallowing represents a relatively harmless symptom. It has no medical effect on the human body, but it can be very uncomfortable for the patient. In most cases, air swallowing causes severe flatulence, abdominal pain, and severe belching after eating. Often, the flatulence also presses on the lungs, so that breathing difficulties may occur. However, this is relatively rare. This condition is physiological in babies and young children. The affected person has a feeling of being bloated and suffers from very severe flatulence. Such bloating can be very uncomfortable, especially in a social setting, and can lead to social problems.As a rule, the problem can be easily treated, as it is caused by incorrect food intake and breathing technique. In any case, the treatment should be carried out together with a doctor so that the air swallowing disappears. As a rule, air swallowing occurs mainly in stressful situations, and a conversation with a psychologist can be helpful in analyzing these situations. Treatment can also be carried out with medications, whereby these primarily prevent and combat flatulence after air swallowing. The air swallowing itself must be treated by the patient.

Prevention

Air swallowing can be prevented via emphatically slow chewing and swallowing with the mouth closed. Deliberately slow speech is also a suitable preventive measure. In terms of diet, avoiding carbonated beverages serves as a preventive measure. Relaxation practices and conscious nasal breathing can also help to circumvent the disease. It may additionally be necessary to clarify allergies, as this can be used to identify lactose intolerances, for example, which can play an increased role in the development of aerophagia.

What you can do yourself

If someone is having trouble swallowing air, they should take action. It is possible that the lack of air balance is due to poor eating habits or an excess of carbonated drinks. Lack of exercise can also play a role, because a sluggish intestine cannot expel too much ingested air. The first thing to do is to check eating habits and find out why too much air is being swallowed. It is possible that the eater is stressed or distracted while gulping down food. In this case, slowing down the eating and conscious chewing can bring improvement. Eating consciously often provides relief. In the case of aerophagia, sufferers should prefer to drink still water. If there is a suspicion of having swallowed too much air again, gentle abdominal massages can provide relief. A walk after each meal serves to stimulate intestinal peristalsis. Sufferers can provide short-term relief with fennel tea. If air swallowing becomes a psychological problem, a physician should be consulted.