Belching - Facts And Remedies
June 22nd, 2007
- Belching is also known as burping or eructating.
- Belching is an act of driving air or gas out of the stomach upwards through the mouth. This is due to a distended (inflated) stomach caused by swallowed air or gas.
- Hiatal hernia occurs when a portion of the stomach bulges through the diaphragm, out of the abdomen and up into the chest cavity. The valve (called lower esophageal sphincter or LES) between the esophagus and the stomach often moves above the diaphragm. In most cases there are no symptoms, however a weakened LES can cause acid to reflux into the lower portion of the esophagus which leads to heartburn, belching, distension, difficulty in swallowing and regurgitation (of stomach juices and nausea).
- Overeating can bring about stomach discomfort and distension which triggers burping.
- Tight clothing increases the pressure on the abdomen which can obstruct smooth air traffic flow resulting in flatus or belching.
- Belching, yelping, eye blinking, head jerking, shoulder shrugging are some of the tics associated with Tourette syndrome (an inherited disorder of the nervous system). Tics are repeated involuntary movements and uncontrollable vocal sounds.
- Chewing gum and smoking produce saliva. More saliva means more air to be swallowed.
- The act of gulping, sipping or sucking can introduce more air into the stomach.
- Mints, chocolates, onions and tomatoes relax the muscle situated at the lower end of the esophagus and allowing air from the stomach to escape by belching. The esophagus goes through an opening (the hiatus) in the diaphragm to connect to the stomach. While coffee or tea, fatty or spicy foods can increase stomach acidity.
- For some individuals, belching is either a habit and is not dependent on the amount of air in the stomach or a response to any type of abdominal discomfort.
- When belching fails to ease discomfort then it should serve as a sign that something may be wrong within the abdomen. Consult a physician.
- Patting on a baby’s back causes it to belch. Babies need to burp so as to expel the air taken in during feeding. To make it easier for the infant to expel the air, hold him in an upright position so that the air stays above the milk in his stomach. To control the amount of air swallowed during feeding, limit drinking time to about 10 minutes.
- Animals are also capable of burping. Certain animals can produce a sound when they breathe in air and then belch it out immediately.
Remedies
- Avoid frizzy drinks and sipping hot drinks.
- Stop smoking.
- Chew on food slowly and thoroughly.
- For problems related to heartburn, indigestion and stomach upset due to overreacting, try taking 1 ounce of noni juice after meal, either before or after symptoms emerge. Take another ounce if symptoms persist after a few minutes.
Ms. Isabelle Navarre-Brown writes in “76 Ways to Use Noni Fruit Juice” (Direct Source, 2001) that for chronic indigestion, try taking 3 ounces of noni juice a day. Take 1 of these 3 ounces a few minutes before each meal. If discomfort is felt afterwards, take more noni after the meal. Taking an ounce before each meal can help to curb appetite if one tends to overeat. Drink at least a glass of water after drinking every 30ml (1 ounce) of noni juice to help the body absorb the juice and flush toxins from the system.
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