Belching: Causes, Emergency Issues, and Treatments

Belching is the act of expelling air from the stomach through the mouth. You can feel the need to burp if you swallow more air than typical, whether due to certain foods, medications, a health condition, or another reason.

What causes belching?

Belching occurs when the stomach fills with swallowed air.

It usually occurs when the stomach expands because of too much swallowed air. Belching, also known as burping or eructation, releases the air to reduce the distention.

There are a number of reasons why more air than normal may be swallowed. The most common reasons are:

eating or drinking too quickly
drinking carbonated beverages
anxiety

Babies and young children may swallow large amounts of air without realizing it. Babies are burped shortly after drinking breast milk or formula to expel the excess air that was swallowed during feeding.

It is possible to belch when the stomach isn’t full of air. This is usually because belching has become a habit or a tool for reducing abdominal discomfort.

Belching will only relieve discomfort associated with swallowing air, however. It’s still not uncommon for people to try to relieve other abdominal discomfort in the same way.

Aerophagia

Aerophagia is the voluntary or involuntary swallowing of air. Swallowing excessive amounts of air can happen when eating or drinking too quickly. It can also occur when:

talking and eating at the same time
chewing gum
sucking on hard candies
drinking through a straw
smoking
wearing poorly-fitted dentures
having an anxiety attack
hyperventilating
breathing through your nose

Foods

Some foods and drinks can also cause more frequent belching. These include carbonated drinks, alcohol, and foods high in starch, sugar, or fiber that cause gas.

Medications

A number of different medications may lead to belching or to disorders that cause belching. These may include:

a type 2 diabetes medication called acarbose
laxatives, such as lactulose and sorbitol
pain medications, such as naproxen, ibuprofen, and aspirin

Excess use of pain medications may cause gastritis, a condition that can cause belching.

Conditions

Some medical conditions may also include belching as a symptom. However, as belching is a natural response to abdominal discomfort, there must be other symptoms present to make a diagnosis.

Conditions that may cause belching include:

gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): a disorder that causes acid from the stomach to flow upward into the esophagus
gastroparesis: a disorder in which the muscles in your stomach wall are weakened
gastritis: a disorder that causes inflammation of the stomach lining
peptic ulcers: sores on the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of your small intestine
lactose intolerance: an inability to properly digest lactose, an ingredient found in dairy products
fructose or sorbitol malabsorption: an inability to properly digest the carbohydrates fructose and sorbitol
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori): bacteria that cause stomach infections, which can increase belching

Less common causes of belching include:

celiac disease: an intolerance to gluten, an ingredient found in many flour-rich foods like breads and crackers
dumping syndrome: a disorder that causes your stomach to empty before its contents have been properly digested
pancreatic insufficiency: a condition that occurs when the pancreas isn’t able to release enzymes needed for digestion

Emergency issues

Belching as a single symptom isn’t usually cause for concern unless it’s frequent or excessive.

How is belching treated?

Normal burping doesn’t require any treatment. However, if belching becomes excessive, you should contact a medical professional to explore possible conditions that may be causing the problem.

Treatment will depend on the cause.

Self-treatment

If you’re belching excessively or if your stomach is distended and you can’t expel the air, lying on your side usually helps. Adopting a knees-to-chest position can also be helpful. Hold the position until the gas passes.

If you often experience belching, you should avoid:

eating and drinking quickly
drinking carbonated beverages
chewing gum

These may make the problem worse.

Medical care

If your burping has become excessive, it’s important to speak with your doctor. Your doctor will gather information on your symptoms by asking questions about when the belching began and if it’s happened before.

They’ll also ask about patterns, such as whether the belching occurs due to nervousness or after consuming a particular food or drink. They may also ask you to keep a food diary for a few days.

Make sure you mention any other symptoms you have, even if you don’t think they’re relevant. This will help your doctor build a full picture of the problem, which will help them find the most likely solution.

Your doctor may examine you physically and could order further tests such as abdominal X-rays or gastric emptying studies. Other tests include:

MRI scans
CT scans
ultrasound scans
maldigestion tests
hydrogen and methane tests

What are the consequences of leaving belching untreated?

Normal belching doesn’t require any treatment and has no complications.

However, if belching has become more frequent due to a digestive system problem, it’s possible that the symptoms will worsen if left untreated. You may also begin to experience other symptoms until the problem is diagnosed and treated.