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Health

Food burps

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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The principle by which belching occurs, including belching of food, is, in essence, very simple.

If a person cannot hold back a burp at the table, and especially in the company of other people who share a meal with him, this certainly does not characterize him in the best light. However, the essence of such cases lies not only in the violation of the rules of etiquette. Or rather, not only, but rather, not so much in what can be considered a sign of bad manners and tactlessness, but in the fact that belching can signal the presence of various disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

When the stomach contracts and the cardiac valve opens, acting as a sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus, a certain portion of the contents moves to the oral cavity. That is, such belching is a phenomenon of minor vomiting, occurring without effort and often against the background of the process of expulsion from the stomach of excess air that may appear there after eating.

Based on the characteristics of the belching that occurs, it becomes possible to determine the reason for its occurrence and what disorders in the processes occurring in the body cause it. Thus, belching with a sour taste is accompanied by the fact that an environment with a high content of gastric juice is formed in the stomach. And a strongly expressed sour belching may indicate that there is increased acidity or an insufficient amount of hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice. Bitter belching appears as a consequence of bile entering the stomach from the duodenum. Rotten putrefactive belching is caused by the decomposition of food during its prolonged stay in conditions of low acidity, which can occur in the stomach, where as a result of this, a stagnant process occurs. This type of belching can also act as a sign of a developing ulcer and stomach cancer.

Belching of food, when it becomes systematic, requires mandatory medical consultation and examination to establish the objective causes of this phenomenon.

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Causes of burping food

As such, belching is a fairly common phenomenon associated with the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and in a healthy state of the body.

The occurrence of belching is caused by physiological movements inherent in peristalsis, which is accompanied by an increase in pressure in the stomach and a simultaneous weakening of the sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus. The result of this is that some of the air that entered the stomach during eating rushes towards the oral cavity. In some cases, a certain amount of previously eaten food may also be involved in this process, which acts as a cause of belching food.

Belching with food or having its smell can occur as a result of slowing down the transport of stomach contents into the duodenum. This can be said based on the fact that the appearance of such belching is noted even after 8 or more hours after eating.

The following are also prerequisites for the occurrence of belching with food. When a person actively talks while eating, eats food in a hurry, without chewing it enough, or is in a strong emotional state, he tends to swallow air along with the food. Subsequently, the stomach gets rid of the excess pressure that arises in it through belching. And if it is extremely full as a result of overeating and intemperance in food, this does not exclude the possibility that some amount of gastric contents may end up in the oral cavity along with the air.

However, not only those factors that are related to the way in which food is consumed, how a person eats, are important, but also what products are present in the diet. In particular, immoderate consumption of highly carbonated drinks, ice cream, milk, onions, cabbage, legumes leads to an increase in gas-forming processes in the stomach.

The reasons for belching food can be very different, and although this phenomenon in itself may not cause any concern, nevertheless, if such cases become more frequent, it can become a harbinger of such serious problems as the development of pancreatitis, gastritis, gastroduodenitis, gallbladder damage, esophageal hernia and ulcers.

Symptoms of burping food

When healthy people belch, together with air from the stomach, together with some of the air accumulated there after eating, a small part of the recently eaten food may enter the esophagus and then into the oral cavity. Belching itself is a completely natural physiological process inherent in the human body. Another thing is that the contents of the stomach in the mouth during belching in some cases may be in quantities that bring such belching closer to being classified as vomiting.

Symptoms of belching food often occur after a person has eaten too much and too much. Especially if the process of absorbing food was accompanied by drinking it with highly carbonated drinks, leading to an increased gas content in the stomach. A characteristic symptom accompanying this is the appearance of bloating. In addition, pain may occur in the abdomen, constipation may appear, or, conversely, diarrhea with flatulence. Nausea and vomiting often become companions, or each of these manifestations may occur separately. In addition, a person may suffer from heartburn.

Thus, the combination of the above manifestations characterizes the symptoms of belching food, but on the other hand, it, in turn, can act as one of the characteristic phenomena in gastric, liver diseases, gallbladder diseases, and in disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Constant burping of food

Since belching is, by and large, an integral aspect of the functioning of the human body, first of all, it is necessary to understand when it can be considered as not going beyond the limits of what is considered normal, and in what cases it is said that it occurs with an abnormally high frequency. In a healthy state of the body, belching usually occurs about 4 times after eating. When this number reaches a value exceeding this value, this may indicate some pathology.

Constant belching of food, which is reflexive in nature, in many cases accompanies the course of many diseases of the internal organs, including stomach diseases, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and gall bladder. High systematicity of spontaneously occurring processes of expulsion of air from the stomach together with a certain amount of food can be caused by existing disorders of the function of closing the sphincter separating the stomach from the esophagus. This can occur as a consequence of surgical intervention on the gastrointestinal tract, and also in the presence of a hernia in the diaphragm.

Constant belching is often provoked by neuropathy in its autonomous form, in which damage to the nerves providing innervation of the digestive tract is noted. As a result, the movement of food in the esophagus, and further in the stomach and intestines occurs unevenly, since the rhythm of muscle contractions is disturbed. As a result, the evacuation of contents is delayed, and prerequisites for the development of reflux are created.

Constant belching of food is mainly a reflection of negative processes occurring in the body in the internal organs associated with digestive functions. Due to this, in order to cure such belching, it is necessary first of all to take measures against the underlying disease that causes it.

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Diagnosis of belching food

Diagnosis of belching food is carried out on the basis of a thorough study of the anamnesis of a person who has sought medical help for this reason. During a consultation with a medical specialist, he clarifies information in terms of how long ago the patient noted its initial appearance, how often such belching occurs, in what time interval after eating it occurs, how long it usually lasts.

In the process of establishing a diagnosis, it is necessary to either confirm or exclude the presence of gastrointestinal diseases: gastritis, cholecystitis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.

Mandatory laboratory tests are prescribed. The person is sent for a clinical blood test, as well as for biochemistry. Stool is submitted for possible detection of hidden blood in it. It is also necessary to conduct a coprogram.

Diagnostic measures using instrumental research methods are advisable. They are carried out using ultrasound diagnostics, colonoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, breathing diagnostics in order to identify or refute the presence of Helicobacter pylori. In addition, the amount of gastric acid production is tested.

Diagnosis of belching food allows, based on the results of the prescribed necessary studies and analyses, to develop a plan for rational treatment of the underlying disease, which is the main cause causing involuntary belching of food. Belching itself does not require any special treatment.

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Treating Belching with Food

Treatment of belching with food is selected taking into account those specific factors of the patient's body condition that cause the occurrence of such a phenomenon. It is possible that as a result of all the required diagnostic measures taken, it becomes possible with good reason to exclude from the number of probable causes the presence of any disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Treatment in this case increasingly comes down to recommendations for the patient to be puzzled by the issue of the correct approach to organizing his diet. It is necessary to strictly follow the received medical corrective prescriptions regarding the necessary diet. It is necessary to eat in small portions and chew the food thoroughly. It is necessary to ensure that the diet is balanced in terms of the content of all vitamins and microelements necessary for the normal functioning of the human body.

As for those cases in which it can be stated with complete certainty that belching with food is caused by one or another gastrointestinal disease, the vector of targeted medical action should be directed primarily against this disease. By stopping the negative progress of its development, it will be possible to get rid of belching with food.

Treatment of belching with food, as is obvious from everything we have considered, involves a comprehensive approach, including treatment of the underlying disease that provokes it, as well as organizing a proper diet that helps reduce the risk of its occurrence in the future.

How to get rid of burping food?

It is necessary to seek medical help when it lasts with a large number of repetitions within an hour for at least five days. This may indicate the presence of a certain pathology in the body and requires examination of the person to establish a diagnosis and begin treatment of the underlying disease as its main cause.

And belching food that happens occasionally and does not take place regularly on a permanent basis does not require any special treatment. Its occurrence mainly occurs due to an irrational approach to the issue of proper nutrition.

There are a number of practical recommendations that can be useful in how to get rid of burping food.

The fundamental principle here is the exclusion of those foods that require a long time to digest in the stomach. It is also recommended to limit the consumption of highly carbonated drinks, beer, oxygen cocktails. The diet should be based on the principles of fractional nutrition, adhering to which you need to eat a small portion of food up to five times a day.

In addition, an essential condition in the fight against belching is the correct process of eating, during which you should not rush, but chew everything thoroughly.

You should always eat in moderation, avoiding overeating. And when experiencing the consequences of any stressful situations, in a state of nervous tension, it is better to postpone a meal until you manage to restore calm and mental balance. And during meals, try to refrain from talking at the table.

How to get rid of belching food can also be understood if, by eliminating certain dishes and food products, you come to an understanding of which of them is the main reason for such an individual reaction of the body manifested as belching.

Preventing burping food

Prevention of belching food comes down to a number of relevant rules and principles, following which helps reduce the likelihood of encountering this rather unpleasant phenomenon. Thus, the guide to action in this matter literally suggests the following.

The first thing you need to do is give up foods that lead to increased gas formation in the stomach.

The relevance of the problem of belching can be reduced as the disease recedes in the process of timely treatment of various gastrointestinal diseases that provoke them. After all, such belching often appears against the background of inflammatory processes in the stomach - gastritis, in the gallbladder (cholecystitis), with gastric ulcer and ulcer of the duodenum. Successful treatment of these lesions of the digestive system in the human body prevents the very possibility of belching in connection with them. Therapeutic measures aimed at curing hernias in the diaphragmatic area are also a positive preventive factor against belching with food, since the hernia disrupts the activity of the sphincter separating the esophagus and stomach, due to which food from the stomach can move to the oral cavity.

And of course, we cannot ignore and emphasize once again that the best prevention of many diseases is a healthy lifestyle, moderation in food, quitting smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages only in reasonable quantities. Prevention of belching with food is also no exception.

Food burping prognosis

The prognosis of belching food is determined by the degree of effectiveness of the applied therapeutic measures for a certain disease of the digestive organs, the course of which it accompanies. Belching, in essence, being no more than a characteristic symptom, is not able to lead to an improvement or deterioration of the condition, causing a tendency to positive or negative shifts in the course of the underlying disease.

However, this should in no way inspire confidence that one can neglect treatment and preventive measures taken to prevent the development of diseases that may cause belching of food.

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