Belching (eructation) occurs when gas escapes from the stomach and esophagus through the mouth, and may be accompanied by a characteristic sound and an unpleasant odor. Normally, the passage of excess air occurs slowly and imperceptibly. A physiological symptom occurs in infants due to immature digestion, but the regular appearance of erection in adulthood is a sign of a problem.
Causes of belching after eating in adults
Belching is often a consequence of overeating
Most often, an unpleasant symptom occurs against the background of overeating or errors in diet. Its appearance is promoted by swallowing air during a quick meal, consuming foods that increase gas formation (legumes, cabbage, carbonated drinks). The cause of erection is sometimes a situation when, immediately after eating, a person begins to actively move, bend over, and engage in physical labor. Pregnant women often experience uncontrolled belching of gases, which is associated with an enlarged uterus and compression of other organs.
The cause of belching after eating in adults can be any of the following diseases of the digestive system:
- pathologies of the stomach - chronic gastritis, decreased production of hydrochloric acid, gastric atony, peptic ulcer;
- gastroduodenal reflux (GERD);
- chronic pancreatitis;
- biliary dyskinesia;
- cholelithiasis;
- chronic cholecystitis and cholangitis;
- enterocolitis;
- dysbacteriosis;
- constipation;
- intestinal helminthiases.
Rare causes of belching after eating in adults include neuropsychiatric pathologies - gastroneurosis with aerophagia (swallowing air), panic attacks, neurasthenia.
Causes of sour belching not related to diseases
First of all, belching, which leaves behind a sour aftertaste, may be associated with poor nutrition.
This symptom often worries people who are prone to overeating, eat very quickly, “on the go,” and talk while eating. Our expert in this field:
Tafintseva Ekaterina Anatolevna
Head of hospital, general practitioner
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The functioning of the lower esophageal sphincter is not well affected by carbonated drinks, caffeine, and alcohol. Sour burps plague lovers of tonics (soda + caffeine), beer and champagne (soda + alcohol).
In obese people, pressure in the abdominal cavity is increased, which contributes to the occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux. The situation is aggravated by related problems associated with excess weight: diabetes, sedentary lifestyle.
The increased tendency of smokers to sour belches is due to three reasons:
- while smoking a person swallows air;
- Cigarette smoke helps relax the lower esophageal sphincter;
- Nicotine and other substances contained in smoke increase the production of hydrochloric acid.
During pregnancy, hormonal changes occur in the body; the uterus, growing, puts more and more pressure on the internal organs, displacing them upward. Therefore, many women preparing to become mothers complain of heartburn and sour belching.
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Types of belching in adults and children
Taking into account the characteristics of the regurgitated contents, several options for erection are distinguished:
- By air. The gases released do not have an unpleasant taste or odor; the symptom often occurs due to physiological reasons. It is not accompanied by other signs of gastrointestinal pathology, develops episodically and does not cause significant inconvenience to the patient.
- Sour. It occurs in diseases of the stomach and duodenum, which are characterized by increased synthesis of hydrochloric acid. After erection, a person feels a sour taste in the mouth and heartburn.
- Rotten egg. The release of gases with a putrid odor indicates stagnation of food in the stomach, as a result of which nutrients begin to rot and decompose. Patients may also be concerned about heaviness and fullness in the epigastrium, nausea, and loss of appetite.
- Bitter. A typical symptom of pathology of the liver and biliary tract. The bitter taste occurs due to the backflow of bile into the stomach and esophagus.
How to deal with sour burps?
Often, in order to get rid of sour burps, it is enough to start eating right, giving up soda, coffee and alcohol, and normalizing weight.
To combat this unpleasant symptom, antacids (drugs that neutralize hydrochloric acid in the stomach), H2 antagonists and proton pump inhibitors (reduce the production of hydrochloric acid), prokinetics (normalize gastric motility and accelerate the evacuation of its contents into the intestine) are used.
These medications only relieve discomfort. But, if they are caused by any disease, you need to look for and eliminate its causes. The minimum program is a visit to a gastroenterologist and gastroscopy. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe other studies and tests.
An examination by a doctor and an examination do not take much time (at the Medicine 24/7 clinic everything can be done quickly and conveniently, in one place - we have modern diagnostic equipment and our own laboratory), but they help to establish a diagnosis in a timely manner, begin treatment and avoid serious complications. Make an appointment with a gastroenterologist by phone
Principles of treatment
If belching persists even after following a diet, drug treatment is necessary.
Occasional belching of air in adults does not require drug therapy. A person is recommended to review his diet and switch to frequent split meals (up to 6 times a day). You need to chew your food slowly and not talk while eating so as not to swallow air. Bean products and all types of cabbage should be excluded from the menu, avoid highly carbonated drinks, and limit the consumption of fermented milk products.
In order not to provoke belching, after eating it is advisable to take short walks, which help digestion and prevent the reflux of gases into the oral cavity. You should avoid wearing tight clothing and tight belts that compress the stomach. Patients who regularly suffer from regurgitation of gases should limit exercises on the abdominal muscles.
Frequent and long-lasting erection is an indication for medication. Taking into account the reason, the following groups of drugs are prescribed:
- prokinetics – improve gastrointestinal motility, accelerate the movement of food masses and gases through the intestines;
- antacids – reduce the acidity of gastric juice, so they effectively cope with sour belching;
- proton pump inhibitors – reduce the secretion of hydrochloric acid, help eliminate acid erection and heartburn for a long time;
- enterosorbents - activated carbon well absorbs and removes gases formed in the digestive tract, helps with frequent belching of air;
- choleretic – prevent stagnation of bile, normalize the functioning of the biliary system and successfully treat bitter erection;
- pancreatic enzymes - improve the digestion and absorption of food, therefore they are good for belching gases with a rotten smell.
To improve digestion, medicinal methods are complemented by taking medicinal mineral waters. Their composition and pH are selected depending on the nature of the gastrointestinal tract disturbances and the immediate cause of belching.
Causes of belching air and stomach pain
Belching along with painful sensations is not a separate disease, but signs of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. There is no point in taking measures and treating only these symptoms. You need to find the culprit of their occurrence and eliminate them; the signs will go away on their own. Irritation of the receptors responsible for the feeling of pain leads to unpleasant sensations. Let us note the main reasons why pain and belching appear together in healthy people:
- Eating fruit after meals. Fruits are healthy foods, but they contain organic acids that react with minerals found in other foods. This reaction is often the culprit of unpleasant sensations.
- Hot bath. The process of a relaxing, pleasant procedure immediately after eating can end unpleasantly. This is due to poor circulation. The blood concentrates in the extremities, decreases in the stomach area, resulting in a headache, stomach pain, and there is a risk of regurgitating the contents of the stomach.
- Sleep on a full stomach. Sleeping after eating disrupts proper digestion, resulting in heaviness and bloating in the stomach in the morning.
- Smoking.
Diseases of internal organs
The occurrence of acid belching should not frighten a person if it occurs rarely, after eating or just taking medication. You should think about why sour belching occurs when it occurs frequently. This is often associated with the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
GERD
GERD is a gastroesophageal reflux disease characterized by frequent reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. Doctors consider this pathology chronic, since it is impossible to cure, and a relapse is easy to provoke. If the cause is this disease, then sour belching and diarrhea become constant companions of a person.
The following factors cause the development of GERD:
- stomach and duodenal ulcers;
- disturbances in eating - quick snacks, constant talking at the table and drinking carbonated drinks;
- abnormal location of the sphincter - if it does not sufficiently narrow the passage of the esophagus, a person is always bothered by belching and heartburn.
If measures to prevent the development of GERD are not taken in time, the patient will suffer from increased salivation, constant nausea and an unpleasant sensation in the abdomen and sternum (like a slight burning sensation).
Gastritis
The causes of sour belching and heartburn are often hidden in gastritis. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the mucous membrane on the inner wall of the stomach. Belching with gastritis with increased stomach acidity can be considered a natural symptom. With reduced stomach acidity, a sour taste in the mouth is formed only when the pathology is advanced. Also, the release is provoked by the consumption of salty or fatty foods, alcohol.
Ulcer
Belching with a sour taste can often be felt with previously diagnosed stomach and duodenal ulcers. An ulcer is a lesion of the walls of the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes it leads to internal bleeding, which requires immediate surgical intervention. This disease causes sour belching and stomach pain, heartburn, constipation, and constant nausea before or after meals.
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is also characterized by inflammation of the mucous membrane, which occurs as a result of insufficient secretion of enzymes to digest food. The disease is considered chronic with periodic exacerbations, which occurs as a result of eating spicy and fatty foods. If a person is bothered by sour belching and nausea after eating, then he should consult a physician for examination and diagnosis.
Attention! A sour taste in the mouth and the release of gases through the esophagus will always occur with increased acidity of the stomach. In most cases, such symptoms bother you before eating. If this causes discomfort, you should consult a doctor.
