It can be uncomfortable in some situations when you need to burp but are unable to. Learn how to make yourself burp in this article.
What is Burping?
Burping is the expelling of excess air in your upper digestive tract through your mouth. Every time you swallow, you ingest air, and the air that is released by burping is a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen. When you eat or drink or talk while eating, you ingest a certain amount of air. This air stays
in the esophagus and escapes through your mouth. This is called a burp.
Burping is accompanied by a sound that is both unpleasant and embarrassing when done in public. However, it is an entirely natural way of expelling the excess air in your digestive tract. It keeps your stomach from bloating due to the excess air.
Help babies to burp till they are around 4 to 6 months of age as otherwise, the air can make their tummies ache and make them uncomfortable.
Causes of Burping
Swallowing excess air while eating or drinking too fast, talking too fast, while chewing gum, when consuming carbonated drinks, alcohol or smoking are one of the most typical causes of burping. Those who suffer from GERD or acid reflux also tend to burp often.
Some medications like laxatives, pain killers, heartburn medications, and sugar control drugs can cause you to burp. Chronic burping may be caused by gastritis, weak stomach muscles, lactose intolerance, malabsorption of certain foods, and stomach infections or ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori.
Ways to Reduce or Prevent Burps
You can reduce burping by eating and drinking slowly, avoiding smoking, alcohol, carbonated beverages, chewing gum, wearing well-fitting dentures, treating heartburn and GERD, and doing light exercise like walking. It is better to identify and avoid foods that may lead to gas production like
dairy products, starchy, sugary, or fibrous foods, beans, lentils, cabbage, peas, and onions, to name a few. Home remedies include drinking herbal teas, and sometimes anti-gas medication and probiotic supplements may be necessary.
How to Make Yourself Burp
Sometimes, you may have the uncomfortable sensation of being full but cannot expel the air within your digestive tract. Drinking carbonated beverages help trigger burps. Consuming herbal teas like ginger, chamomile and peppermint may help as well. Likewise, Antacids help to release a burp.
You can make a concoction drink by steeping cumin and fennel in boiling water and drink it to release the gas from your stomach. Additionally, walking and moving might as well help in releasing the excess air. Or you can try doing yoga or other light exercises to induce a burp.
Stimulating the gag reflex can help to release the air. Another method is to sit up straight and breathe intensely to force a burp. An effective way to trigger a burp is to exhale through your nose, keeping your throat closed. This will exert pressure on your stomach to push air through your esophagus. Sucking in air through your mouth and then blocking the mouth opening with your tongue can also trigger a burp.
When to Seek Medical Advice
Burping 3 to 6 times after a meal is considered normal. But, burping more than that can point to an underlying problem like GERD. Suppose your burps are consistently more than normal and it does not resolve with food and lifestyle modifications, home remedies, and simple medication. In that case, it is better to seek medical advice. If your stomach bloating isn’t relieved by burping, then consult your doctor.
Watch out for other conditions that may accompany your burping problem, such as, diarrhea, abdominal pain, a change in the color and frequency of your stools, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, blood in the stool, nausea, and vomiting. These may point to an underlying problem that needs to be medically treated.