Burping: When should you be worried about the frequency of your burps?

Burping can be embarrassing and uncomfortable, but often, it is not a sign of any serious condition. However, when you find yourself letting out excess air through your mouth more frequently than usual, you should be concerned.

What is burping?

Burping or belching occurs when the body releases excess gas from the digestive tract through the mouth. In most cases, belching happens when one swallows excess air when eating or drinking.

This air hardly ever reaches the stomach, but accumulates in the oesophagus until it comes back up. Some other reasons while we belch include:

• Drinking carbonated beverages
• Chewing gum
• Eating too quickly or talking while eating
• Sucking on hard candies
• Smoking

Foods high in fat or oil can cause heartburn, which can make you burp. Caffeinated beverages or alcohol could have similar effects.

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How much burping is too much?

Experts say belchingat least four times after a meal is normal; if your frequency is significantly higher than that, you may want to see a doctor. Belching too often may be a sign of any of these health conditions:

• Acid reflux, also known as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs when acid in your stomach flows back into your oesophagus and causes heartburn. Some experts believe that a person with acid reflux may force air down their oesophagus, either consciously or unconsciously, as a way of relieving their symptoms. A mild case of this condition can be resolved by over-the-counter medicines. If it becomes too much, diet change or prescription drugs could help.

• Indigestion causes pain or discomfort in your upper stomach and could result in burping, bloating, heartburn, nausea, or vomiting.
• Helicobacter pylori or chronic belching may also be related to inflammation of the stomach lining or to an infection with Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium responsible for some stomach ulcers. In these cases, the belching is accompanied by other symptoms, such as heartburn or abdominal pain.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can also cause belly cramps, bloating, and diarrhoea or constipation.

To stop burping, you can manage the factors responsible for it in the first place by eating more slowly, drinking less carbonated beverages, reducing your consumption of caffeinated beverages, and quitting smoking.