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Belching, gas and bloating can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Here’s what causes these signs and symptoms — and how you can minimize them.
Belching or passing gas (flatus) is natural and common. Excessive belching or flatus, accompanied by bloating, pain or distention, can occasionally interfere with daily activities or cause embarrassment. But these signs and symptoms usually don’t represent any serious underlying condition and are often decreased with simple lifestyle measures.
When belching, gas or bloating interfere with your daily activities, there may be something wrong. Find out how to reduce or avoid gas and gas pains, and when you may need to see your doctor.
Belching: Getting rid of excess air
Belching, or burping, is your body’s way of expelling excess air from your upper digestive tract. Most belching is caused by swallowing excess air. This air most often never even reaches the stomach but accumulates in the esophagus.
You may swallow excess air if you eat or drink too fast, talk while you eat, chew gum or suck on hard candies, drink carbonated beverages, or smoke. Some people swallow air as a nervous habit — even when they’re not eating or drinking. This is called aerophobia.
Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can sometimes cause excessive belching by promoting increased swallowing. Chronic belching may be related to inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis) 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.
You can reduce belching if you:
Flatulence: Gas buildup in the intestines
Gas in the small intestine or colon is typically caused by the digestion or fermentation of undigested food, such as plant fiber or certain sugars (carbohydrates), by bacteria found in the colon. Gas can also form when your digestive system doesn’t completely break down certain components in foods, such as gluten or the sugar in dairy products and fruit.
Other sources of intestinal gas may include:
To prevent excess gas, it may help to:
Bloating: Common but incompletely understood
Bloating is a sensation of abdominal fullness. Distension is a visible or measurable increase in abdominal size. People often describe abdominal symptoms as bloating, especially if those symptoms don’t seem to be relieved by belching, passing gas or having a bowel movement.
The exact connection between intestinal gas and bloating is not fully understood. Many people with bloating symptoms don’t have any more gas in the intestine than do other people. Many people, particularly those with irritable bowel syndrome or anxiety, may have a greater sensitivity to abdominal symptoms and intestinal gas, rather than an excess amount.
Nonetheless, bloating may be relieved by the behavioral changes that reduce belching or the dietary changes that reduce flats.
When to see your doctor
Excessive belching, passing gas and bloating often resolve on their own or with simple changes. If these are the only symptoms you have, they rarely represent any serious underlying condition.
Consult your doctor if your symptoms don’t improve with simple changes, particularly if you also notice:
These signs and symptoms could signal an underlying digestive condition. Intestinal symptoms can be embarrassing — but don’t let embarrassment keep you from seeking help