Belching and flatulence (passing gas) are natural bodily processes but may require proper treatment if occurs frequently or are accompanied by bloating, pain, or abdominal distention. These issues disrupt your routine activities and may cause embarrassment among a group of people.
Heartburn is acid reflux that leads to pain rising from the stomach to the chest, giving a feeling as if you are having pain in the heart. Usually, such conditions do not indicate any severe disease and are managed efficiently by home remedies and lifestyle changes.
What is belching, and how to reduce it?
In common words, belching is called burping. It is a method of expelling excess air from your body through the upper digestive tract. The most common cause of belching is swallowing extra air that accumulates in the esophagus.
People can swallow air if they drink or eat too fast, talk while eating, drink carbonated drinks, or smoke. Acid reflux is also known to cause belching, an especially chronic one.
There are several ways to reduce belching, including, eating and drinking slowly, avoiding beer and carbonated beverages, quitting smoking, chewing gum or sucking on hard candies, getting our dentures checked and corrected, being physically active, and treating acid reflux or GERD.
What is flatulence, and how can you prevent it?
In simplest terms, flatulence is defined as the air buildup in the esophagus. Gas in small intestines is caused when the food isn’t properly broken down during digestion, and bacterias ferment undigested components.
Other causes can be poor absorption of carbohydrates, constipation, change in tiny intestine bacteria, food residue in the colon, and a digestive disorder.
You can prevent flatulence by avoiding certain foods such as beans, grains, cauliflower, lentils, whole grain foods, mushrooms, carbonated drinks, and beer. Fatty food and high fiber content are gas producers.
What is heartburn and how is it treated?
Heartburn or acid reflux is a chest pain that worsens after eating acidic food. Usually, it is not alarming, but in some instances, it is hard for people to tolerate or manage the discomfort and pain of acid reflux. Heartburn symptoms include burning pain in the chest, pain that gets worse when you lie or bend down, and an acidic taste in the mouth. Heartburn happens when stomach acid moves back to the esophagus. When you swallow food, the lower esophageal sphincter(a muscle band) relaxes, allowing food and liquid to pass down into the stomach. THen sphincter tightens. If the sphincter doesn’t work as it should, acid flows back to the esophagus and cause acidity or heartburn.
The treatment options are medications, including Proton pump inhibitors, H2 antagonists, and Antacids. Other treatment plans are lifestyle modifications and home remedies. If you experience several digestive issues altogether, belching, flatulence, and heartburn, it indicates an underlying issue that needs medical intervention without delay.
The best part is that you can avoid these issues by maintaining healthy eating habits and staying physically active.