What Causes Belching | Excess Stomach Gas and Burping Causes

What Causes Belching | Excess Stomach Gas and Burping Causes









The usual cause of belching or burping is the presence of excess gas in your stomach. This gas is then pushed up into your esophagus and out of your mouth, causing you to burp. Belching or burping is normal in day-to-day life. It is experienced by everyone at some point of time. Burping for a short period may be considered normal and may give relief to the person. However, belching and burping for a prolonged period is distressing as well as discomforting.

What Does a Burp or Belch Contain

We need to understand the causes (diet or others) of gas build-up in the stomach that leads to prolonged burping spells.  The stomach gas closely resembles the air in our atmosphere.


The gas that you belch consists of 80% Nitrogen, 17% Oxygen and 3% Carbon Dioxide. Sometimes, belching is violent, but it is mostly odorless. Normally there is no air in the stomach. Some amount of air is swallowed in the stomach while we eat food and drink liquid. Usually the quantity is very less and it may not result in belching. In fact, belching is more pronounced when you keep your mouth wide open to belch. More air is swallowed in than it is expelled out. This leads to repeated belching.


This might explain why an anxious person burps repeatedly. Continuous belching is known as aerophagy.

Common Causes of Belching and Burping

• Some kinds of food that causes a person to produce too much gas in their stomach include fresh fruits, certain vegetables, fizzy drinks like soda and beer. Even fruit juices like apple juice, prune juice, or grape juice may induce a lot of gas in the stomach. But the most common cause for belching is excessive consumption of aerated drinks.


• When you are suffering from a bout of belching, try and remember if you have been swallowing a lot of air. For example, you swallow a lot of air when you chew gum. Other things that may make you suck more air than is necessary is smoking cigars or cigarettes. Sucking on a lollipop or a piece of candy can also be a reason for taking in more air than is necessary.


• There are other underlying health reasons that make a person to belching a lot. In digestive disorders, like peptic ulcers and gall stone problems, a person may try to belch too much in anticipation of relieving the abdominal pain and discomfort. They consider stomach gas as a triggering factor.


• Lactose intolerance can increase stomach gases when you drink milk. It is one of the causes of excessive burping or belching. In such cases, stop drinking for a few days. When you start again, drink half the amount you were drinking earlier.


• Other reason for burping is drinking too much water or other liquid along with your meals. This results in stress on the abdomen, as the stomach acid gets diluted.


• You may often burp when you eat in hurry as more air is swallowed.


• Sometimes yeast creates stomach gas. This is known as Candida Albicans. This yeast hampers the creation of digestive enzyme and stomach acid which results in burping.


• Other causes of burping are anxiety and intake of soda using a straw.