Belching can be an important symptom of some serious illness. For example, peptic ulcer. Nikita Novozhilov, a gastroenterologist at the Ilyinsky hospital, told socialbites.ca about this.
“During filling, it is considered normal for the stomach to expand and the pressure inside it to start to increase. At the same time, the pressure relief mechanism works, as in a double boiler: the upper lid opens, that is, the entrance to the stomach from the esophagus opens and part of the stomach gas goes up, which is the cause of physiological belching. ,” he explained.
Another example of physiological belching is regurgitation after feeding in newborns. In a child, this is due to the structural features of the larynx and esophagus.
“Pathological belching is not associated with a heavy meal and can occur spontaneously, at rest or under stress. This can happen even when taking a sip of water or a small amount of food, ”the expert emphasized.
According to the doctor, belching in this case can be both airy (or “empty”) and content: stomach acid, bile and even the contents of the stomach, partially digested food. In the latter case, burping is referred to as regurgitation or regurgitation, by analogy with how it occurs in infancy.
“The danger of pathological belching lies in the fact that neither the esophagus, nor the throat nor the larynx are suitable for contact with aggressive digestive juices, leading to erosion, ulceration and even bleeding. There is also a risk of stomach contents entering the respiratory tract, which threatens with respiratory disorders,” the gastroenterologist warned.
A common cause of belching is an extremely common disease in which the valve between the esophagus and stomach is broken – GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). In about a third of cases, the disease leads to chronic non-healing inflammation of the esophagus, the severity of which does not correspond to the patient’s symptoms. Proper treatment requires an objective diagnosis, and self-medication can not only silence and mask symptoms, but also lead to complications.
“Another disease that causes foul-smelling belching is peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum. Swelling of the stomach wall or duodenum with an open ulcer prevents the normal movement of food from the stomach, which leads to food retention and fermentation. In this case, the gases formed come out in the form of burping,” noted the doctor.
Peptic ulcer is well diagnosed and successfully treated, but untreated disease often leads to life-threatening complications: gastric bleeding, perforation of the wall, peritonitis.
Therefore, if you begin to notice that frequent burping or burping has an unpleasant odor, you should make an appointment with a gastroenterologist.
“The specialist will determine the first method for an objective examination: it can be gastroscopy (as a rule, everything starts with it) or computed tomography of the chest or abdominal cavity, depending on the task that the doctor has set. According to the results of the examination, the most appropriate tactic will be selected for treating the disease that caused the belching. As a rule, drug therapy is used in the treatment, but if complications are detected, surgical intervention may be required,” the doctor concluded.
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Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.