AEROPHAGIA

Most of us feel bloating or belching at some point in life. This bloating may occur due to air ingestion. We all ingest a slight amount of air during conversations, eating, drinking, or laughing. And it doesn’t cause any discomfort. But, when we gulp too much air, it develops numerous gastrointestinal ailments. This condition is known as aerophagia. Let’s understand this condition more and how to prevent it.

What is aerophagia?

Aerophagia happens when a person ingests too much air repetitively enough to burp frequently or cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Aerophagia or aerophagy can occur because of numerous reasons. But, if you talk or eat quickly or in a stressful situation, you experience it more. In normal circumstances, the inhaled or swallowed air, which is unutilized by the respiratory tract, enters the digestive system and exits as flatulence. But in aerophagia, the person gulps too much air (more than two quarts) and experiences some gastrointestinal symptoms. The symptoms of aerophagia can be short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic).

What are the symptoms of aerophagia?

In normal circumstances, half of the ingested air relieves from burping, and the rest expels as flatulence. But, in aerophagia, the excess air causes numerous gastrointestinal symptoms, such as:

• Frequent burping, sometimes many times in a minute
• Flatulence
• Hiccups
• Unusual stomach gas, which causes distended or bloated stomach
• Gurgling sounds from the stomach
• Visibly distended belly
• Pain or discomfort in the stomach, sometimes shooting pain radiates from the abdomen to the chest or throat.
• Heartburn
• Shortness of the breath
• Nausea
• Reduced appetite
• A patient may experience bowel problems, such as diarrhea or constipation.

A person may experience only one type of symptom or can have many or all types of ailments. These symptoms can occur occasionally or frequently or persist indefinitely.

A person with stress and anxiety also experiences frequent burping, as aerophagia helps people with anxiety to cope with stress.

What are the causes of aerophagia?

The following are the possible causes of aerophagia:

• Eating too quickly, such as eating a second bite before the first one swallowed
• Talking during eating
• Breathing through mouth
• Drinking beverages from a straw as sucking to drink with a straw draw more air
• Chewing bubble gum
• Smoking
• Consuming carbonated drinks
• Vigorous exercising causes mouth breathing and gulping more air
• Loose-fitting denture
• People who breathe through respiratory support machines (mostly continuous positive airway pressure CPAP machines) are more prone to aerophagia.
• Anxiety and depression
• People with a cervical spinal blockage

How is aerophagia diagnosed?

The symptoms of aerophagia are similar to other gut diseases like:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Food allergies causing gut discomfort

The doctors first rule out the other digestive disorders to finally diagnose aerophagia. To identify aerophagia, a patient must fulfill two criteria, such as:

• Any family members or friends noticed the patient swallowing air
• The patient must have repetitive belching

Patients can experience aerophagia as a side effect of non-invasive ventilation (NIV), which the doctors diagnose during a routine check-up when patients are still attached to the machine.

More than 8% of patients with cognitively delayed conditions can have aerophagia. The coordination between breathing and swallowing became disrupted in these conditions.

What are the treatment modalities for aerophagia?

Numerous patients don’t recognize that they are swallowing air. The definitive treatment for this condition is still unavailable. Although, some medicines (dimethicone and simethicone) can help reduce the formation of gas in the gut. The doctors may suggest the following modalities to avoid aerophagia:

• Try to eat or drink slowly so that you swallow less air.
• Thoroughly chew your food before swallowing.
• Try to eat your food with your mouth closed.
• Avoid drinking carbonated drinks, such as cold drinks, soda, or beer.
• Do not drink your beverages through a straw.
• You should become conscious of air swallowing, and when you notice the habit, immediately stop gulping and practice slow breathing to calm yourself.
• Stress and anxiety increase aerophagia. You should practice relaxing techniques or professional help to stay calm, such as meditation, yoga, muscle relaxation therapy, aromatherapy, or awareness about the disease.
• Avoid smoking, as while you inhale smoke, you also swallow air. 
• Don’t chew bubble gum or suck on hard candy.
• Use masks or tubes with proper fits if you are breathing with the help of a CPAP machine.
• Check the fit of your denture if you wear them. The ill-fitting dentures can cause you to gulp more air while you drink or eat. Therefore, readjust them if you feel they are misfits. 

Aerophagia is a treatable condition with a mindfulness of the disease. Talk to your doctor about what is the best treatment for you.