It’s not such a bad habit
Unless you were burping the alphabet or having burping contests with your friends, your childhood burps shouldnโt have been considered such a bad habit after all because you probably couldnโt help it. โA small amount of belching each day is normal. You swallow air all day, so itโs a physiologic process,โ says Scott Gabbard, MD, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. If you seem to be burping more than usual or it becomes bothersome, thatโs the time to talk to your doctor.
You can have a burping disorder
It sounds like a perfect excuse to justify that satisfying post-meal burp, but belching disorders do exist. โSupragastric belching is a phenomenon that occurs when patients swallow too much air into the esophagus. This results in frequent and repetitive belching,โ says Dr. Gabbard. Itโs nearly impossible to tell when youโve swallowed too much air (or any air at all), so behavioral therapy is often used to train patients to recognize when itโs happening and stop, he says.
Burping can be a side effect of paralysis
Believe it or not, your stomach muscles can actually become partially paralyzed (itโs called gastroparesis), which prevents food from being emptied properly; the result is extra belching. โParalysis of the stomach is common in patients with diabetes because diabetes can effect nerves throughout the body, including the stomach,โ says Dr. Gabbard. Besides diabetes, the reason behind stomach paralysis is still a bit of mystery; what doctors know for sure is that itโs the result of damage to the nerves or muscles of your belly.
Burping can signal a swallowing problem
โWhen patients come to me about belching, I always ask them if they have trouble swallowing,โ says Dr. Gabbard. When people have difficulty swallowing, they feel like food is stuck and wont go down, so they swallow some more and end up gulping lots of air, too. โOnce they get the food to pass through, they have to belch afterward from all that air,โ he says.
Smelly burps can be more than just an embarrassment
If your burps smell like rotten eggs, you might need more than a breath mint; something could be wrong with your stomach. โIf you have excessively malodorous belches, we would want to make sure thereโs not a problem where your stomach isnโt emptying correctly or thereโs a blockage,โ says Dr. Gabbard. When your stomach doesnโt empty properly, food can sit there and become fermented by your gut bacteria, which produces sulfur compounds that result in a foul smell. Here’s what your bad breath reveals about your health.
You might have a tumor
A tumor can cause blockage of the esophagus that results in burping. Extra belches probably wonโt be the first sign that you have cancer, says Dr. Gabbard. Patients usually have additional symptoms, like unexplained weight loss, vomiting, or changes in stools.
Burping could reveal why you’re bloated
If youโre feeling bloated plus letting them rip, you might have a disorder called functional dyspepsia. โMany patients are misdiagnosed with reflux but they actually have functional dyspepsia,โ says Dr. Gabbard. The disorder causes a feeling of fullness and discomfort of the upper abdomen; people then force a belch to try to relieve that pressure. Here are silent signs of acid reflux you might be ignoring.
Not everyone can burp
โPeople who have had surgery to their stomach, such as a procedure for reflux that wraps the stomach, they may not be able to burp,โ says Dr. Gabbard. Another esophageal issue called achalasia makes it difficult for food and liquid to pass into the stomach from the esophagus, and patients often have difficulty burping, he says.