Some people may find burping or belching embarrassing, it typically does not require medical intervention, provided that it is an occasional occurrence, rather than a chronic issue. Learning the root causes behind burping can prove beneficial to recognizing successful home remedies to alleviate the problem.
Causes of Burping
Contrary to popular perception, burping is not always caused by consuming an enormous amount of food. There are a variety of factors that can trigger burping:
| Causes | Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Gas in the Stomach |
Certain food items, such as raw fruits and vegetables, aerated drinks, and bran can lead to creation of too much gas in the stomach; burping is one of the body’s mechanisms to release this gas. |
| Swallowing Too Much Air |
Air can easily enter the digestive system when food or liquids are hastily gulped down. There is a possibility of swallowing air while smoking, chewing gum, or talking during meal intake. Extreme salivation and faulty dentures can lead to regular and frequent swallowing of excessive amounts of air, triggering a chronic aerophagia problem. |
| Inability to Break Down Sugars |
People suffering from lactose intolerance – a condition where the body is incapable of breaking down sugar components present in milk and its by-products – tend to feel gassy and bloated. This condition is widely known to set off burping. |
| Ulcers |
Those suffering from ulcers are more prone to burping since ulcers are known to produce excessive amounts of gas in the body. |
Home Remedies for Burping
There are several foods and herbs known to aid in curing burps. Many of these are easily accessible from a standard grocery store or your pantry:
Ginger
Ginger tea can curb burping effectively. Grate fresh ginger to extract nearly one tablespoon of pulp and add it to a cup of boiling water. Let it rest for about five minutes before drinking. Alternatively, mix the quantity of ginger with a teaspoon of lemon juice to form a paste and consume it after every meal. Lemon juice helps cut down on the sharp taste of fresh ginger, while retaining its curative properties.
Papaya
Papaya is known to have a soothing effect on the digestive tract. The fruit is laden with the papain enzyme that can effectively curtail burping, irrespective of its cause.
Lemon Juice
Stir in one teaspoon of lemon juice and half a teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of water and drink it before the fizz formed by the baking soda dies down. Consuming this mixture immediately after meals provides relief from gas formation and consequent burping. Both fresh and bottled lemon juice are equally effective for this formula.
Peppermint
Heat one cup of water and pour it over dried peppermint leaves. Stir well and let the mixture cool before drinking. The cooling effect of peppermint will reduce occurrence of belching.
Yogurt
Unlike other milk products, yogurt has some soothing properties. This is largely due to presence of enzymes that are known to aid digestion. Supplementing daily food intake with live-cultures-rich yogurt will naturally bring down belching tendencies.
Caraway
Caraway seeds are helpful in relieving the digestive tract of any discomfort. Consuming a teaspoon of caraway seeds can put an instant stop to burping. You can wash them down with a glass of warm water or mix them with a salad.
Cumin
Cumin seeds provide a sure-shot remedy for recurrent burping. To enhance its effectiveness, mix half a teaspoon each of cumin, celery and fennel seeds and dry roast the mixture. Take a small quantity, preferably a teaspoon, a chew it before gulping it down with some water.
Here is a video to teach you some home remedies to stop burping.
Preventive Measures for Burping
Simple lifestyle changes are often a good place to start when looking to prevent a burping problem.
Change Daily Habits
Cutting back on habits such as smoking or chewing gum that are known to increase involuntary intake of air can check aerophagia and put a stop to consequent belching tendency.
Relieve Stress
Stress is known to aggravate ulcers, which lead to formation of gas in the body. Meditation and yoga can keep the mind calm even in stressful situations, thus reducing the frequency of burping.
Have Smaller Meals
Big meals induce lethargy and tend to bloat up the body. Avoid overeating by breaking down food intake in six small – as opposed to three standards – meals that increase the chances of consuming huge portions of food.
Avoid Certain Foods
Try to identify the food items that make you feel bloated and gassy by maintaining a food dairy. Food products that have a tendency to trigger burping include aerated drinks, beans, cabbage, and bran. Avoiding consumption of such food items will help in keeping burping frequency down.
Exercise Regularly
Regular workouts are helpful in streamlining the digestion process and increasing the body’s metabolic rate. Following a good exercise regime can control belching.
Other Preventions
Food enzymes and herbs that have a soothing effect on the gastrointestinal tract can also prevent belching.