Dear Doctor,

I find myself belching and passing out bad air (farting) a lot. To avoid being embarrassed, I normally tend to suppress this bad air from within. Won’t this affect my health in the long run? 

Dominique

Dear Dominique,

Belching occurs due to swallowing of gas and presence of gas in the colon. Farting is the process of passing out gas present in the colon via the rectum. Both spoil the atmosphere and are considered impolite when one has company. Holding back belching and farting will only increase the abdominal discomfort, but not cause any serious health issue.

Belching can be due to weakening of the opening between stomach and food pipe. This causes reflux of food and belching. Fried foods, chocolates, sweetened foods, sodas and beer can cause and aggravate belching.

Some calcium supplements can release carbon dioxide in the stomach, causing belching. Eating hurriedly and not chewing food properly, loose fitting dentures can also cause belching. Excess belching can be due to a running nose, which can cause swallowing of excess gas. Farting can also be due to sweets, sodas and smoking.

When excess air gets trapped in stomach, it will be released via farting as it has nowhere to go. Excess farting and belching always indicate indigestion.

Prevention of belching and farting consists of avoiding chocolates, sweet and fried foods, sodas and beer.

Taking fiber-rich foods or fresh yoghurt aids digestion and help reduce belching. One should take small frequent meals, avoid one heavy meal at a time, and chew food thoroughly. Drinking adequate amounts of water aids in digestion and can prevent belching and farting. Herbs and spices like anise, cumin aid in digestion and reduce belching and farting.

Drugs like simethicone can be used to cure belching. If the problem persists in spite of the above measures it is advisable to consult and get investigated to exclude a disease process causing belching and flatulence like chronic gastritis, esophagitis or irritable bowel syndrome.

Dr Rachna Pande  is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital