Gastroenterology: Gas

What is "belching"?

Belching is a process where excess gas, either produced from the small intestine and tracks up into the stomach or swallowed during the course of eating, accumulates in the stomach and the release valve between the food pipe or "esophagus" and stomach does not have enough pressure to hold this gas in. This gas comes up in a very abrupt fashion called belching.

What are the common causes for belching?

Some of the common causes for belching can include: swallowing excess amount of air that will have no other way but to come up quite abruptly from the stomach, and eating certain types of food such as raw vegetables that can cause more gas, which will find its way back up through belching. There may be certain medications or certain conditions such as heartburn or acid reflux that can promote more indigestion that will allow belching to occur on a usual or constant basis.

Why do I feel better when I belch?

You feel better when you belch because the process of belching starts with accumulation of gas, generally in the stomach. This gas expands the stomach as if you're blowing into a balloon and expanding a balloon. When the gas comes out through the process of belching, the stomach goes back to its usual form and is relieved of a lot of the pressure that can be caused by the gas.

What is "flatulence"?

Flatulence is a condition where gas develops, sometimes in excess, both in the small and the large intestine. This gas is usually a result of certain types of food that we eat.