Aerophagy is the medical term that describes the act of overbturning air during routine activities such as eating, drinking, speaking or laughing, for example.
Although some levels of aerophagia are relatively normal and common, some people may eventually swallow a lot of air and, as a result, develop symptoms such as a feeling of stomach swelling, heaviness in the stomach, frequent roars and excessive intestinal gases.
- Therefore.
- Aerophagy is not a serious problem.
- But it can be quite uncomfortable.
- And its treatment is important to improve the daily comfort of the person.
- The most suitable doctor to treat this type of disorder is usually the gastroenterologist.
- Who will try to identify possible causes and indicate ways to avoid them.
The most common signs and symptoms in people with aerophagia are
Because these symptoms are very similar to others caused by more common and chronic gastric problems, such as reflux or poor digestion, many cases of aerophagia may last more than 2 years before being identified by your doctor.
But unlike other gastric changes, aerophagia rarely causes symptoms such as nausea or vomiting.
Diagnosis of aerophagia is usually made by a gastroenterologist, after detecting other problems that may have similar symptoms, such as gastroesophageal reflux, food allergies, or intestinal syndromes. If no change is identified, and after evaluating the person’s full history, the doctor may arrive at the diagnosis of aerophagia.
There are many causes of aerophagy, from the way you breathe to using breathing-enhancing devices. Thus, ideally the assessment should always be done with a specialist doctor.
Some of the causes that appear to be most common include
In addition, the use of CPAP, which is a medical device indicated for people with snoring and sleep apnea, and which helps improve breathing during sleep, can also cause aerophagia.
The best way to treat aerophagia is to avoid its cause. So, if the person is used to speaking during the meal, it is advisable to decrease this interaction by eating, leaving the conversation for later. If the person chews gum several times a day, it may be advisable to decrease its use.
In addition, your doctor may also prescribe medications that help relieve symptoms more quickly and reduce the amount of air in your digestive system. Examples include simethiconone and dimethicone.
See also a complete list of the main foods that form many gases and can be avoided in those suffering from over-rotating: