Why Am I Burping So Much? (2024)

You may worry about many disruptions to your digestive health, like diarrhea or heartburn. Though burping is part of the digestive process, burping a lot more than usual is another bothersome issue. Excessive burping may be due to eating habits, food choices, or gastrointestinal conditions such as IBS. Read on to learn more.

When a person burps, or "belches," it's a way for gas to escape the digestive tract from their stomach through their mouth. There are two kinds of belching:

• Gastric: Burping as a bodily reaction of releasing air from the stomach. This burping type keeps the abdomen from being full from excessive swallowed air.
• Supragastric: Burping after sucking in or swallowing air to release it. A person may unintentionally and habitually engage in this type of burping in response to unpleasant feelings in the stomach, behind the breastbone, or both.

Beyond burping, indications of gas in the digestive system include:

• Bloating: Belly fullness feeling or swelling
• Distention: Bloating that leads to a larger abdomen
• Flatulence, or farting: Gas that leaves the digestive tract through the anus
  

What Is Considered Excessive Burping?

Burping is normal; it can happen almost 30 times daily. At times, burping can be bothersome–and potentially embarrassing—when people burp more than that per day. Burping may be considered excessive if it:

• Affects a person's quality of life
• Happens repetitively
• Interferes with people's daily activities

Burping too much can also vary from person to person, but there are a few common reasons people burp a lot. Those reasons range from how much or what you eat to medical conditions.

1. Acid Reflux

When burping goes hand-in-hand with heartburn, acid reflux may be to blame. Reflux occurs when stomach contents back up into the esophagus.

If you drink carbonated beverages like sodas, seltzers, and beers, you might be burping simply because of the fizzy beverages. The bubbles in these drinks can increase the air in your stomach.

3. Certain Vegetables

Some vegetables can produce gas during digestion and could make you burp a lot, such as:

• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Collard greens
• Cucumber
• Kale
• Leeks
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Rutabaga

You could be swallowing excess air­, causing you to burp a lot. The medical term for this type of bloating and belching is aerophagia. Some reasons you might swallow air are from chewing gum or smoking.

5. Fast Eating

It's normal to ingest some air when eating and burp. More burps can happen if you're swallowing more air than usual. Eating too quickly—or eating and talking simultaneously—can also increase the air you swallow.

Burping could also be a symptom of gastritis, inflammation of the stomach lining. Other gastritis symptoms may include:

• Indigestion
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea or vomiting
• Upper belly pain
  

7. Irritable Bowel Syndrome

If you're burping alongside other GI symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, or a combination of those symptoms, it could be irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). One small study found that repetitive belching is a frequent symptom of the condition.

There's a possibility that eating a lot of food in one sitting could lead to excessive burping. Eating large meals can contribute to the gas in your digestive tract.

9. Rumination Syndrome

You could have rumination syndrome if you burp and regurgitate some undigested food into your mouth. People with this condition spit up undigested or partially digested food into their mouths after most meals, then chew or spit it out. It's thought to be an unconscious habit involving the contraction of muscles around the abdomen.

Another potential cause of excessive burping could be small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). This condition results from an unusual amount of bacteria within the small intestine and GI symptoms, including gas-related symptoms like belching, bloating, and flatulence.

How To Stop Burping

When burping becomes too much to handle, there are ways to treat it. Methods to help you stop or reduce excessive burping episodes might include medicines, therapies, or lifestyle changes related to eating.

Medical Treatments

Healthcare providers may consider medical treatments if a health condition is the cause of burping. For example, they may prescribe medications as treatments for IBS.

In cases of supragastric belching, different therapies may be beneficial. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help people determine triggers and warning signs for swallowing air before it happens. Individuals who engage in speech therapy may receive insight and strategies for reducing episodes of this type of belching.

Tips for Prevention

You can decrease or stop belching if you:

• Eat slowly
• Eat smaller meals
• Limit or avoid gum chewing
• Reduce your intake of foods or drinks that cause gas
  
• Try to swallow less air when possible
  

You should consult a healthcare provider if excessive burping becomes bothersome, changes suddenly, or does not disappear. You'll also want to seek medical care if burping accompanies:

• A fever
• Bleeding
• Other GI problems
• Stomach pain
• Weight loss

A Quick Review

While burping is natural and expected, excessive burping—especially if accompanied by other symptoms—could signal an underlying health issue like acid reflux, gastritis, or IBS. Burping a lot may also be caused by what, how quickly, and how much you eat. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have any concerns about your burps.