Burps and Belches

Today I shall go into a topic suggested to me by smiles - burping. ;) Burps or belches are basically the same thing, although some people say that a burp is a small belch or a belch is a large, resonating burp. Whatever it is, they both have the same cause.

Burps are usually caused by swallowed air. Everyone swallows a certain amount of air everyday, most people swallowing about a cupful of air. Your stomach cannot digest the air, so, if you remember your biology, there's only 2 ways it can get out - up or down. If the air goes back up through the esophagus and out through your mouth, its called a burp. If the air goes the other way, through the intestines, you get a fart, although most farts are usually do not result from swallowed air.

Where does all the air you swallow come from? Well, it comes from a variety of sources, including the following:

-Drinking soda pop and other carbonated drinks
-Swallowing too much saliva
-Swallowing too often
-Chewing gum
-Eating too quickly
-Eating too much
-Eating too much starchy foods (e.g. Rice, wheat, oats, etc.)

So, it seems that the banning of chewing gum in Singapore has another good side-effect.

Excessive burping or belching can also be a sign of a disease or indigestion. This is especially so when burping does not help relieve a bloated feeling in the stomach. In the case of a disease, there will usually be a bloated feeling accompanied by burping and farting caused by bacteria producing gasses in your stomach and intestines. In some cases, excessive burping is a sign of a problem with the muscle between your stomach and esophagus, or blockage in your intestines. Whatever the case, if you suspect you are burping too much, or it is causing you problems, go see a doctor.

Now if you want to avoid the embarassing situation where your burp in front of a bunch of people you aren't too familiar with, the simplest way is to avoid the causes of burping. This means avoiding carbonated drinks, eating slowly, not chewing gum, chewing food with your mouth closed, and so on. Being nervous also increases your chances of burping cos when you are nervous, you tend to swallow more often. So learn to relax, especially if you find youself swallowing too much saliva or sipping too often from your glass of water.

I guess in Singaporean culture, it isn't very polite to burp, especially if it is a very loud belch. So, I hope this post will help us all avoid the situation where you have the whole table staring at you after a particularly fulfilling meal, although if you and your friends enjoy a good burping competition now and then, burp away!

Click here for more on belching and here for more on intestinal gas.