Burping

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Burp
Other namesBelching, ructus, eruptus, eructation, mouth flatus
Specialty Gastroenterology

Burping (also called belching and eructation) is the release of gas from the upper digestive tract (esophagus and stomach) of animals through the mouth. It is usually audible.

Contents

In humans, burping can be caused by normal eating processes, or as a side effect of other medical conditions. There is a range of levels of social acceptance for burping: within certain context and cultures, burping is acceptable, while in others it is offensive or unacceptable.

Humans are not the only animals that burp: it is very common among other mammals. In particular, burping by domesticated ruminants, such as cows or sheep, is a major contributor of methane emissions and may have a negative effect on the environment. Significant research is being done to find mitigation strategies for ruminant burping, i.e. modifying the animals' diets with Asparagopsis taxiformis (red seaweed). [1]

Causes

Complications

In microgravity environments, burping is frequently associated with regurgitation, known as wet burping. With reduced gravity, the stomach contents are more likely to rise up into the esophagus when the gastroesophageal sphincter is relaxed, along with the expelled air. [8]

Disorders

Society and culture

Acceptance

Some South Asian cultures view burping as acceptable in particular situations. For example, a burping guest can be a sign to the host that the meal satisfied them and they are full. [17]

In Japan, burping during a meal is considered bad manners. [18] Burping during a meal is also considered unacceptable in Western cultures, such as North America and Europe. [17] In Middle Eastern countries, it is not acceptable to burp out loud in public, and one should silence one's burp, or at least attempt to do so.[ citation needed ]

Despite virtually no scientific research on the subject, small online communities exist for burping as a sexual fetish. [19] Online, people of any sexual orientation anecdotally report some attraction to burping, with what appears to be psychological and/or behavioural overlaps with other sexual fetishes including body inflation, feedism, vorarephilia, and farting fetishes. [20] Anecdotally, the 'loudness' aspect appears to be an important element to burp fetishists. Despite being a rather uncommon fetish, [21] it continues to follow a general well-known pattern of sexual behaviour where hearing influences sexual arousal and response, noting that "it is the noise made rather than the action itself that appears to be what is sexualized and/or interpreted by the fetishist as sexually pleasurable and arousing". [20]

Infants

An infant being burped against an adult's shoulder Burping an infant.jpg
An infant being burped against an adult's shoulder

Babies are likely to accumulate gas in the stomach while feeding and experience considerable discomfort (and agitation) until assisted. Burping an infant involves placing the child in a position conducive to gas expulsion (for example against the adult's shoulder, with the infant's stomach resting on the adult's chest) and then lightly patting the lower back. Because burping can cause vomiting, a "burp cloth" or "burp pad" is sometimes employed on the shoulder to protect clothing. [22]

Contest

The Guinness World Record for the loudest burp was 112.4 dB, set by Neville Sharp in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia on July 29, 2021. [23] This is approximately as loud as a jet engine at 100 m (330 ft). [24] The record was previously held by Paul Hunn, who held the record for 12 years. [25]

Burped speech

It is possible to voluntarily induce burping through swallowing air and then expelling it, and by manipulation of the vocal tract produce burped speech.

While this is often employed as a means of entertainment or competition, it can also act as an alternative means of vocalisation for people who have undergone a laryngectomy, with the burp replacing laryngeal phonation. This is known as esophageal speech.

Other animals

Many other mammals, such as cows, dogs and sheep, also burp.

Ruminants

Much of the gas expelled is produced as a byproduct of the ruminant's digestive process. These gases notably include a large volume of methane, produced exclusively by a narrow cohort of methanogenic archaea in the animal's gut; Escherichia coli (E. coli) and other bacteria lack the enzymes and cofactors required for methane production. A lactating cow produces about 322g of methane per day, [26] i.e. more than 117 kg per year through burping and exhalation, making commercially farmed cows a major (37%) [27] contributor to anthropogenic methane emissions, and hence to the greenhouse effect. 95% of this gas (wind) is emitted through burping. [28] This has led scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation of Perth, Australia, to develop an anti-methanogen vaccine to minimize methane in cow burps. [29]

One reason why cows burp so much is that they are often fed foods that their digestive systems cannot fully process, such as corn and soy. Some farmers have reduced burping in their cows by feeding them alfalfa and flaxseed, which are closer to the grasses that they had eaten in the wild before they were domesticated. [30]

The failure to burp successfully can be fatal. This is particularly common among domesticated ruminants that are allowed to gorge themselves on spring clover or alfalfa. The condition, known as ruminal tympany, is a high-pressure buildup of gas in the stomach(s) and requires immediate treatment to expel the gas, usually the insertion of a flexible rubber hose down the esophagus, or in extreme cases the lancing of the animal's side with a trochar and cannula.[ citation needed ]

Birds

There is no documented evidence that birds burp, though ornithologists believe that there is nothing which physiologically prevents them from doing so. However, since the microbiota of birds do not include the same set of gas-producing bacteria that mammals have to aid in digestion, gas hardly builds up in the gastrointestinal tracts of birds. [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esophagus</span> Vertebrate organ through which food passes to the stomach

The esophagus or oesophagus, colloquially known also as the food pipe, food tube, or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to the stomach. The esophagus is a fibromuscular tube, about 25 cm (10 in) long in adults, that travels behind the trachea and heart, passes through the diaphragm, and empties into the uppermost region of the stomach. During swallowing, the epiglottis tilts backwards to prevent food from going down the larynx and lungs. The word oesophagus is from Ancient Greek οἰσοφάγος (oisophágos), from οἴσω (oísō), future form of φέρω + ἔφαγον.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esophageal achalasia</span> Rare, incurable, progressive motility disorder due to failure of esophogeal motor neurons

Esophageal achalasia, often referred to simply as achalasia, is a failure of smooth muscle fibers to relax, which can cause the lower esophageal sphincter to remain closed. Without a modifier, "achalasia" usually refers to achalasia of the esophagus. Achalasia can happen at various points along the gastrointestinal tract; achalasia of the rectum, for instance, may occur in Hirschsprung's disease. The lower esophageal sphincter is a muscle between the esophagus and stomach that opens when food comes in. It closes to avoid stomach acids from coming back up. A fully understood cause to the disease is unknown, as are factors that increase the risk of its appearance. Suggestions of a genetically transmittable form of achalasia exist, but this is neither fully understood, nor agreed upon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gastroesophageal reflux disease</span> Medical condition

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a chronic upper gastrointestinal disease in which stomach content persistently and regularly flows up into the esophagus, resulting in symptoms and/or complications. Symptoms include dental corrosion, dysphagia, heartburn, odynophagia, regurgitation, non-cardiac chest pain, extraesophageal symptoms such as chronic cough, hoarseness, reflux-induced laryngitis, or asthma. In the long term, and when not treated, complications such as esophagitis, esophageal stricture, and Barrett's esophagus may arise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esophagitis</span> Medical condition

Esophagitis, also spelled oesophagitis, is a disease characterized by inflammation of the esophagus. The esophagus is a tube composed of a mucosal lining, and longitudinal and circular smooth muscle fibers. It connects the pharynx to the stomach; swallowed food and liquids normally pass through it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiatal hernia</span> Type of hernia

A hiatal hernia or hiatus hernia is a type of hernia in which abdominal organs slip through the diaphragm into the middle compartment of the chest. This may result in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) with symptoms such as a taste of acid in the back of the mouth or heartburn. Other symptoms may include trouble swallowing and chest pains. Complications may include iron deficiency anemia, volvulus, or bowel obstruction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diverticulum</span> Medical or biological term for an outpouching of a hollow (or a fluid-filled) structure in the body

In medicine or biology, a diverticulum is an outpouching of a hollow structure in the body. Depending upon which layers of the structure are involved, diverticula are described as being either true or false.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megaesophagus</span> Medical condition

Megaesophagus, also known as esophageal dilatation, is a disorder of the esophagus in humans and other mammals, whereby the esophagus becomes abnormally enlarged. Megaesophagus may be caused by any disease which causes the muscles of the esophagus to fail to properly propel food and liquid from the mouth into the stomach. Food can become lodged in the flaccid esophagus, where it may decay, be regurgitated, or maybe inhaled into the lungs.

Abdominal bloating is a short-term disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract. Bloating is generally characterized by an excess buildup of gas, air or fluids in the stomach. A person may have feelings of tightness, pressure or fullness in the stomach; it may or may not be accompanied by a visibly distended abdomen. Bloating can affect anyone of any age range and is usually self-diagnosed, in most cases does not require serious medical attention or treatment. Although this term is usually used interchangeably with abdominal distension, these symptoms probably have different pathophysiological processes, which are not fully understood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle</span> Skeletal muscle of the pharynx

The inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle is a skeletal muscle of the neck. It is the thickest of the three outer pharyngeal muscles. It arises from the sides of the cricoid cartilage and the thyroid cartilage. It is supplied by the vagus nerve. It is active during swallowing, and partially during breathing and speech. It may be affected by Zenker's diverticulum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enteric fermentation</span> Digestive process that emits methane

Enteric fermentation is a digestive process by which carbohydrates are broken down by microorganisms into simple molecules for absorption into the bloodstream of an animal. Because of human agricultural reliance in many parts of the world on animals which digest by enteric fermentation, it is the second largest anthropogenic factor for the increase in methane emissions directly after fossil fuel use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rumination syndrome</span> Medical condition

Rumination syndrome, or merycism, is a chronic motility disorder characterized by effortless regurgitation of most meals following consumption, due to the involuntary contraction of the muscles around the abdomen. There is no retching, nausea, heartburn, odour, or abdominal pain associated with the regurgitation as there is with typical vomiting, and the regurgitated food is undigested. The disorder has been historically documented as affecting only infants, young children, and people with cognitive disabilities . It is increasingly being diagnosed in a greater number of otherwise healthy adolescents and adults, though there is a lack of awareness of the condition by doctors, patients, and the general public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triple-A syndrome</span> Medical condition

Triple-A syndrome or AAA syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive congenital disorder. In most cases, there is no family history of AAA syndrome. The syndrome was first identified by Jeremy Allgrove and colleagues in 1978; since then just over 100 cases have been reported. The syndrome is called Triple-A due to the manifestation of the illness which includes achalasia, addisonianism, and alacrima. Alacrima is usually the earliest manifestation. Neurodegeneration or atrophy of the nerve cells and autonomic dysfunction may be seen in the disorder; therefore, some have suggested the disorder be called 4A syndrome. It is a progressive disorder that can take years to develop the full-blown clinical picture. The disorder also has variability and heterogeneity in presentation.

Esophageal dysphagia is a form of dysphagia where the underlying cause arises from the body of the esophagus, lower esophageal sphincter, or cardia of the stomach, usually due to mechanical causes or motility problems.

Esophageal spasm is a disorder of motility of the esophagus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nutcracker esophagus</span> Medical condition

Nutcracker esophagus, jackhammer esophagus, or hypercontractile peristalsis, is a disorder of the movement of the esophagus characterized by contractions in the smooth muscle of the esophagus in a normal sequence but at an excessive amplitude or duration. Nutcracker esophagus is one of several motility disorders of the esophagus, including achalasia and diffuse esophageal spasm. It causes difficulty swallowing, or dysphagia, with both solid and liquid foods, and can cause significant chest pain; it may also be asymptomatic. Nutcracker esophagus can affect people of any age but is more common in the sixth and seventh decades of life.

Cricopharyngeal spasms occur in the cricopharyngeus muscle of the pharynx. Cricopharyngeal spasm is an uncomfortable but harmless and temporary disorder.

Cricopharyngeal myotomy is a surgical sectioning of the cricopharyngeus muscle, also known as the upper esophageal sphincter, that has been advocated for the treatment of cricopharyngeal spasm, or cricopharyngeal achalasia, that leads to cervical dysphagia in the clinical setting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FutureFeed</span>

FutureFeed was established by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), FutureFeed holds the global intellectual property for the use of Asparagopsis seaweed as a ruminant livestock feed ingredient that can reduce methane emissions by 80% or more. This result can be achieved by the addition of a small amount of the seaweed into the daily diet of livestock. This discovery was made by a team of scientists from CSIRO and James Cook University (JCU), supported by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), who came together in 2013 to investigate the methane reduction potential of various native Australian seaweeds.

Esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) is an esophageal motility disorder characterized by increased pressure where the esophagus connects to the stomach at the lower esophageal sphincter. EGJOO is diagnosed by esophageal manometry. However, EGJOO has a variety of etiologies; evaluating the cause of obstruction with additional testing, such as upper endoscopy, computed tomography, or endoscopic ultrasound may be necessary. When possible, treatment of EGJOO should be directed at the cause of obstruction. When no cause for obstruction is found, observation alone may be considered if symptoms are minimal. Functional EGJOO with significant or refractory symptoms may be treated with pneumatic dilation, per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), or botulinum toxin injection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction</span> Medical condition

Retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction (R-CPD) is a medical condition first identified by Dr Robert Bastian of the Bastian Voice Institute in which people are unable to burp. Some with the condition are also unable to vomit, or can only do so with great difficulty. It is a lifelong problem that is usually first noted in adolescence, but has also been reported as early as infancy. Most people with this condition also complain of frequent bloating, "gurgling noises" from the throat, frequent flatulence and poor tolerance to carbonated beverages. Many sufferers experience noticeable abdominal distension, with men and women alike saying they look "six months pregnant" by the end of the day. As air is released through the night, the abdomen will assume a more normal appearance by morning.

References

  1. ↑ Fox, Alex. "Seaweed-Fed Cows Burp Less Planet-Warming Methane". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  2. ↑ Cormier, René E. (1990), Walker, H. Kenneth; Hall, W. Dallas; Hurst, J. Willis (eds.), "Abdominal Gas", Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations (3rd ed.), Butterworths, ISBN   040990077X, PMID   21250257
  3. ↑ "DailyMed: About DailyMed" . Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "DailyMed: About DailyMed" . Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Eructation (Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)) - WrongDiagnosis.com". Better Medicine. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Belching: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia". medlineplus.gov. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  7. ↑ Hopman, Wim P; van Kouwen, Mariëtte C; Smout, André J (14 April 2010). "Does (supra)gastric belching trigger recurrent hiccups?". World Journal of Gastroenterology. 16 (14): 1795–1799. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i14.1795 . PMC   2852831 . PMID   20380015.
  8. ↑ Kloeris, Vickie; Keith, Lori (1 May 2001). "Eating on the ISS". National Aeronautics and Space Administration . Archived from the original on 30 September 2006. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  9. ↑ Kahrilas, PJ; Dodds, WJ; Hogan, WJ (October 1987). "Dysfunction of the belch reflex. A cause of incapacitating chest pain". Gastroenterology. 93 (4): 818–22. doi: 10.1016/0016-5085(87)90445-8 . PMID   3623025.
  10. 1 2 Oude Nijhuis, Renske A.B.; Snelleman, Jurjaan A.; Oors, Jac M.; Kessing, Boudewijn F.; Heuveling, Derrek A.; Schuitenmaker, Jeroen M.; ten Cate, Liesbeth; Smout, Andreas J.P.M.; Bredenoord, Albert J. (26 August 2021). "The inability to belch syndrome: A study using concurrent high-resolution manometry and impedance monitoring". Neurogastroenterology & Motility. 34 (5). Wiley: e14250. doi: 10.1111/nmo.14250 . ISSN   1350-1925. PMC   9285907 . PMID   34435723.
  11. 1 2 Kahrilas, Peter J. (4 February 2022). "Retrograde upper esophageal sphincter function… and dysfunction". Neurogastroenterology & Motility. 34 (5). Wiley: e14328. doi:10.1111/nmo.14328. ISSN   1350-1925. PMC   9007908 . PMID   35122356.
  12. ↑ Karagama, Yakubu (January 2021). "Abelchia: inability to belch/burp-a new disorder? Retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction (RCPD)". European Archives of Oto-rhino-laryngology. 278 (12): 5087–5091. doi: 10.1007/s00405-021-06790-w . ISSN   1434-4726. PMC   8553696 . PMID   33893849.
  13. ↑ Bastian, Robert W.; Smithson, Melissa L. (15 March 2019). "Inability to Belch and Associated Symptoms Due to Retrograde Cricopharyngeus Dysfunction: Diagnosis and Treatment". OTO Open. 3 (1): 2473974X1983455. doi:10.1177/2473974X19834553. PMC   6572913 . PMID   31236539.
  14. ↑ Bastian, Robert W.; Smithson, Melissa L. (2019). "Inability to Belch and Associated Symptoms Due to Retrograde Cricopharyngeus Dysfunction: Diagnosis and Treatment". OTO Open. 3 (1): 2473974X1983455. doi:10.1177/2473974X19834553. PMC   6572913 . PMID   31236539.
  15. ↑ Bastian, Dr. Robert (24 September 2021). "Can't Burp? Comprehensive Resources for R-CPD (in One Place)". Laryngopedia. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  16. ↑ Bastian, Robert W.; Hoesli, Rebecca C. (January 2020). "Partial Cricopharyngeal Myotomy for Treatment of Retrograde Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction". OTO Open. 4 (2): 2473974X2091764. doi:10.1177/2473974X20917644. PMC   7163242 . PMID   32328538.
  17. 1 2 Mehrotra, Shirin (10 October 2011). "To burp or not to burp". BURRP!. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  18. ↑ "Dining Etiquette in Japan | articles | cultural services". Kwintessential.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  19. ↑ Gander, Kashmira (24 November 2016). "Inside The World Of The Burping Fetish Community". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  20. 1 2 Griffiths, Mark (22 September 2014). "Belch rare bit: A very brief look at burping fetishes" . Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  21. ↑ Mulherin, Lizzie (30 November 2016). "'It's a major turn on': Is this the most UNUSUAL fetish of all time?" . Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  22. ↑ "Burping a Baby - Topic Overview". WebMD. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  23. ↑ "Loudest burp (male)". Guinness World Records . 29 July 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  24. ↑ "Decibel levels". www1.lasalle.edu. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  25. ↑ Suggitt, Connie. "Loudest burp record broken for first time in over a decade". Guinness World Records . Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  26. ↑ Grainger, C.; Clarke, T.; McGinn, S.M.; Auldist, M.J.; Beauchemin, K.A.; Hannah, M.C.; Waghorn, G.C.; Clark, H.; Eckard, R.J. (2007). "Methane Emissions from Dairy Cows Measured Using the Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Tracer and Chamber Techniques". Journal of Dairy Science. 90 (6): 2755–2766. doi: 10.3168/jds.2006-697 . PMID   17517715.
  27. ↑ Gerber, Pierre. "Livestock's Long Shadow" (PDF).
  28. ↑ Polakovic, Gary (13 July 2003). "Bovine belching called udderly serious gas problem: Global warming concerns spur effort to cut methane". Archived from the original on 13 August 2004.
  29. ↑ Nowak, R. (5 September 2004). "Burp vaccine cuts greenhouse gas emissions". New Scientist .
  30. ↑ "Greening the Herds: A New Diet to Cap Gas". The New York Times. 4 June 2009.
  31. ↑ Schwanke, Catherine (4 June 2009). "Is It True That Birds Can't Fart?". Popular Science . Archived from the original on 26 April 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
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