MARK POCHAPIN, MD: Gas can really get into the intestine in two main ways. One, it's swallowed, and it just doesn't leave the intestine. People, after they eat a meal, may belch, and the gas can escape through the mouth. Or food itself is actually fermented by bacteria, or malabsorbed, and some of the products of malabsorption are then utilized by bacteria in the intestine, mainly in the colon, and the bacteria look at that as food to produce a lot of byproducts, and some of the byproducts are gas.
DAVID MARKS, MD: Does that mean that belching is normal?
LUCINDA HARRIS, MS, MD: Belching, to some extent, is normal phenomenon, but if someone is doing it all the time, it may be another symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD as we sometimes call it, which is a more severe form of heartburn or indigestion.
MARK POCHAPIN, MD: Some people actually swallow more air in. In fact, some people, as a result of stress, will swallow quite a bit of air, the swallowing being something, like grinding your teeth, some people actually swallow more air when they eat, and swallow air during the day, and that might cause more bloating with gas, and belching.
LUCINDA HARRIS, MS, MD: People who smoke swallow more air.
DAVID MARKS, MD: Because they're inhaling.
LUCINDA HARRIS, MS, MD: Right. And people who chew gum also frequently do the same thing.
DAVID MARKS, MD: How does someone know when this is becoming a problem? Is it somebody else telling them that they're belching too much, or do they get symptoms of GERD?
LUCINDA HARRIS, MS, MD: They may get other symptoms of GERD, such as nausea, chest burning kind of chest pain, that occurs very frequently. But also just very frequent belching. If that's really happening a lot, then they really should talk to their doctor about it.
