Burping Explained

Burp
Synonyms:	Belching, ructus, eruptus, eructation, mouth flatus
Field:	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.

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

• Burping is usually caused by swallowing air when eating or drinking and subsequently expelling it, in which the expelled gas is mainly a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen.
• Burps can be caused by drinking beverages that contain dissolved carbon dioxide, such as beer and carbonated drinks; in these cases, the expelled gas is mainly carbon dioxide.
• Burping can be caused by swallowing air while consuming chewing gum, sucking on hard candy, talking while eating or drinking, or while smoking. It may also occur through swallowing air as a habit.^[2]
• Diabetes drugs such as metformin^[3] and exenatide^[4] can cause burping, especially at higher doses. This often resolves in a few weeks.
• Burping combined with other symptoms such as dyspepsia, nausea and heartburn may be a sign of an ulcer or hiatal hernia, and should be reviewed by a physician.^[5]
• Other causes of burping include food allergies, gallbladder diseases, H. pylori, acid reflux disease^[6] and gastritis.^[7]

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

• Chest pain associated with burping can occur, but is rare.^[9]
• Retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction (R-CPD) or retrograde upper esophageal sphincter dysfunction (R-UESD),^{[10] [11]} also called "abelchia",^[12] involves the cricopharyngeus muscle not being able to relax, leading to inability to burp. R-CPD was first discovered in 2015.^[13] Common symptoms include gurgling noises, bloating, and flatulence; lesser but common symptoms can be potentially painful hiccups, nausea, constipation, hypersalivation, or shortness of breath.^{[14] [15]} A high-resolution manometry, esophageal manometry or fluoroscopy by an ENT doctor is able to assess the issue.^{[11] [10]} 80% of patients were successfully treated with botox after a single injection. If the injection is unsuccessful, an alternative is partial cricopharyngeal myotomy.^[16]

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]

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

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 100m (300feet).^[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]

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

• Flatulence
• Hiccup
• Penelope and the Humongous Burp

Notes and References

1. Web site: Fox. Alex. Seaweed-Fed Cows Burp Less Planet-Warming Methane. 2021-03-28. Smithsonian Magazine. en.
2. Web site: Practical tips to reduce bloating, belching and gas . 2024-08-14 . Mayo Clinic . en.
3. Web site: DailyMed: About DailyMed. 4 October 2014.
4. Web site: DailyMed: About DailyMed. 4 October 2014.
5. Web site: Eructation (Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)) - WrongDiagnosis.com. Better Medicine. 4 October 2014. dead. https://archive.today/20120717175430/http://wrongdiagnosis.com/symptoms/belching/book-causes-8c.htm. 17 July 2012.
6. Web site: Belching: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. medlineplus.gov. en. 2020-04-30.
7. Hopman . Wim P . van Kouwen . Mariëtte C . Smout . André J . Does (supra)gastric belching trigger recurrent hiccups? . World Journal of Gastroenterology . 14 April 2010 . 16 . 14 . 1795–1799 . 10.3748/wjg.v16.i14.1795 . 20380015 . 2852831 . free .
8. Web site: Vickie . Kloeris . 1 May 2001 . Eating on the ISS . https://web.archive.org/web/20060930025908/http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/journals/space/kloeris/05-01-01.html . 30 September 2006 . Lori . Keith . . 2011-11-12.
9. Kahrilas. PJ. Dodds. WJ. Hogan. WJ. Dysfunction of the belch reflex. A cause of incapacitating chest pain.. Gastroenterology. October 1987. 93. 4. 818–22. 3623025. 10.1016/0016-5085(87)90445-8. free.
10. 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. . The inability to belch syndrome: A study using concurrent high-resolution manometry and impedance monitoring . Neurogastroenterology & Motility . Wiley . 34 . 5 . 2021-08-26 . e14250 . 1350-1925 . 10.1111/nmo.14250 . 34435723 . 9285907 . free .
11. Kahrilas . Peter J. . Retrograde upper esophageal sphincter function… and dysfunction . Neurogastroenterology & Motility . Wiley . 34 . 5 . 2022-02-04 . e14328 . 1350-1925 . 10.1111/nmo.14328 . 35122356 . 9007908 .
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 . 10.1007/s00405-021-06790-w . 1434-4726 . 33893849 . free. 8553696 .
13. Bastian . Robert W. . Smithson . Melissa L. . Inability to Belch and Associated Symptoms Due to Retrograde Cricopharyngeus Dysfunction: Diagnosis and Treatment . OTO Open . 15 March 2019 . 3 . 1 . 2473974X1983455 . 10.1177/2473974X19834553 . 31236539 . 6572913 .
14. Bastian . Robert W. . Smithson . Melissa L. . Inability to Belch and Associated Symptoms Due to Retrograde Cricopharyngeus Dysfunction: Diagnosis and Treatment . OTO Open . 2019 . 3 . 1 . 2473974X1983455 . 31236539 . 10.1177/2473974X19834553 . 6572913 .
15. Web site: Bastian . Dr. Robert . Can't Burp? Comprehensive Resources for R-CPD (in One Place) . Laryngopedia . 2021-09-24 . 2022-08-24.
16. Bastian . Robert W. . Hoesli . Rebecca C. . Partial Cricopharyngeal Myotomy for Treatment of Retrograde Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction . OTO Open . January 2020 . 4 . 2 . 2473974X2091764 . 10.1177/2473974X20917644 . 32328538 . 7163242 .
17. Web site: To burp or not to burp. Mehrotra. Shirin. 10 October 2011. BURRP!. 2013-10-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20131030104813/http://know.burrp.com/b-buzz/to-burrp-or-not-to-burrp/26173. 2013-10-30.
18. Web site: Dining Etiquette in Japan | articles | cultural services . Kwintessential.co.uk . 2014-01-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193210/http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/articles/dining-etiquette-japan.html . 29 October 2013 . dead .
19. Web site: Inside The World Of The Burping Fetish Community . Gander . Kashmira . 24 November 2016 . Independent.co.uk . 2021-06-22.
20. Web site: Belch rare bit: A very brief look at burping fetishes . Griffiths . Mark . 22 September 2014 . 2021-06-22.
21. Web site: 'It's a major turn on': Is this the most UNUSUAL fetish of all time? . Mulherin . Lizzie . 30 November 2016 . 2021-06-22.
22. Web site: Burping a Baby - Topic Overview . . 18 February 2013 . 16 April 2015.
23. Web site: Loudest burp (male) . . 12 January 2024 . 29 July 2021.
24. Web site: Decibel levels. www1.lasalle.edu. 2018-11-02.
25. Web site: Suggitt . Connie . Loudest burp record broken for first time in over a decade . . 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.. Methane Emissions from Dairy Cows Measured Using the Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Tracer and Chamber Techniques. Journal of Dairy Science. 90. 6. 2755–2766. 10.3168/jds.2006-697. 17517715. 2007. free.
27. Web site: Livestock's Long Shadow. Gerber. Pierre.
28. News: Polakovic. Gary. Bovine belching called udderly serious gas problem: Global warming concerns spur effort to cut methane. 13 July 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20040813063303/http://www.mycattle.com/health/dsp_health_article.cfm?storyid=10045. 13 August 2004.
29. News: Nowak, R. . Burp vaccine cuts greenhouse gas emissions . . 5 September 2004 .
30. News: Greening the Herds: A New Diet to Cap Gas . The New York Times. 4 June 2009 .
31. Web site: Schwanke. Catherine. Is It True That Birds Can't Fart?. Popular Science. 18 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160426034552/http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-05/it-true-birds-cant-fart. 26 April 2016. 4 June 2009.