Have you ever felt like you're burping a bit too much? Maybe even after meals or just in your day-to-day life? It can feel uncomfortable, a bit embarrassing around others, and might even cause you to avoid socializing.
So, what's the deal with all this burping, and is there a way to fix it in Traditional Chinese medicine?
First off, let's get to know our "burp" a little better. What causes it?
The first culprit might be air swallowing. If you're feeling a bit anxious, you might start swallowing air without even realizing it. This can lead to a cycle of burping to release the air, then swallowing more. And because air naturally wants to float upwards, it leaves the stomach through burping.
This is more of a nervous habit rather than a stomach or intestine issue. So, take a moment to check in with yourself, are you feeling stressed at work or in your surroundings? We can help manage this with acupuncture and Chinese herbal Medicine. But, if things aren't improving, it might be time to start working on changing this habit.
Another reason could be your eating habits. Are you gulping down food? Eating too quickly? This could be causing a lot of air to get into your stomach. Try to chew your food slowly and be calm while eating. Being stressed or anxious can cause you to swallow more air unconsciously.
Next up, your diet could be causing you to burp. Foods and drinks that produce a lot of gas, such as carbonated drinks, beer, and fruit juice, can increase burping. If burping is becoming a problem, it might be a good idea to cut down on these.
Lastly, the cause could be a gastrointestinal disease, such as SIBO(Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) ,Dysbiosis(an imbalance in bacterial composition, changes in bacterial metabolic activities, or changes in bacterial distribution within the gut) , also known in traditional medicine as food-toxin stagnation(食積).
The phrase '食積' means that, in our bodies, food that should have been digested is not properly digested and refers to the waste and gas accumulated.
It causes symptoms such as indigestion, bloating, frequent belching, discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. This could bring other symptoms like heartburn, bloating, dizziness, or pain in the upper abdomen. A lack of digestive enzymes also falls into this category, for instance, severe burping when consuming milk or dairy products, or symptoms of diarrhea or constipation.
The good news is, Traditional Chinese medicine can treat these conditions quite effectively. Depending on the cause and symptoms, treatments that relieve damp-heat can be prescribed. And, prescriptions that facilitate the function of qi like Liu Jun Zi Tang, combined with other herbs that relieve chest tightness can be of great help.