Air swallowing or Aerophagia is constant, unconscious air swallowing, often from anxiety. Eating or drinking rapidly or drinking through a straw can cause excess air to be inhaled. Chewing gum, smoking or wearing loose dentures can also increase your intake of air. Most swallowed air leaves the stomach through burping or belching a gas made up of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. The remaining gas moves into the small intestine, where it’s partially absorbed. Then a small amount travels into the large intestine, where it is released through the rectum. See also :
Natural Remedies
- Eat slowly, and chew food well before swallowing.
- Do not drink a lot of liquid with meals and opt for non-fizzy drinks.
- Drink directly from the bottle or with a straw.
- Don’t talk while eating.
- Avoid chewing gum or sucking sweets.
- Maintain a balanced diet, which is low in fat and carbohydrates.
- The food supplement, Neocarbon with activated carbon, green anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) and mint (Menta piperita L.), can be really useful. Activated carbon is a great natural absorbent, which is capable of binding many substances, such as bacteria, toxins and gases; it also rapidly and effectively reduces aerophagia.
- Mint and anise help with their antispasmodic and relaxing effect.
- Ban Xia harmonizes stomach, stops nausea, vomiting due to lingering phlegm-dampness in the stomach.