Aerophagia

Aerophagia, also known as aerophagy, is a condition involving the excessive swallowing of air, which ends up in the stomach rather than the lungs. In some cases, the primary symptom is excessive flatulence. The exact process that allows air to enter the digestive tract is not well understood. Within psychiatry, the condition is often linked to nervousness or anxiety.

The condition affects roughly 0.1 to 1 percent of the general population, though this figure may be low due to underreporting.

Common causes include chewing gum excessively, smoking, drinking carbonated beverages, eating too quickly, anxiety, high continuous positive airway pressure, and wearing loose dentures. Some people deliberately swallow air to increase the length and volume of a belch, as the swallowed air raises the stomach’s partial pressure and expands the burp. In individuals with cervical spinal blockages, inhaling can involuntarily push some air into the esophagus and stomach.

Diagnosis occurs in 8.8 percent of cognitively delayed patients, where the coordination between swallowing and breathing is impaired and not clearly defined. Aerophagia is a dangerous potential side effect of non-invasive ventilation (NIV), which is commonly used for respiratory problems, cardiovascular critical care, or during surgery requiring general anesthesia. When aerophagia arises during NIV, it is typically diagnosed by experienced medical specialists who intermittently check patients for emerging issues.

The diagnosis relies on the sound heard through a stethoscope placed on the abdomen. This method sometimes detects the problem later than it develops, possibly later than necessary. Delayed detection or response can lead to gastric distension, which may elevate the diaphragm, cause aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs, or result in pneumatic rupture of the esophagus due to extreme gastric insufflation.