Editing Burping

{{short description|Release of gas from the upper digestive tract through the mouth}}
{{redirect|Burp}}
{{redirect|Belch|the fictional character|Sir Toby Belch}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox medical condition (new)
| name            = Burp
| image           = Burp.wav
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| synonyms        = Belching, ructus, eruptus, eructation, mouth [[flatus]]
| field           = [[Gastroenterology]]
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}}
'''Burping''' (also called '''belching''' and '''eructation''') is the release of [[gas]] from the upper [[Gastrointestinal tract|digestive tract]] ([[esophagus]] and [[stomach]]) of animals through the [[mouth]]. It is usually [[Hearing|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 contexts and cultures, burping is acceptable and may even be perceived as humorous, while in others it is seen as impolite or even offensive and therefore 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 [[Environmental impact of meat production|have a negative effect on the environment]]. Significant research is being done to find mitigation strategies for ruminant burping, e.g. modifying the animals' diets with ''[[Asparagopsis taxiformis]]'' (red [[seaweed]]).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fox|first=Alex|title=Seaweed-Fed Cows Burp Less Planet-Warming Methane|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/seaweed-fed-cows-burp-less-planet-warming-methane-180977296/|access-date=2021-03-28|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en}}</ref>

==Causes==
*Burping is usually caused by [[aerophagia|swallowing air]] when eating or drinking and subsequently expelling it, in which the expelled gas is mainly a mixture of [[nitrogen]] and [[oxygen]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Cormier|first=René E.|title=Abdominal Gas|date=1990|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK417/|work=Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations|editor-last=Walker|editor-first=H. Kenneth|edition=3rd|publisher=Butterworths|isbn=040990077X|pmid=21250257|editor2-last=Hall|editor2-first=W. Dallas|editor3-last=Hurst|editor3-first=J. Willis}}</ref> 
*Burps can be caused by drinking beverages that contain dissolved [[carbon dioxide]], such as [[beer]] and [[Soft drink#Carbonated drinks|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]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Practical tips to reduce bloating, belching and gas |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gas-and-gas-pains/in-depth/gas-and-gas-pains/art-20044739 |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=Mayo Clinic |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Anti-diabetic medication|Diabetes drugs]] such as [[metformin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=3653|title=DailyMed: About DailyMed|access-date=4 October 2014}}</ref> and [[exenatide]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=5430|title=DailyMed: About DailyMed|access-date=4 October 2014}}</ref> 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 [[Peptic ulcer|ulcer]] or [[hiatal hernia]], and should be reviewed by a physician.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wrongdiagnosis.com/symptoms/belching/book-causes-8c.htm|title=Eructation (Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)) - WrongDiagnosis.com|work=Better Medicine|access-date=4 October 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717175430/http://wrongdiagnosis.com/symptoms/belching/book-causes-8c.htm|archive-date=17 July 2012}}</ref> 
*Other causes of burping include [[Food allergy|food allergies]], [[gallbladder]] diseases, ''[[H. pylori]]'', [[Gastroesophageal reflux disease|acid reflux disease]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Belching: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia|url=https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003080.htm|website=medlineplus.gov|language=en|access-date=2020-04-30}}</ref> and [[gastritis]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hopman |first1=Wim P |last2=van Kouwen |first2=Mariëtte C |last3=Smout |first3=André J |title=Does (supra)gastric belching trigger recurrent hiccups? |journal=World Journal of Gastroenterology |date=14 April 2010 |volume=16 |issue=14 |pages=1795–1799 |doi=10.3748/wjg.v16.i14.1795 |pmid=20380015 |pmc=2852831 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Complications==
In [[microgravity]] environments, burping is frequently associated with [[regurgitation (digestion)|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.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Vickie |last1=Kloeris |date=1 May 2001 |url=http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/journals/space/kloeris/05-01-01.html |title=Eating on the ISS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060930025908/http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/people/journals/space/kloeris/05-01-01.html |archive-date=30 September 2006 |first2=Lori |last2=Keith |work=[[National Aeronautics and Space Administration]] |access-date=2011-11-12}}</ref>

==Disorders==
*Chest pain associated with burping can occur, but is rare.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kahrilas|first1=PJ|last2=Dodds|first2=WJ|last3=Hogan|first3=WJ|title=Dysfunction of the belch reflex. A cause of incapacitating chest pain.|journal=Gastroenterology|date=October 1987|volume=93|issue=4|pages=818–22|pmid=3623025|doi=10.1016/0016-5085(87)90445-8|doi-access=free}}</ref>
*[[Retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction]] (R-CPD) or retrograde upper esophageal sphincter dysfunction (R-UESD),<ref name="Oude Nijhuis Snelleman Oors Kessing 2021 p. ">{{cite journal | last1=Oude Nijhuis | first1=Renske A.B. | last2=Snelleman | first2=Jurjaan A. | last3=Oors | first3=Jac M. | last4=Kessing | first4=Boudewijn F. | last5=Heuveling | first5=Derrek A. | last6=Schuitenmaker | first6=Jeroen M. | last7=ten Cate | first7=Liesbeth | last8=Smout | first8=Andreas J.P.M. | last9=Bredenoord | first9=Albert J. | title=The inability to belch syndrome: A study using concurrent high-resolution manometry and impedance monitoring | journal=Neurogastroenterology & Motility | publisher=Wiley | volume=34 | issue=5 | date=2021-08-26 | pages=e14250 | issn=1350-1925 | doi=10.1111/nmo.14250 | pmid=34435723 | pmc=9285907 | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Kahrilas 2022 p. ">{{cite journal | last=Kahrilas | first=Peter J. | title=Retrograde upper esophageal sphincter function… and dysfunction | journal=Neurogastroenterology & Motility | publisher=Wiley | volume=34 | issue=5 | date=2022-02-04 | pages=e14328 | issn=1350-1925 | doi=10.1111/nmo.14328 | pmid=35122356 | pmc=9007908 }}</ref> also called "abelchia",<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Karagama |first=Yakubu |date=January 2021 |title=Abelchia: inability to belch/burp-a new disorder? Retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction (RCPD) |journal=European Archives of Oto-rhino-laryngology |volume=278 |issue=12 |pages=5087–5091 |doi=10.1007/s00405-021-06790-w |issn=1434-4726 |pmid=33893849 |doi-access=free|pmc=8553696 }}</ref> involves the [[Inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle|cricopharyngeus muscle]] not being able to relax, leading to inability to burp. R-CPD was first discovered in 1987,<ref name="m566">{{cite web | title= | url=https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/0016-5085(87)90445-8/pdf?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2F | access-date=2025-04-09}}</ref> and further research gained attention in the mid to late 2010s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bastian |first1=Robert W. |last2=Smithson |first2=Melissa L. |title=Inability to Belch and Associated Symptoms Due to Retrograde Cricopharyngeus Dysfunction: Diagnosis and Treatment |journal=OTO Open |date=15 March 2019 |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=2473974X1983455 |doi=10.1177/2473974X19834553 |pmid=31236539 |pmc=6572913 }}</ref> Common symptoms include gurgling noises, bloating, and flatulence; lesser but common symptoms can be potentially painful hiccups, nausea, constipation, hypersalivation, or shortness of breath.<ref name="Bastian Smithson p. ">{{cite journal | last1=Bastian | first1=Robert W. | last2=Smithson | first2=Melissa L. | title=Inability to Belch and Associated Symptoms Due to Retrograde Cricopharyngeus Dysfunction: Diagnosis and Treatment | journal=OTO Open | year=2019 | volume=3 | issue=1 | pages=2473974X1983455 | pmid=31236539 | doi=10.1177/2473974X19834553 | pmc=6572913 }}</ref><ref name="Bastian 2021">{{cite web | last=Bastian | first=Dr. Robert | title=Can't Burp? Comprehensive Resources for R-CPD (in One Place) | website=Laryngopedia | date=2021-09-24 | url=https://laryngopedia.com/cant-burp-you-may-have-r-cpd-the-inability-to-burp/ | access-date=2022-08-24}}</ref> A [[high-resolution manometry]], [[esophageal manometry]] or [[fluoroscopy]] by an [[Otorhinolaryngology|ENT doctor]] is able to assess the issue.<ref name="Kahrilas 2022 p. "/><ref name="Oude Nijhuis Snelleman Oors Kessing 2021 p. "/> 80% of patients were successfully treated with [[botox]] after a single injection. If the injection is unsuccessful, an alternative is partial [[cricopharyngeal myotomy]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bastian |first1=Robert W. |last2=Hoesli |first2=Rebecca C. |title=Partial Cricopharyngeal Myotomy for Treatment of Retrograde Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction |journal=OTO Open |date=January 2020 |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=2473974X2091764 |doi=10.1177/2473974X20917644 |pmid=32328538 |pmc=7163242 }}</ref>

==Society and culture==
===Acceptance===
Some [[South Asian culture]]s 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.<ref name="KYC">{{cite web| url        = http://know.burrp.com/loose-ends/to-burrp-or-not-to-burrp/26173| title      = To burp or not to burp| last       = Mehrotra| first      = Shirin| date       = 10 October 2011| website    = BURRP!| access-date = 2013-10-30| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131030104813/http://know.burrp.com/b-buzz/to-burrp-or-not-to-burrp/26173| archive-date = 2013-10-30}}</ref>

In [[Culture of Japan|Japan]], burping during a meal is considered bad manners.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/articles/dining-etiquette-japan.html |title=Dining Etiquette in Japan &#124; articles &#124; cultural services |publisher=Kwintessential.co.uk |access-date=2014-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193210/http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/articles/dining-etiquette-japan.html |archive-date=29 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Burping during a meal is also considered unacceptable in Western cultures, such as [[Culture of North America|North America]] and [[Culture of Europe|Europe]].<ref name="KYC"/>

Despite virtually no scientific research on the subject, small online communities exist for burping as a [[sexual fetish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/inside-world-burping-fetish-community-a7435931.html |title=Inside The World Of The Burping Fetish Community |last=Gander |first=Kashmira |date=24 November 2016 |website=Independent.co.uk |access-date=2021-06-22}}</ref> 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]], [[feederism|feedism]], [[vorarephilia]], and [[farting]] fetishes.<ref name="DMG">{{cite web |url=https://drmarkgriffiths.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/belch-rare-bit-a-very-brief-look-at-burping-fetishes/ |title=Belch rare bit: A very brief look at burping fetishes |last=Griffiths |first=Mark |date=22 September 2014 |access-date=2021-06-22}}</ref> Anecdotally, the 'loudness' aspect appears to be an important element to burp fetishists. Despite being a rather uncommon fetish,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/738244/weird-fetish-belching-burping-sexual-arousal |title='It's a major turn on': Is this the most UNUSUAL fetish of all time? |last=Mulherin |first=Lizzie |date=30 November 2016 |access-date=2021-06-22}}</ref> 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".<ref name="DMG"/>

===Infants===
[[File:Burping an infant.jpg|thumb|An infant being burped against an adult's shoulder]]
[[Infant|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.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/tc/burping-a-baby-topic-overview | title=Burping a Baby - Topic Overview | publisher=[[WebMD]] | date=18 February 2013 | access-date=16 April 2015}}</ref>

===World record===
The [[Guinness World Record]] for the loudest burp was 112.4 [[Decibel|dB]], set by Neville Sharp from [[Darwin, Australia]] in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Loudest burp (male) |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/80129-loudest-burp-male |website=[[Guinness World Records]] |access-date=12 January 2024 |date=29 July 2021}}</ref> This is approximately as loud as a [[jet engine]] at {{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www1.lasalle.edu/~reese/decibels.htm|title=Decibel levels|website=www1.lasalle.edu|access-date=2018-11-02}}</ref> The record was previously held by Paul Hunn, who held the record for 12 years.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Suggitt |first1=Connie |title=Loudest burp record broken for first time in over a decade |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2021/11/loudest-burp-record-broken-for-first-time-in-over-a-decade-683953 |website=[[Guinness World Records]] |access-date=13 January 2024}}</ref>

===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 [[speech production|vocalisation]] for people who have undergone a [[laryngectomy]], with the burp replacing laryngeal [[phonation]]. This is known as [[esophageal speech]].

==Other animals==
Many other [[mammal]]s, such as [[cow]]s, [[dog]]s and [[sheep]], also burp.

===Ruminants===
Much of the gas expelled is produced as a [[byproduct]] of the ruminant's [[digestion|digestive process]].  These gases notably include a large volume of [[methane]], produced exclusively by a narrow cohort of [[methanogen]]ic [[archaea]] [[Gut flora|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,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Grainger|first1=C.|last2=Clarke|first2=T.|last3=McGinn|first3=S.M.|last4=Auldist|first4=M.J.|last5=Beauchemin|first5=K.A.|last6=Hannah|first6=M.C.|last7=Waghorn|first7=G.C.|last8=Clark|first8=H.|last9=Eckard|first9=R.J.|title=Methane Emissions from Dairy Cows Measured Using the Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Tracer and Chamber Techniques|journal=Journal of Dairy Science|volume=90|issue=6|pages=2755–2766|doi=10.3168/jds.2006-697|pmid=17517715|year=2007|doi-access=free}}</ref> ''i.e.'' more than 117&nbsp;kg per year through burping and exhalation, making commercially farmed cows a major (37%)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.globalmethane.org/expo-docs/china07/postexpo/ag_gerber.pdf|title=Livestock's Long Shadow|last=Gerber|first=Pierre}}</ref> contributor to anthropogenic [[methane emissions]], and hence to the [[greenhouse effect]]. 95% of this gas (wind) is emitted through burping.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Polakovic|first1=Gary|title=Bovine belching called udderly serious gas problem: Global warming concerns spur effort to cut methane|date=13 July 2003|url=http://www.mycattle.com/health/dsp_health_article.cfm?storyid=10045|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040813063303/http://www.mycattle.com/health/dsp_health_article.cfm?storyid=10045|archive-date=13 August 2004}}</ref> This has led scientists at the [[Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation]] of [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]], [[Australia]], to develop an anti-methanogen vaccine to minimize methane in cow burps.<ref>{{cite news |author=Nowak, R. |title=Burp vaccine cuts greenhouse gas emissions |newspaper=[[New Scientist]] |date=5 September 2004 |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6431}}</ref>

One reason why cows burp so much is that they are often fed foods that their digestive systems cannot fully process, such as [[maize|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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Greening the Herds: A New Diet to Cap Gas |newspaper=The New York Times|date=4 June 2009 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/us/05cows.html}}</ref>

===Birds===
There is no documented evidence that birds burp, though [[ornithologist]]s 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 tract]]s of birds.<ref name="Schwanke">{{cite web|last1=Schwanke|first1=Catherine|title=Is It True That Birds Can't Fart?|url=http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-05/it-true-birds-cant-fart|website=[[Popular Science]]|access-date=18 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426034552/http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-05/it-true-birds-cant-fart|archive-date=26 April 2016|date=4 June 2009}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Flatulence]]
* [[Hiccup]]
* ''[[Penelope and the Humongous Burp]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Medical resources
|   ICD10       = {{ICD10|R|14||r|10}}
|   ICD9        = {{ICD9|787.3}}
| DiseasesDB=30089
|   MedlinePlus = 003080
}}
{{Digestive system and abdomen symptoms and signs}}

[[Category:Reflexes]]
[[Category:Symptoms and signs: Digestive system and abdomen]]