All people periodically encounter a phenomenon such as burping. It represents the exit of air through the esophagus. This phenomenon can be associated both with the peculiarity of the food eaten, and with problems of a medical nature. Why is belching, bitterness in the mouth and nausea? How to treat diseases that cause unpleasant burping?
Causes of occurrence
Why does belching occur in bitterness? An unpleasant bitter aftertaste is most often associated with the release of bile, this often happens with problems such as:
- Diseases of the gallbladder and bile ducts: cholecystitis, cholelithiasis. With such diseases, an eructation occurs with impurities of bile, most often it appears in the dark.
- Improper nutrition. If the daily diet of a person is dominated by fatty, fried and too seasoned dishes, then the stomach may try to cope with this abundant secretion of bile.
- Liver diseases: hepatitis, cirrhosis, cholestasis. Unfortunately, liver diseases are often asymptomatic, so burping with bitterness can be the only reason for contacting doctors.
- Various tumors, hernias.
Pregnancy can also cause belching. This may be due to toxicosis in the first trimester of pregnancy or increased gas formation in the intestines throughout pregnancy.
Belching after eating
Most often, an involuntary release of air through the esophagus is observed after eating. This may be due to the rapid absorption of food, which provokes the ingestion of air, a violation of eating habits or nervousness during eating. If there is a bitter aftertaste, then most likely the problem lies in the bile ducts. The normal outflow of bile is disrupted, as a result of which it enters the stomach and esophagus, causing a burning sensation and an unpleasant bitter aftertaste in the mouth. Unfortunately, such a symptom is always a sign of pathology, therefore it is very important to consult a doctor in a timely manner.
Symptoms
Depending on the cause of the burping, bitterness can be accompanied by the following symptoms:
- pain or discomfort in the right hypochondrium;
- heartburn;
- nausea;
- weakness in the body;
- vomiting with impurities of bile;
- bloating;
- increase in body temperature;
- drowsiness;
- hair loss as one of the complications of cirrhosis.
In addition, there is a constant unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth and an unpleasant odor, despite good oral care.
Which doctor should I go to?
Treatment of belching with bitterness should be under the supervision of qualified doctors. However, which doctor should I contact first?
Diagnosis and therapy begins in the office of the general practitioner who will conduct the survey, will prescribe basic tests, on the basis of which he will make assumptions about the diagnosis. He will also refer the patient to doctors of specialization.
The doctor, a gastroenterologist, deals with problems with the gastrointestinal tract, so his consultation will also not be superfluous. This specialist will prescribe specific tests, based on which you can accurately diagnose, and also prescribe the correct treatment.
A dietitian is necessary if burping is associated with improper nutrition. A competent nutritionist will adjust the patient's daily diet in accordance with the diagnosis made by the gastroenterologist. He can also prescribe treatment with mineral waters. For example, with increased acidity of gastric juice, it is recommended to use water with a high alkali content: Narzan, Borjomi, Essentuki. Water must be consumed daily in a warm form and always without gas.
Diagnostics
It is very important to pay great attention to clinical research, which will give a complete picture of the disease. For this, diagnostic methods are used, such as:
- General examination of the patient, clarification of complaints.
- Laboratory tests, which include general and biochemical blood tests, urinalysis and feces, a coprogram.
- Colonoscopy, which is the introduction of a tube with a camera into the cavity of the esophagus and stomach. Thanks to this procedure, it is possible to visually assess the condition of internal organs.
- Soft tissue biopsy of the stomach.
- Measurement of the acidity of an internal organ.
- Ultrasound diagnosis that helps determine the presence of tumors, cysts in the stomach, pancreas or gall bladder.
Also, an experienced doctor will offer the patient to do tests to determine the presence of Helicobacter pylori, which can cause belching and bitterness in the mouth.
Treatment
Therapy depends entirely on the cause of the burping caused by bitterness. So, for example, in pregnancy, belching is a variant of the norm, most often the problem disappears after childbirth on its own, however, you can slightly reduce its frequency by performing the following actions:
- it is necessary to take food calmly, without rushing, devoting a lot of time to chewing, it is also important not to talk while eating, as this provokes the ingestion of air, which later comes out in the form of burping;
- It is important to abandon physical activity immediately after eating;
- exclude products that cause gas formation.
For the treatment of diseases that provoke belching with air and bitterness, it is necessary to take the following drugs:
- Prokinetics, they affect the motility of the digestive organs and thereby stimulate the tone of the sphincters. These are drugs such as Motilium, Cisapride.
- Medicines to reduce the acidity of the stomach: Almagel, Maalox.
- H2 receptor blockers, which include Omez and Ranitidine.
- Digestion Enzymes: Mezim, Gastal, Creon.
- Antibiotics that are necessary when detecting the causative agent of the disease are Helicobacter pylori bacteria: Amoxiclav, Metronidazole.
These drugs are more aimed at making a person’s life as comfortable as possible, but specific therapy is needed to cure the disease, which caused burping belching. Gastrointestinal diseases require nutritional adjustments and supportive care. Liver diseases are difficult to treat; constant intake of hepatoprotectors that support the functions of a diseased organ is required.
Diet
The first advice that any gastroenterologist will give when complaining of bitterness in the mouth, belching and bloating, will be the observance of the basics of dietary nutrition. For problems of the digestive tract, liver or gall bladder, it is important to follow these basic rules:
- food should be carried out 4-5 times a day in small portions;
- it is required to limit or exclude acidic, salty, sweet and spicy foods;
- it is forbidden to eat fatty oils of animal origin, as well as fatty and fried foods;
- a complete rejection of the use of coffee, strong tea, chocolate, alcoholic and carbonated drinks is necessary;
- it is required to include porridges on water, low-fat varieties of fish, fresh vegetables, fruits, light broths in the daily menu.
You should abandon frying in favor of stewing, boiling, baking and steaming.
Surgical intervention
In some cases, it is impossible to get by with conservative medicine methods. Carrying out abdominal operations is indicated when detecting hernias, tumors, cysts and other formations. Also, in some cases, full or partial resection of the affected organ may be necessary, liver transplantation is rarely required.
Laparoscopy is an operation that is performed by introducing surgical instruments into the abdominal cavity without performing classical incisions. Such an operation is minimally invasive, healing is much faster than during abdominal operations. With the help of a laparoscope, the insufficiency of the pyloric sphincter and other minor problems can be eliminated.
Folk remedies
To alleviate the condition of the patient and eliminate unpleasant symptoms in the form of bitterness in the mouth and burping air, the use of alternative medicine methods is allowed:
- If air exhaust through the esophagus was triggered by gastritis with increased gastric secretion, it is recommended to use teas from mint, lemon balm and raspberry branches daily.
- Flax seeds and fennel help normalize the acidity of the stomach, which must be consumed every morning with a tablespoon on an empty stomach.
- You can eliminate increased gas formation using such a tool: 120 ml of cranberry juice, 120 ml of aloe juice, 15 ml of honey, 250 ml of warm water. All ingredients must be thoroughly mixed. Drink a drink of 50 ml daily for six months.
- It is good to drink a drink made of linden blossom, fennel and peppermint. The course of treatment is 3 months, after which it is necessary to take a break for a month and resume treatment.
- With frequent burping with an unpleasant aftertaste, it is recommended to consume 300 ml of natural goat milk daily.
In case of severe heartburn, which often accompanies belching, it is necessary to take the powder from the calamus root on the tip of the knife, and then drink plenty of water.
Despite the fact that the recipes of traditional medicine are based on natural ingredients, it is necessary to consult a doctor before starting therapy.
Dangerous effects
Belching itself is not a disease, but it can be a dangerous symptom that cannot be ignored. Lack of proper attention to your health can lead to problems such as:
- gastroesophageal reflux disease of the esophagus, which is characterized by chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane caused by the frequent release of bile and gastric juice;
- Barrett's esophagus syndrome - precancerous condition of the esophagus;
- reflux gastritis, which develops due to constant emissions of bile.
These diseases are difficult to treat, in addition, they are very dangerous for life and health.
Preventive measures
There can be a large number of reasons for burping and bitterness in the mouth, so there are no universal recipes for prevention. However, there are generally accepted measures to prevent burping:
- refusal of carbonated drinks, as well as foods that cause increased gas formation, such as legumes, fresh bread, coffee, alcoholic beverages;
- timely treatment and prevention of diseases of the gallbladder, liver and gastrointestinal tract;
- to give up smoking.
An active lifestyle, moderate exercise and adherence to the principles of proper nutrition are also welcome.