Aerophagia

Aerophagia (or aerophagy) is a condition of excessive air swallowing, which goes to the stomach instead of the lungs. Aerophagia may also refer to an unusual condition where the primary symptom is excessive flatus (farting), belching (burping) is not present, and the actual mechanism by which air enters the gut is obscure or unknown.[1] Aerophagia in psychiatry is sometimes attributed to nervousness or anxiety.[2]

Symptoms and signs

Causes

Aerophagia is associated with excessively chewing gum, smoking, drinking carbonated drinks, eating too quickly, as well as anxiety, high continuous positive airway pressure and wearing loose dentures. Aerophagia is also carried out deliberately as a voluntary action to increase the length and volume of a belch, as any air successfully swallowed serves to increase the partial pressure in the stomach and expand a burp.[13][14] In people with cervical spinal blockages, inhaling can cause some air to enter the esophagus and stomach involuntarily.[15]

Diagnosis

Aerophagia is diagnosed in 8.8% of cognitively delayed patients[16] where the coordination between swallowing and respiration is impaired and not well-defined.[17]

Aerophagia is a dangerous potential side effect of non-invasive ventilation (NIV), commonly used in treatments of respiratory problems and cardiovascular critical care or in surgery when a general anaesthetic is required. In the case of aerophagia during NIV, it is normally diagnosed by experienced medical specialists who check on patients intermittently during NIV use for any emergent problems. The diagnosis is based on the sound heard by listening through a stethoscope placed outside the abdominal cavity. Using this approach, the problem is sometimes detected later than when it develops, possibly also later than necessary. Belated detection or response to aerophagia may lead to gastric distension, which in turn could elevate the diaphragm or cause aspiration of the stomach contents into the lungs[18] or pneumatic rupture of the esophagus due to extreme gastric insufflation.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ Levitt MD, Furne J, Aeolus MR, Suarez FL (1998). "Evaluation of an extremely flatulent patient: case report and proposed diagnostic and therapeutic approach". Am J Gastroenterol. 93 (11): 2276–81. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.1998.00635.x. PMID 9820415. S2CID 20991299.
  2. ^ "Aerophagia - Define Aerophagia at Dictionary.com". dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  3. ^ Chitkara DK (2005). "Aerophagia in adults: a comparison with functional dyspepsia". Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 22 (9): 855–858. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2005.02651.x. PMID 16225495.
  4. ^ Callahan, Christy. "Chest Pressure and Swallowing Air While Eating". livestrong.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Hyperventilation Syndrome". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  6. ^ "heartburn" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
  7. ^ "Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER) and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in Adults". The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Archived from the original on 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2015-07-24.
  8. ^ Viniol A, Keunecke C, Biroga T, Stadje R, Dornieden K, Bösner S, et al. (October 2014). "Studies of the symptom abdominal pain--a systematic review and meta-analysis". Family Practice. 31 (5): 517–29. doi:10.1093/fampra/cmu036. PMID 24987023.
  9. ^ Wilkes, Garry (2 August 2007). "Hiccups". eMedicine. Medscape. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  10. ^ Oxford University Press. "satiety, n." OED Online. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  11. ^ "Pediatric Vomiting". The Lecturio Medical Concept Library. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  12. ^ Shepherd, Kelly; Hillman, David; Eastwood, Peter (15 January 2013). "Symptoms of Aerophagia Are Common in Patients on Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy and Are Related to the Presence of Nighttime Gastroesophageal Reflux". Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 9 (1): 13–17. doi:10.5664/jcsm.2328. PMC 3525982. PMID 23319899.
  13. ^ "Belching: Is it Normal?". International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  14. ^ Luo, Elaine K. "What are the best ways to make yourself burp?". Medical News Today. Medical News Today. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  15. ^ Krasiuk MM, Kratinov VP (July 1993). "The characteristics of aerophagy and its treatment". Likars'ka Sprava. 7 (7): 114–6. PMID 8209520.
  16. ^ Loening-Baucke V (2000). "Aerophagia as cause of gaseous abdominal distention in a toddler". J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 31 (2): 204–7. doi:10.1097/00005176-200008000-00026. PMID 10941981.
  17. ^ Perlman AL, Ettema SL, Barkmeier J (2000). "Respiratory and acoustic signals associated with bolus passage during swallowing". Dysphagia. 15 (2): 89–94. doi:10.1007/s004550010006. PMID 10758191. S2CID 9995350.
  18. ^ RUBEN H, KNUDSEN EJ, CARUGATI G (1961). "Gastric inflation in relation to airway pressure". Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 5 (3): 107–14. doi:10.1111/j.1399-6576.1961.tb00089.x. PMID 14494855. S2CID 8648152.
  19. ^ Meyerovitch J, Ben Ami T, Rozenman J, Barzilay Z (1988). "Pneumatic rupture of the esophagus caused by carbonated drinks". Pediatr Radiol. 18 (6): 468–70. doi:10.1007/BF00974081. PMID 3186323. S2CID 359997.