Refers to the noisy release of air or gas from the stomach through the mouth.
The action of allowing air in the stomach to come up through the mouth.
The audible return of air from the stomach, called belching in an adult. Babies swallow a good deal of air while they are feeding, more during bottle feeding than breastfeeding, because the baby’s mouth generally fits more closely around the breast. Burping a baby two or three times during a feeding can help reduce the amount of regurgitation (spitting up) of food and fluid.
The expulsion of air from the digestive tract through the mouth. Many people unconsciously swallow air while eating, chewing gum, or smoking. Stress or poorly fitted dentures may also cause too much air to be swallowed. Swallowing air leads to upper intestinal gas, which can also be produced by drinking carbonated beverages. Although much gas is passed into and absorbed by the small intestine, some may be belched out. Belching alone is usually not caused by a disease. However, belching that is accompanied by a sour or bitter fluid, or is more common when lying down, may be a symptom of esophageal reflux (the backward flow of acid from the stomach up into the esophagus). Belching after meals may be a sign of indigestion or gallbladder disease.