Gastrointestinal malfunction arising from mental factors
What is it?
Aerophagia is the medical term for excessive and repetitive air swallowing. We all ingest some air when we talk, eat, or laugh. People with aerophagia gulp so much air, it produces uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms. These symptoms include abdominal distension, bloating, belching, and flatulence.
Aerophagia can be chronic or acute, and can be related to physical as well as psychological factors.
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Additional names
This group contains additional names:
- Aerophagy
Signs & symptoms
While aerophagia shares many of the same symptoms with indigestion- primarily upper abdominal discomfort- they are two distinct disorders. In the Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics study, those with indigestion were more apt to report the following symptoms than those who had aerophagia:
* nausea
* vomiting
* feelings of fullness without eating large amounts
* weight loss
Diagnosis
Because aerophagia shares some of the same symptoms with common digestive disorders like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), food allergies, and bowel blockages, your doctor may first test for these conditions. If no physical cause of your intestinal issues is found, and your symptoms are persistent, your doctor may make the diagnosis of aerophagia.
Treatment
While some doctors may prescribe drugs such as simethicone and dimethicone to reduce the formation of gas in the bowel, there’s not a lot in the way of drug therapy to treat aerophagia.
Most experts advise speech therapy to improve breathing while talking. They also recommend behavior modification therapy to:
* become conscious of air gulping
* practice slow breathing
* learn effective ways of dealing with stress and anxiety
☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.
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Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:
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