Aerophagia
Encyclopedia
Aerophagia is a condition that occurs when a person swallows too much air, which goes to the stomach
. It causes abdominal bloating
and frequent belching and may cause pain
.
, smoking
, drinking carbonated drinks, eating too fast, CPAP air pressure (if it's too high) and wearing loose dentures
. In people with cervical spinal blockages, inhaling can cause air to enter the esophagus and stomach.
Aerophagia is diagnosed in 8.8% of cognitively delayed patients where the coordination between swallowing and respiration is not well defined. In one case, aerophagia was successfully treated with thorazine, an antipsychotic sometimes used to treat hiccups.
Aerophagia is a dangerous side effect of noninvasive 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. 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 of aerophagia may lead to gastric distension, which in turn could inflate the diaphragm
or cause aspiration of the stomach contents into the lungs or pneumatic rupture of the oesophagus due to extreme gastric insufflation.
Aerophagia may also refer to an unusual condition where the primary symptom is excessive flatus, belching is not present, and the actual mechanism by which air enters the gut is obscure.
Stomach
The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...
. It causes abdominal bloating
Bloating
Bloating is any abnormal general swelling, or increase in diameter of the abdominal area. As a symptom, the patient feels a full and tight abdomen, which may cause abdominal pain sometimes accompanied by increased borborygmus or more seriously the total lack of borborygmus.-Symptoms:The most common...
and frequent belching and may cause pain
Pain
Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...
.
Causes
Aerophagia is associated with chewing gumChewing gum
Chewing gum is a type of gum traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. For economical and quality reasons, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle...
, smoking
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
, drinking carbonated drinks, eating too fast, CPAP air pressure (if it's too high) and wearing loose dentures
Dentures
Dentures are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and which are supported by surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable, however there are many different denture designs, some which rely on bonding or clasping onto teeth or dental...
. In people with cervical spinal blockages, inhaling can cause air to enter the esophagus and stomach.
Aerophagia is diagnosed in 8.8% of cognitively delayed patients where the coordination between swallowing and respiration is not well defined. In one case, aerophagia was successfully treated with thorazine, an antipsychotic sometimes used to treat hiccups.
Aerophagia is a dangerous side effect of noninvasive 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. The diagnosis is based on the sound heard by listening through a stethoscope
Stethoscope
The stethoscope is an acoustic medical device for auscultation, or listening to the internal sounds of an animal body. It is often used to listen to lung and heart sounds. It is also used to listen to intestines and blood flow in arteries and veins...
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 of aerophagia may lead to gastric distension, which in turn could inflate the diaphragm
Thoracic diaphragm
In the anatomy of mammals, the thoracic diaphragm, or simply the diaphragm , is a sheet of internal skeletal muscle that extends across the bottom of the rib cage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration...
or cause aspiration of the stomach contents into the lungs or pneumatic rupture of the oesophagus due to extreme gastric insufflation.
Aerophagia may also refer to an unusual condition where the primary symptom is excessive flatus, belching is not present, and the actual mechanism by which air enters the gut is obscure.