What Are the Causes of Constant Belching?

Constant belching or burpring is most commonly caused by air entering the stomach. However, gastroesophageal reflux disease, heartburn, gastroparesis and lifestyle choices can prompt an unusual amount of belching as well.

Air

• Swallowing air is called aerophagia, which can occur in people who are experiencing nervousness or stress. Air also sometimes enters the stomach if a person is eating or drinking too quickly, or talking with food in his mouth. Drinking too many carbonated beverages will also increase the amount of belching.

GERD

• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), a condition in which food or liquid travels backward from the stomach into the esophagus, may also result in excessive belching.

Heartburn

• The medical conditions heartburn and indigestion, whether caused by peptic ulcers or something a person has eaten, results in discomfort. A person will often swallow excessively to alleviate this discomfort, which will, in turn, lead to belching.

Gastroparesis

• Delayed stomach emptying, called gastroparesis, happens when the stomach muscles are too weak to effectivley push all of the food out of the stomach. The food that remains in the stomach, undigested, can cause burping as well as nausea.

Contributing Factors

• To a lesser extent, chewing gum and drinking through a straw also draw air into the stomach, leading to belching. Rarely, prescription medications can cause excessive or constant belching.