Aerophagia
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Synonyms and keywords: aerophagy
Overview
Aerophagia is a condition that occurs when a person swallows too much air, which goes to the stomach.
Pathophysiology
Aerophagia can occur without any act of swallowing. A Ukrainian study[2] showed that in people with cervical disease, inhaling also caused air to go down into the esophagus and stomach. The study recommends cervical spine therapy as a method of treatment. Aerophagia is not uncommon in psychiatric disorders. In one case [3], aerophagia was successfully treated with thorazine, a typical antipsychotic sometimes used to treat hiccups.
Causes
- Anxiety
- Carbonated drinks
- Cervical spine disease
- Psychiatric conditions
Diagnosis
Symptoms
It causes gas bloating of the abdomen and frequent belching. It may cause pain, too, which sometimes is difficult to diagnose.
References
de:Aerophagie gl:Aerofaxia it:Aerofagia nl:Aerofagie no:Aerofagi sv:Aerofagi
© 2026 MyEClinic – IFTM Institut für Telematik in der Medizin GmbH