Belching is the act of bringing up air from the stomach, and it is a normal process that helps release air from the stomach. However, excessive belching can indicate a problem like acid reflux or rumination syndrome. The most common cause of belching is swallowing excess air, which most often never even reaches the stomach but accumulates in the esophagus. Some other causes of excessive belching include:

• Carbonated beverages: Drinking carbonated beverages can cause gas to build up in the stomach and lead to belching.

• Swallowing air: Swallowing air while eating or drinking can cause air to build up in the stomach and lead to belching.

• Eating too quickly: Eating too quickly can cause a person to swallow air along with their food, leading to belching.

• Gum chewing: Chewing gum can cause a person to swallow air, leading to belching.

• Smoking: Smoking can cause a person to swallow air, leading to belching.

• Digestive system disease: Digestive system diseases like acid reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause belching, along with other symptoms like heartburn, nausea, and bloating.

• Food intolerance: Food intolerances can cause belching, along with other symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

• Hiatal hernia: A hiatal hernia can cause stomach acid to back up into the throat, leading to sour-tasting burps.

To reduce belching, a person can try to avoid swallowing excess air by eating and drinking slowly, avoiding carbonated beverages, and avoiding gum chewing and smoking. If excessive belching is accompanied by other symptoms or does not go away, it is important to contact a healthcare provider for further evaluation.