Aerophagia

Symptoms and signs

• Bloating
• Chest tightness
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Belching
• Heartburn
• Abdominal pain
• Hiccups
• Satiety
• Vomiting{{cite web |url=https://www.lecturio.com/concepts/pediatric-vomiting/ | title=Pediatric Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Causes

Aerophagia is associated with excessively chewing gum, smoking, drinking carbonated drinks, eating too quickly, as well as anxiety, high continuous positive airway pressure and wearing loose dentures. Aerophagia is also carried out deliberately as a voluntary action to increase the length and volume of a belch, as any air successfully swallowed serves to increase the partial pressure in the stomach and expand a burp. In people with cervical spinal blockages, inhaling can cause some air to enter the esophagus and stomach involuntarily.{{cite journal |vauthors =Krasiuk MM, Kratinov VP|title=The characteristics of aerophagy and its treatment |journal=Likars'ka Sprava |volume=7 |pages=114–6

Diagnosis

Aerophagia is diagnosed in 8.8% of cognitively delayed patients where the coordination between swallowing and respiration is impaired and not well-defined.

Aerophagia is a dangerous potential side effect of non-invasive 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 for any emergent problems. 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 or response to aerophagia may lead to gastric distension, which in turn could elevate the diaphragm or cause aspiration of the stomach contents into the lungs or pneumatic rupture of the esophagus due to extreme gastric insufflation.

References

References

1. (1998). "Evaluation of an extremely flatulent patient: case report and proposed diagnostic and therapeutic approach". Am J Gastroenterol.
2. "Aerophagia - Define Aerophagia at Dictionary.com".
3. "Aerophagia Overview, Epidemiology, and Management". Claisen, Inc.
4. Chitkara DK. (2005). "Aerophagia in adults: a comparison with functional dyspepsia". Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
5. Callahan, Christy. "Chest Pressure and Swallowing Air While Eating".
6. "Hyperventilation Syndrome".
7. {{DorlandsDict. four/000047500. heartburn
8. "Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER) and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in Adults". The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
9. (October 2014). "Studies of the symptom abdominal pain--a systematic review and meta-analysis". Family Practice.
10. Wilkes, Garry. (2 August 2007). "Hiccups". Medscape.
11. Oxford University Press. "satiety, n.".
12. "Belching: Is it Normal?".
13. "What are the best ways to make yourself burp?". [[Medical News Today]].
14. (2000). "Aerophagia as cause of gaseous abdominal distention in a toddler". J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr..
15. (2000). "Respiratory and acoustic signals associated with bolus passage during swallowing". Dysphagia.
16. (2006). "Aerophagia as the initial presenting symptom of a depressed patient". Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry.
17. (1961). "Gastric inflation in relation to airway pressure". Acta Anaesthesiol Scand.
18. (1988). "Pneumatic rupture of the esophagus caused by carbonated drinks". Pediatr Radiol.