The difference between hiccups and belching

Many people have experienced hiccups in life. This is caused by gastrointestinal dysfunction. Many people eat too fast and swallow a lot of air, which makes this phenomenon easy to occur. Hiccups is a common name, and its scientific name is belching. Although belching and hiccups are both caused by gastrointestinal reasons, belching and hiccups are different and have many differences.

The difference between hiccups and belching

Belching, commonly known as "burping" or "full belching", is one of the common symptoms of various digestive tract diseases. Belching is the sound made by gas in the stomach rising up the throat. The sound is long and slow, and was called "hiccups" in ancient times. It is also a manifestation of stomach qi disharmony and upward reflux. Different from hiccups, which are short, sharp, and audible. Occasionally, belching may occur after a full meal, but without other accompanying symptoms. It is not pathological and can usually heal on its own. Clinically, the difference in belching sound and odor is used to differentiate the deficiency or excess of the syndrome. Belching with sour and foul smell and abdominal distension is mostly due to stagnation of food, which is a positive syndrome. If the belching is frequent and loud, the abdominal distension decreases after the belching, and the belching attacks increase or decrease due to changes in emotions, it is mostly due to liver qi invading the stomach, which is a positive syndrome. Belching that is deep and intermittent, without a sour or rancid odor, and is accompanied by poor appetite, is mostly caused by stomach deficiency and qi reflux, which is common in the elderly or people with long-term illness and physical weakness, and is a deficiency syndrome. Frequent belching without sour or rotten smell and accompanied by abdominal pain are mostly caused by cold evil invading the stomach, which is a cold syndrome. Especially reflux esophagitis, chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and functional dyspepsia are often accompanied by belching symptoms.

Causes of belching

1. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Bile reflux gastritis, eating too much, the stomach cannot be emptied on time, food accumulates in the stomach for too long, causing belching. Some GERD patients do not have common typical symptoms such as heartburn and reflux, but may have atypical symptoms such as belching, chest pain, upper abdominal pain, and upper abdominal burning sensation.

2. Mental stress

Depression can also affect the sympathetic nerves, making them overly tense, inhibiting the gastric motility and emptying function, causing stored food to remain in the stomach for too long, leading to the production of fermented gas.

3. Bad diet and lifestyle habits

Eating too much radish, potato, sweet potato, chestnut and other foods, or staying in bed for a long time, working at a desk for a long time, and lack of physical activity can also affect gastric emptying.

4. Gastric outlet obstruction

Belching is a common complication of duodenal ulcer, also accompanied by upper abdominal distension and discomfort, anorexia, nausea and vomiting.

5. Hiatal hernia

Belching often occurs after eating and is often accompanied by heartburn, acid regurgitation, and abdominal bloating. Patients often complain of dull pain under the sternum or in the precordial area, which may also radiate to the shoulder. Other symptoms include difficulty swallowing, nausea, weight loss, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, coughing, and bad breath.

6. Peptic ulcer

It is a common disease that often causes belching. The basic symptoms are heartburn and burning stomach pain. Duodenal ulcers cause pain on an empty stomach and in the middle of the night, which can be relieved after eating or taking antacids or drugs to reduce secretions. Gastric ulcer causes pain half an hour after a meal and is relieved before the next meal. Accompanying symptoms and signs include difficulty swallowing, nausea, vomiting, black stools, abdominal distension, feeling of fullness, and upper abdominal tenderness.