Burping does not worsen reflux

People who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) swallow air and belch more frequently, but swallowing air does not appear to worsen the condition. Dutch researchers have found that acid backs up into the oesophagus when the muscle closing it off from the stomach relaxes momentarily, while excess air is allowed to escape the stomach in a burp via the same mechanism. People with GERD often complain of frequent belching, but the connections among air swallowing, GERD and burping are not well established. The researchers therefore measured pressure, liquid and acidity in the oesophagus of 12 people with GERD and 12 healthy individuals before and after air was infused into their stomachs. People with GERD belched about 52 times during the 24-hour study, as compared to the 7 times for the controls, and they swallowed air 287 times versus 176 times in the controls. Infusing air into the oesophagus boosted the reflux of gas from the stomach in both GERD patients and controls, but it did not have any effect on acid reflux. It is not clear why people with GERD swallow air and burp more frequently. It could be related to salivary secretion or perhaps swallowing larger amounts. The findings suggest that air swallowing is not the cause of increase in reflux.