Aerophagia (oraerophagy) is a condition of excessive air swallowing, which goes to thestomach instead of thelungs. Aerophagia may also refer to an unusual condition where the primary symptom is excessiveflatus (farting),belching (burping) is not present, and the actual mechanism by which air enters the gut is obscure or unknown.[1] Aerophagia in psychiatry is sometimes attributed to nervousness oranxiety.[2]
Aerophagia is associated with excessivelychewing gum,smoking, drinkingcarbonated drinks, eating too quickly, as well as anxiety, highcontinuous positive airway pressure and wearing loosedentures. Aerophagia is also carried out deliberately as a voluntary action to increase the length and volume of abelch, as any air successfully swallowed serves to increase thepartial pressure in the stomach and expand a burp.[13][14] In people with cervical spinal blockages, inhaling can cause some air to enter the esophagus and stomach involuntarily.[15]
Aerophagia is diagnosed in 8.8% of cognitively delayed patients[16] where the coordination between swallowing and respiration is impaired and not well-defined.[17]
Aerophagia is a dangerous potential side effect ofnon-invasive ventilation (NIV), commonly used in treatments of respiratory problems and cardiovascular critical care or in surgery when a generalanaesthetic 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 astethoscope 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 thediaphragm or cause aspiration of the stomach contents into the lungs[18] or pneumatic rupture of theesophagus due to extreme gastric insufflation.[19]
^Meyerovitch J, Ben Ami T, Rozenman J, Barzilay Z (1988). "Pneumatic rupture of the esophagus caused by carbonated drinks".Pediatr Radiol.18 (6):468–70.doi:10.1007/BF00974081.PMID3186323.S2CID359997.
