Boeren (ructus)

- Accumulation of air in the stomach increases the gastric volume, which activates receptors in the gastric wall. This results in a reflex that relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter, whereby the intragastric air can escape through the oesophagus. Ventilation of the stomach via the oesophagus is known as belching (ructus).

- Belching often occurs in combination with reflux symptoms and dyspepsia. In these cases, other symptoms are often more predominant, and it is advisable to treat these first.

- In patients with aerophagia, belching is the most common reason for medical consultation. These patients belch frequently, up to 20 times per minute, and often during consultation.

- Aerophagia results from air being sucked into the oesophagus or injected by pharyngeal contraction, after which it is expelled immediately. In contrast to the described gastric belching, aerophagia is therefore a form of supragastric belching.

- Aerophagia is a behavioural disorder, and behavioural therapy or logopedics appears to be most common therapeutic approach.

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2006;150:1385-9