Burping is the body’s natural way of letting excess air out of the digestive system. Everybody does it. As a matter of fact, according to the Cleveland Clinic, you pass gas as often as 14 to 23 times a day. Sulfur Burps is a type of burps we will explain in this article.
What Are Burps?
Sometimes during eating, drinking, or smoking, you can swallow some air. Gases also released when bacteria break down food particles in your stomach. These gases travel up the esophagus to the mouth and come out as a burp or blech.
What Are Sulfur Burps?
Sulfur burps are burps that have a foul smell resembling that of rotten eggs.
Most of the time, the ingested air does not travel all the way down to the stomach, instead, it gets trapped in the esophagus. Hence when this gas expelled as a burp, it has no foul odor to it. These burps commonly contain oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and other odorless gases.
When bacteria break down food, digestive gases formed as a byproduct. Sometimes, the gas trapped in the esophagus gets mixed with digestive gases. One of these digestive gases is hydrogen sulfide, which is responsible for the odor of your sulfur burps.
What Are the Causes of Sulfur Burps?
Sulfur burps can be caused due to dietary reasons, lifestyle choices, or underlying medical conditions. Eating or drinking too fast, smoking frequently, and drinking carbonated drinks are some common causes of burps.
As a result, Other medical and dietary causes of sulfur burps include:
Intolerance for Certain Foods:
Food intolerances occur when your digestive system faces difficulty in digesting certain foods. Gluten, dairy products, and wheat may cause bloating, gas, diarrhea, and nausea for some people after ingestion.
Eating Foods Rich in Sulfur:
Certain foods have a high percentage of sulfur in them. When bacteria break down these foods, high quantities of hydrogen sulfide produced, giving rise to sulfur burps.
Food sources high in sulfur include broccoli, kale, turnip, collard greens, cabbage, eggs, seeds, and nuts.
Bacterial Infection:
In that case, Stomach infection caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori can lead to stomach ulcers, and gastritis. Symptoms of the condition present themselves as frequent sulfur burps, nausea, and abdominal pain.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS):
Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder of the large intestine. In that case, The chronic condition causes gas, frequent burping, bloating, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea or constipation.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD):
In case, GERD is a digestive disorder in which stomach acid backs up to the esophagus, which can cause sulfur burps and heartburn.
Home Remedies for Sulfur Burps
Treating sulfur burps at home requires changing habits, eating patterns, and dietary intake. Some home remedies for sulfur burps include:
- Avoiding Sulfur Rich Food:
If you’re experiencing sulfur burps frequently, stay clear of sulfur-rich food. Avoid eating cruciferous vegetables as they contain high quantities of sulfur.
High-protein foods can also increase the production of hydrogen sulfide. Minimize the consumption of protein-rich foods.
- Changing Habits:
Eating too fast or eating while talking, drinking carbonated drinks frequently, and smoking allows for excess air to enter the digestive tract. This expelled in the form of burps or flatulence. Changing these habits can decrease the occurrence of burps.
- Drinking Green Tea:
Widely known for its positive effect on digestion. It promotes digestion, decreases bloating, and reduces burping. However, it should be taken in moderation, no more than 3 cups a day since excess ingestion of the tea can lead to dehydration.
- Ginger:
Ginger is the most well-known remedy for gas and indigestion. Whether you brew the root in some tea or consume it raw, it works almost instantaneously.
Other Home Remedies List
- Turmeric:
Turmeric is proven to hold many health benefits and is commonly used for its medical properties. A few of these health benefits include reducing gas and soothing heartburns.
- Apple Cider:
Consuming a tablespoon of apple cider every day maintains the balance between gut bacteria, promotes digestion, and reduces gas.
- Fennel:
In fact, Fennel is famously known for aiding digestion. The herb acts on the digestive tract by relaxing its smooth muscles, which promotes digestion, reduces gas, and relieves abdominal cramps.
- Caraway Seeds:
Caraway seeds are an excellent remedy to alleviate digestive problems, heartburn, gas, bloating, and constipation. The seeds also act as an antibiotic and eliminate bacteria such as H. pylori.
- Drinking Plenty of Water:
Staying hydrated not only shields the stomach from harmful bacteria, but it also helps the digestive system break down sulfur-rich foods.
Medication for Sulfur Burps
If home remedies do not alleviate the condition or if the condition worsens, over-the-counter medication can be used after consulting a doctor.
- Probiotics:
Probiotics, also known as ‘good bacteria’, restore gut flora, help eliminate harmful bacteria, and promote digestion. This in turn reduces the production of smelly digestive gas by the body.
- Simethicone:
It is an antacid that helps treat indigestion, nausea, heartburn, and diarrhea. It effectively reduces the rotten egg-like smell of sulfur burps.
- Bismuth Subsalicylate:
It is an antacid that helps treat indigestion, nausea, heartburn, and diarrhea. In addition, It effectively reduces the rotten egg-like smell of sulfur burps.
When to See a Doctor
Even though sulfur burps can be quite embarrassing, they do not pose a risk to your health. However, if they become more frequent or are accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting, contact your primary healthcare physician.
Sulfur burps can be an indication of an underlying medical condition such as GERD or IBS, or they can simply be due to your dietary intake and lifestyle habits.