Medicines to Treat Aerophagia

Definition

Aerophagia occurs when, in addition to food, it swallows air, which accumulates in the digestive tract, causing belching, flatulence, gastric noises (borborygmi) and painful abdominal tension. We are certainly not talking about a dangerous disease, rather an unpleasant and somewhat annoying condition, fortunately of simple resolution.

Causes

Aerophagia constitutes an immediate reaction to a large meal and an excessively fast swallowing of food, liquids, chewingum and smoke; in general, incorrect eating habits can be the basis of this disorder. Aerophagia assumes a pathological character when it follows. to psychological, gastro-intestinal, biliary or hormonal conditions.

Predisposing factors: hiatus hernia, irritable bowel syndrome, sialorrhea, xerostomia

Symptoms

The clinical picture of aerophagia is characterized by the accumulation of air in the stomach, which results in belching, abdominal swelling, flatulence and meteorism. In the context of pathological aerophagia, symptoms can worsen to the point of creating acute dilation in the stomach, accompanied by anxiety, unpleasant perception of suffocation, hyperventilation, tightness and tachycardia.

Natural Cures

The information on Aerophagia - Medicines for the Treatment of Aerophagia is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Aerophagia - Medicines for the Treatment of Aerophagia.

Medicines

In a certain sense, aerophagia constitutes an alarm signal sent by the organism, a request for help that the "patient" must "be able to grasp: as analyzed, the occasional aerophagia, which follows a particularly lavish meal - or, worse still, eaten quickly - can be considered an almost physiological phenomenon, since the introduction of food also involves the swallowing of saliva and air. It should be remembered that about 70% of the air accumulated in the intestine it derives precisely from the intake of food and drinks, while the remaining 30% is divided between the quantity of gas derived from the bloodstream and that originating from local bacterial fermentation.
Non-pathological aerophagia is treated according to the cause: to give an example, eating slowly and the selection of simple foods facilitate digestion, removing the risk of forming aerophagia. When, on the other hand, a meal rich in fats, fibers and proteins is consumed. , especially in a fast way, the digestive mechanisms are put to the test: the food stays longer in the stomach, therefore subject to bacterial fermentation, stomach acid, belching and swelling. In this case, the use of drugs is not the most suitable solution : phytotherapy exerts its therapeutic activity very well.
Different speech must be made for pathological aerophagia: the tendency to swallow air can in fact be independent from the administration of food, rather an expression of nervous tics and anxiety. When the problem becomes substantial, the use of drugs for the treatment of anxiety can first of all calm and relax the patient so as to prevent aerophagia (which, in similar circumstances, is a secondary symptom).

The following are the classes of drugs most used in the therapy against aerophagia, and some examples of pharmacological specialties; it is up to the doctor to choose the most suitable active ingredient and dosage for the patient, based on the severity of the disease, the state of health of the patient and his response to treatment:

Antacid drugs: aerophagia is the result of an accumulation of air in the stomach; when you take hyperlipidic and high-protein foods, the digestive mechanisms struggle to carry out their normal activity, so the food stays longer in the stomach, creating acidity and digestive difficulties. For this reason, we recommend the administration of antacid drugs, to be taken approximately half an hour after meals.

Particularly suitable for this purpose are "aluminum hydroxide and" magnesium hydroxide (eg Maalox): the two active ingredients present in this product are specially associated, since they have opposite side effects: magnesium hydroxide is a laxative , aluminum hydroxide is responsible for constipation. Take 2-4 tablets per day (500-1500 mg) with plenty of water, 20-60 minutes before meals and at bedtime.
Calcium Carbonate (eg. Cacit, Metocal, Recal): indicatively, it is recommended to take a dose of active variable from 1250 to 3750 mg per day, divided into 2-4 doses during the 24 hours. When calcium carbonate is taken for long periods, in addition to causing swelling, it can lead to constipation.

Charcoal: it is one of the most widely used "natural drugs" to treat the symptoms of aerophagia. Charcoal is obtained from the dry distillation of birch, willow or poplar wood, from which a powder is obtained. It is known to most that charcoal has exceptional adsorbing properties, such as to incorporate excess air swallowed with food (not surprisingly, its use is also recommended in case of meteorism, diarrhea and flatulence); moreover, charcoal exerts a modest disinfectant action in the intestinal tract Vegetable charcoal should not be confused with carminative drugs, capable of eliminating (not adsorbing) gases.

Proton pump inhibitors: second choice drugs for the treatment of aerophagia. Particularly indicated when this condition is associated with gastritis, reflux disease or hiatal hernia.
For further information on drugs and dosage: read the article on the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Innovative drugs to treat aerophagia:

Recently an innovative drug has been proposed for the treatment of aerophagia: it is a supplement based on alpha-galactosidase, which blocks the development of intestinal gas derived from non-digestible oligosaccharides in the bud.

To understand…

Alpha-galactosidase is an enzyme that is not present in humans: it is useful for the digestion of some carbohydrates. Undigested oligosaccharides (such as raffinose, verbascose and stachyose) are present in some legumes and can cause aerophagia and flatulence. Starting from this premise, it was thought that supplementing the diet with drugs based on this enzyme could be a valuable aid in alleviating ailments such as aerophagia.

Defoamer: dimethicone (eg Simecrin, Meteosim) is a drug also indicated to treat the symptoms of aerophagia, especially if associated with antacids. Dimethicone is used both for the treatment of gastrointestinal meteorism and for that of aerophagia. Take approximately 4 tablets of 40 mg per day (equally distributed in two doses, to be taken after the two main meals).

Probiotics: the administration of probiotics is useful for restoring and reinvigorating the bacterial flora: often, in fact, aerophagia can be the cause and consequence of an "alteration of the microbial flora that populates the intestine, causing collateral alterations (eg. Diarrhea / constipation, abdominal bloating, etc.).

Anxiolytic drugs: the administration of these active ingredients to treat aerophagia is recommended only when the gastrointestinal alteration depends on stress and anxiety. Anxiolytic drugs should not be administered for the treatment of aerophagia dependent on a large meal.
The removal of the anxiety and the relaxation of the patient will also produce the recovery of all secondary symptoms related to anxiety, just like aerophagia.
For further information: read the article on drugs for the treatment of anxiety

The best cure for non-pathological aerophagia is certainly represented by nutrition, both in terms of food combinations and the way in which the meal is consumed:

Chew for a long time
Don't talk during the meal
Do not drink carbonated drinks (or otherwise limit their consumption)
Do not take / avoid meals rich in lipids and proteins, especially when combined
Reduce the intake of legumes, cabbage, onions and all foods that can promote gas formation in the stomach (in sensitive patients)

The best cure for (non-pathological) aerophagia is therefore the correction of eating habits.