Belching as a symptom of endometriosis

How common is the symptom Belching among people with endometriosis?

62,30% of people with endometriosis reported Belching as a symptom of endometriosis in our survey.

How common is the symptom Belching among people with endometriosis compared to the non-affected group?

7,48% of people with endometriosis suffer from the symptom Belching very strong compared to a prevalence of 2,52% among non-affected individuals.
The following table shows the symptom Belching in people with endometriosis compared to non-affected individuals. The scale ranges from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very strong).

Symptom Belching in endometriosis - comparison with control group

Belching in endometriosis
(n = 1724)
37,70%
19,72%
21,17%
13,92%
7,48%
Belching in non-affected individuals
(n = 159)
64,15%
16,35%
8,18%
8,81%
2,52%

Tabular comparison of the prevalence of Belching

Symptom severity Endometriosis Non-affected Comparison
not at all 37,70% 64,15% -26,45%
slightly 19,72% 16,35% 3,37%
moderate 21,17% 8,18% 13,00%
strong 13,92% 8,81% 5,12%
very strong 7,48% 2,52% 4,97%

Symptoms that could be related to Belching

Based on the datasets, we calculated the Kendall correlation. The following symptoms could be related to Belching.

Symptom name Correlation
Heartburn moderate correlation (44,00%)
Flatulence weak correlation (27,00%)
Joint pain weak correlation (23,00%)
Shortness of breath weak correlation (22,00%)
Shoulder pain weak correlation (22,00%)
Nausea weak correlation (22,00%)
Dizziness weak correlation (22,00%)
Taste changes (e.g. iron taste) weak correlation (22,00%)
Numbness in hands weak correlation (21,00%)
Limb pain weak correlation (21,00%)
Chills weak correlation (21,00%)
Abdominal pain outside the lower abdomen weak correlation (20,00%)
Bloated belly / Endo-Belly weak correlation (20,00%)

Belching in endometriosis

Belching, colloquially also called "burping," is in itself a normal bodily process. If there is too much air in your stomach, for example because you ate or drank too quickly, your body tries to expel it. The air is propelled upward out of the stomach: the air is belched. Although belching is very common, women who have endometriosis are affected particularly often. This can have several causes that are directly or indirectly related to the underlying condition.

In women with endometriosis, growths of uterus-like tissue are also found outside the uterus. Most often the organs in the pelvis are affected. However, the bowel, diaphragm, lungs, and, in a few exceptional cases, the stomach can also be involved. These growths are influenced by the female hormonal cycle and therefore first enlarge and then bleed again. As a rule, the blood cannot leave the body but remains in the tissue or seeps into the abdominal cavity. There, inflammation develops, leading to adhesions, scarring, and cyst formation.

In this way, endometriosis causes belching directly or indirectly:

  • Irritable stomach (functional dyspepsia): Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) manifests with symptoms similar to gastritis. Women with endometriosis are significantly more often affected by irritable stomach syndrome. The reason for this is still unknown.
  • Endometriosis lesions on the stomach: This is a very rare form of endometriosis, but it can occur. If growths are present on the stomach, they are at least partly responsible for belching.
  • Medications: Pain relievers, as well as psychotropic medications used to treat depression, can increase the amount of gastric acid and lead to relaxation of the sphincter at the stomach. Because women with endometriosis have a significantly higher risk of depression, they also often take psychotropic medications.
  • Dietary supplements: Because patients with endometriosis often suffer from iron deficiency, many take iron supplements. However, these can lead to a variety of gastrointestinal problems, including heartburn and belching.

Did you know that you can also have a big influence on endometriosis symptoms yourself? In the Endo App you learn self-management techniques for endometriosis and find many interactive exercises to relieve symptoms.