Aerophagia (Air Swallowing)

You swallow air. Not consciously, not deliberately — but your body does it. While eating, while talking, sometimes just in the middle of everyday life. The result: a bloated belly, feelings of pressure, belching, discomfort. Medically this is called aerophagia — excessive air swallowing. Most affected people only notice it when the symptoms are already there. The air is already inside before the mind grasps what has happened.

But why does a person swallow air? Not the small amount that is normal when eating — but so much that the body protests? The answer rarely lies in the stomach. It lies in what you're not saying, not living out, not letting out. You swallow down what wants to come up. You push inward what is pressing outward. And your body plays along — literally.

Aerophagia is not a digestive problem, but the physical echo of a person who is taking away their own space to breathe.