You can’t swallow without swallowing some air at the same time. It is impossible to avoid it by breathing through your nose alone or by drinking soup without any noise. This is why you usually need a straw to finish your drink, not just as a cute accessory but also because it will keep your beverage from splashing all over you when you take a sip. Even if there is no direct danger from swallowing air, it does feel somewhat uncomfortable and can give you an unpleasant feeling after meals that are more prone to having air trapped in them. Whether it’s the food itself or the way you eat it, there are many factors that affect how much air goes into your stomach together with your food.
Change the speed at which you eat
The first and most important thing you can do is to eat more slowly. If you eat too quickly, you will be swallowing larger amounts of air along with your food. It’s not certain what causes this, but one theory is that you need more time to activate the muscles needed to swallow. If you do it quickly, they don’t have the chance to properly contract and there is more air in your system. Another reason is that if you eat too quickly, you may swallow more air as a reflex when your throat suddenly feels like there is too much food in it. You can try to measure how long it takes you to finish a meal. If it is less than about 20-25 minutes, then you should slow down. If you are in a hurry, you can eat quickly, but you will have to swallow more air.
Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly
Eating slowly and chewing your food well are two other important factors to reduce the amount of air you swallow. If you don’t chew your food properly, it increases the risk of you swallowing it without even being aware of it. The less time you spend chewing, the higher the chances of you swallowing air. When you chew slowly and thoroughly, you will swallow less air and your digestion will be smoother. In fact, most people who experience discomfort after a meal are actually those who don’t chew enough. This can be either because they eat too quickly or because they have some digestive issues. If you suffer from acid reflux, you should chew your food very carefully and slowly because it will reduce the risk of the food going back up your esophagus.
Don’t breathe through your mouth while eating
Eating with your mouth closed will keep most of the air out. It’s a completely natural reflex to breathe out through your mouth while chewing, but if you do it while eating, you will swallow more air. If you want to eat with your mouth closed, you can try closing it every few seconds to train yourself out of the habit. Another trick that many people swear by is to put a finger in your mouth while you chew. Place it between your teeth and move it up and down while you chew. This will cause you to close your mouth naturally and will make you chew with your teeth instead of your tongue.
Put a finger in your mouth while chewing
If you are still suffering from air swallowing, even after trying the other techniques, you can try one more thing: putting your index finger inside your mouth while chewing. Put it in between your teeth, so that you are chewing with your teeth and not your tongue. Your tongue will be held against the roof of the mouth and won’t move, so you will be forced to chew with your teeth. This will help you chew your food longer and slower, keeping more air out of your stomach. This is one of the oldest and most reliable ways to reduce the amount of air you swallow while eating. It’s easy to do and doesn’t require you to change your habits much.
Try eating while sitting upright
If you are eating while lying down, you will swallow more air. The reason for this is that your diaphragm isn’t properly pressed against the abdominal wall and there is more space for air to get trapped between the stomach and diaphragm. The more you are upright, the less air you will swallow while eating. This is not an easy change to make, but it can make a difference. If you can’t avoid eating while lying down, you can try putting a large pillow under your stomach to press it against the diaphragm.
The Bottom Line
There are many ways to reduce the amount of air you swallow while eating. You can eat slower and chew your food thoroughly, breathe through your nose and eat while sitting upright. If you do these things, you will swallow less air and feel less discomfort after your meals. If you are worried about swallowing too much air, you can try these techniques to reduce the amount of air you swallow during a meal. It will help you feel better after eating and may even reduce your risk of digestive issues like acid reflux.