ITV Dr Amir Khan shares 'simple' breathing trick to ease indigestion and burps

ITV Dr Amir Khan shares 'simple' breathing trick to ease indigestion and burps NHS GP and TV presenter Dr Amir Khan shared a remedy for the common problem Dr Amir Khan has shared a 'simple' remedy for an 'embarrassing' problem. The NHS GP and TV doctor is well-known for his slots on ITV morning shows. During a recent appearance on Lorraine, he shared advice for people who can't stop burping. Dr Khan was asked to offer advice to a caller who said they had been taking medication for indigestion and felt embarrassed about burping. In response, the doctor explained that a breathing exercise could help to minimise the problem. Dr Khan started by pointing out that people should see a GP if they experience new indigestion. He explained: "So the general rule of thumb: in new indigestion, in anyone over the age of 55, that can't be explained, needs investigating things like gastric cancer or food pipe, oesophageal cancer." However, in many cases, the issue might be caused by something called supergastric belching. The GP said: "Now, if you're getting regular burping, despite everything, and you've had all your investigations, actually, this could be a habit that your body's made of itself without you knowing about it. We call it supergastric belching, and the body naturally takes in air into the top of the food pipe, and then lets it out as gas." Dr Khan explained: "You don't know you're doing it, but it happens all the time. We can fix this with a simple breathing exercise. It's called diaphragmatic breathing. I'm gonna demonstrate it here. "Lie down on the floor or the sofa. Put one hand on your chest, one on your belly, like that. Breathe in through your nose. You want your belly to rise and your chest to lay still. And then out through pursed lips. "So gentle breathing retrains that muscle under your ribs, called the diaphragm. You do that, three or four times a day, for four or five minutes at a time, over the course of four weeks, your body will learn, actually, rather than belching, we're gonna breathe." He added: "And when you get the sensation to belch, try practising that as well. You've got to retrain things here. So four weeks, three or four times a day, it will solve this." When the video was shared on Instagram, Lorraine viewers thanked Dr Khan for the recommendation. The post racked up over 1k likes and several comments. One social media user replied: "Thanks so much Amir. As always invaluable advice." Another comment said: "Great advice Amir." Can indigestion cause burping? Indigestion often leads to burping. When you have indigestion (also known as dyspepsia), gas and extra air can get trapped in your upper digestive system. Burping is how your body naturally gets rid of this air to ease pressure and discomfort. In addition to burping, indigestion can also cause other symptoms such as bloating, nausea, and a sensation of being uncomfortably full after meals.