Rumination Disorder

Rumination syndrome is a condition where people engage in constant unintentional spitting up (regurgitation) of undigested food from the stomach, rechew it, and then reswallow it or spit it out. Rumination is considered a reflex not a conscious action.

Rumination disorder is a rare condition that is classified as an eating disorder. Undigested food comes back up from an individual’s stomach into their mouth and once this happens, the individual might chew the food, swallow it back up, or spit out. This behavior usually happens after every meal, because the food hasn't been digested, it tastes normal and it isn’t acidic.

Symptoms

  • Effortless regurgitation  
  • Abdominal pain that is relieved by regurgitation  
  • Feeling of fullness
  • Bad breath  
  • Nausea  
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Dental problems

Prevalence

Rumination disorder is often misdiagnosed as a common gastrointestinal issue like acid reflux. The global prevalence of rumination disorder is 3.1% and it is more common in females than males.

Prognosis

Many people live normally with rumination syndrome, it usually does not affect an individual’s daily routines.

When to seek help

A doctor should be contacted if you or your child are having symptoms of rumination, especially if you or your child are regurgitating food on a regular basis.

Treatment

Rumination disorder is usually treated by behavioral therapy in order to step regurgitation. Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the main techniques used in therapy. It is intended to help the individual relax the diaphragm and use it correctly while breathing to strengthen it.