According to research, people who cannot burp suffer from anxiety, embarrassment and depression because of the condition, on top of physical pain.
Retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction (R-CPD) causes abdominal bloating and gurgling noises from the chest, neck and flatulence.
The research was carried out by a group of Texan university academics.
They said many doctors are not familiar with the disease and leaving patients underserved. They also said that more research and more awareness of, R-CPD were required.
The group added that, it is necessary to investigate, the severity that this condition has on a patient’s daily life, including its mental and social consequences because it can negatively affect people’s quality of life.
R-CPD, which is also known as no burp syndrome, occurs when the cricopharyngeal muscle in the throat is unable to relax to allow gas to pass upwards.
Yakubu Karagama, who is an ear, nose and throat consultant at London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, said the condition had been disturbing people for a long time.
When you eat or drink, you get this pain. For the gas to come up, some patients have to lie down and some individuals have to stick their finger in their mouth to force themselves to be sick, so that the gas will come out with it.
Karagama told that since 2016 he had been treating patients with this condition with Botox injections, which work by relaxing the cricopharyngeal muscle.
He said the treatment had been life-changing for almost every single patient on whom he had operated. However, it is presently available as a private treatment only because there is little awareness of the condition among the health profession.
Many people are not aware the symptoms which they’re having because of this condition. Most of the patients who have come to my clinic said that they’ve had this all their life.
He also said that, funding was necessary to undertake clinical research into the condition, which he said people were suffering unnecessarily.
An NHS England spokesperson said, While the clinical evidence of this condition is extremely limited due to the small amount of people who have come forward with it, NHS staff enact clinical advice from NICE [the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence], which sets out the care and services appropriate for patients with a specific condition or need.
This study, based on their survey of 199 individuals unable to burp, concluded there was a very limited awareness of the condition among health professionals and improved understanding of the disease could increase diagnosis and treatment rates and this would lead to an improved quality of life for patients, the authors said.
Researchers found half of the individuals with symptoms of R-CPD discussed them with their primary care provider, but that 90% of those said they did not receive enough help.
The study notes a general prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in individuals with disorders which are hard to diagnose. Therefore, it is paramount to explore the mental health implications of this condition.
https://www.ndtv.com/science/study-says-inability-to-burp-may-affect-quality-of-life-4715554
