A doctor has shared more about a relatively unknown health issue
A GP has revealed why some doctors might appear dismissive or “laugh” when patients mention certain symptoms. According to the medical professional, this response could stem from a lack of awareness.
Most of us expect to consult a GP when faced with worrying health concerns. Yet for some patients, the consultation might not yield the outcome they’d anticipated.
In a video posted on TikTok, NHS doctor Suraj Kukadia addressed a follower’s query. The commenter asked: “Why do doctors laugh it off when I mention it?”
This related to a relatively obscure condition called no burp syndrome. Officially known as retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction (R-CPD), this disorder leaves sufferers permanently unable to burp.
Whilst this might sound trivial, it can cause pain, bloating, nausea and problems with vomiting. Yet R-CPD only gained official recognition in 2019 following the publication of the first scientific paper on the subject.
Consequently, some GPs may be completely unaware of its existence. Dr Kukadia, who goes by Dr Sooj online, explained: “Why do doctors laugh it off when I mention no burp syndrome?
“Look, the majority of doctors have probably never heard of it. It’s not something that I was ever taught about in med school.
“It’s something that I’ve only ever come across because one of my best friends has no burp syndrome and he didn’t even know what it was called. We just always knew that he couldn’t burp.”
He described how this condition impacts his friend: “So when he’s had some fizzy drinks, he has to then shove two fingers down his throat in order to make himself gag and therefore burp and release that air,” Dr Sooj explained.
Despite being relatively unknown, this condition has affected numerous followers of Dr Sooj. He added: “It’s not something that we is very widely known about. I learnt about it because I read a news article on the BBC and then I’ve made some content about it.
“And since having made some content about it, loads of people have commented saying that they thought that they were the only one. I’ve then started getting loads of videos on my social media about retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction – the fact that people are going to go get some Botox for it, the fact that people have been struggling this for a really long time and never knew what it was.
“I’m sorry the doctors laughed it off when you mentioned it, it must be a really horrible and uncomfortable condition to have. But I really think that it stems from the fact that it’s not that well known.”
Signs and symptoms
Yale Medicine states that the symptoms of R-CPD, beyond the lifelong inability to burp or belch, may include:
- Abdominal and/or chest bloating and pain
- Excessive flatulence
- Nausea
- Gurgling noises from the neck and chest
- Difficulty vomiting or fear of vomiting (emetophobia)
This condition can be addressed using Botox treatment. Yale Medicine explained: “The main treatment for R-CPD is a Botox injection into the cricopharyngeus muscle. Botox can be injected either as part of an upper esophagoscopy under general anaesthesia or EMG-guided, as described above.”
Research revealed that following a Botox injection into the cricopharyngeus muscle, more than 99 per cent of patients regained the ability to burp, whilst 95 per cent experienced significant symptom improvement.
For some individuals, these outcomes persisted for up to a year, while others found the results to be permanent.
