Underdiagnosed Condition Leaves Patients With 'Excessive Flatulence'

Do you struggle to burp? You may be one of a not-so-small community of people with a condition known as retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction (R-CPD), also known as "no burp syndrome."

The condition was first described in 1987, although before 2019, only three individual case studies had ever been reported. It was only in 2019 that the condition received its official name, courtesy of Dr. Robert Bastian from the Bastian Voice Institute.

Today, the largest support group available to R-CPD patients is on Reddit—with 26,000 members—but there is still a stark lack of research, diagnosis and support for patients with this condition.

R-CPD is caused by an inability to relax the cricopharyngeal muscle in the throat, preventing air from passing through as a burp. However, symptoms of R-CPD include much more than just an inability to belch.

New research published in the journal Neurogastroenterology & Motility shows that patients with this condition suffer from "abdominal bloating, gurgling noises in the chest, and excessive flatulence," as well as difficulty vomiting. Patients also report feelings of embarrassment, anxiety, depression, negative impacts on relationships and work disruption due to the condition.

In a survey of 199 respondents with this condition, researchers from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center found that 90 percent did not feel they had received adequate support for their condition. Only half had felt they could discuss their symptoms with their primary care provider.

Roughly 97 percent of participants reported developing symptoms during their childhood or for as long as they could remember, suggesting that the condition may be genetic rather than acquired due to environmental factors.

Current research in this field is focused on the efficacy of botox injections as a treatment for the condition. However, there is still uncertainty around relieving factors and their causes. The condition is still unfamiliar to many healthcare providers, leaving many patients undiagnosed and unsupported.

"R-CPD encompasses more than just the physical challenge of being unable to burp; it also significantly impacts people's daily lives, relationships, and mental well-being," co-author Jason N. Chen, a medical student at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, said in a statement. "Future efforts should concentrate on raising awareness about R-CPD, which can help increase identification and treatment rates."

Is there a health issue that's worrying you? Do you have a question about retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.