A doctor has explained why a GP might “laugh” about certain symptoms. According to the expert, this reaction might be due to a lack of understanding.

Many of us hope to speak to a GP if we have a concerning health issue. However, for some, this might not produce the results we are hoping for.

Speaking on social media platform TikTok, NHS doctor Suraj Kukadia responded to one follower’s question. She had asked: “Why do doctors laugh it off when I mention it?”

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This commenter was referring to a little-known condition known as no burp syndrome. Medically termed retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction (R-CPD), this condition means a person has a lifelong inability to burp.

While this may not seem serious, it can result in pain, bloating, nausea, and difficulty vomiting. However, R-CPD was only officially recognised in 2019 when the first scientific paper on it was published.

This means some doctors might not even be aware of the issue. Dr Kukadia, who is better known as Dr Sooj, said: “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 explained how this affected 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 said.

While it may not be well known, it is something several of Dr Sooj’s followers have experienced. He continued: “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.”

Dr Sooj said: “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.”

According to Yale Medicine, the symptoms of R-CPD, outside of the lifelong inability to burp or belch, can 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 can be treated with Botox. Yale Medicine said: “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.”

One study found that after receiving a Botox injection into the cricopharyngeus muscle, over 99 per cent of people were able to burp, and 95 per cent experienced substantial symptom relief.

These results lasted up to a year for some people and were permanent for others.