Burping can be embarrassing or uncomfortable, especially in social situations, so it's often considered a “failure.”
However, for some people, not being able to burp can cause discomfort. This condition also has a medical name: Retrograde Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction (R-CPD), also known as “No Burp Syndrome.”
The cricopharyngeal muscle is the main muscle of the upper esophageal sphincter, the upper portal of the food pipe. In the absence of burping syndrome, this muscle does not relax, which interferes with the burping process, says Neil Chedda, associate professor and associate director of otolaryngology and chief of laryngology at University Health in Gainesville, Florida. According to M.D.
“Both men and women can be affected, but the risk factors for developing this condition are unknown,” Chedda told FOX News Digital.
While not being able to burp may not seem like a big deal, doctors say not being able to burp can cause serious problems.
“People who are unable to burp may complain of quality of life issues, such as bloating, gurgling, and discomfort with certain foods and drinks, such as soda,” says Chedda.
Dr. Priya Krishna, an otolaryngologist at Loma Linda University Head and Neck Surgery in California, agreed that burping syndrome is not likely to cause “significant psychological distress” to patients.
“It actually has a profound impact on personal life and embarrasses social situations because of the louder rumbling and excessive farting,” she told FOX News Digital.
If over-the-counter and prescription medications and lifestyle adjustments don't resolve burping problems, patients can turn to Botox as a potential treatment, medical experts say.
Whether injected into the face for a cosmetic procedure or elsewhere in the body for functional reasons, Botox works by blocking motor nerves from releasing chemical messengers that signal muscles to contract. It works by preventing it, explained Dr. Chedda of UF Health.
“When Botox is injected into the cricopharyngeal muscle, the muscle is no longer able to contract, so it relaxes and allows the esophagus to ventilate.”
As a result, this can help the patient burp.
Dr. Krishna from Loma Linda University told Fox News Digital that Botox injections can be a very safe procedure as long as they are injected into the correct intended muscles.
“That means having a surgeon who is knowledgeable in anatomy inject into the cricopharyngeal muscle, as all otolaryngologists do,” she says.
This treatment was discovered by Dr. Robert Bastian, an ear, nose and throat specialist and director of the Bastian Voice Institute in Downers Grove, Illinois.
“I specialize in laryngology (the “T” in ENT). “This means speech, swallowing, upper airway, sensory neuropathic cough, inability to burp, or R-CPD,” he told FOX News Digital. “That's why I call myself a 'laryngologist.'”
Bastian said he pioneered the procedure of injecting Botox into the cricopharyngeus muscle, which relaxes the muscle and allows the patient to burp.
What you can expect from this procedure
According to Bastian, there are two ways to use Botox to induce burps.
The first is a simple procedure performed under general anesthesia in an outpatient operating room.
“A simple 'scope' procedure allows us to see the sphincter muscle at the junction of the lower throat and the opening of the esophagus,” the doctor told Fox News Digital. “A small needle is then inserted into the muscle and the Botox is injected.”
Because anesthesia is required, someone must drive the patient home after the surgery.
The second method involves injecting the drug into the muscle while the patient is sitting in a doctor's office chair.
“A needle is inserted into the muscle through the side of the neck. The surgeon uses surface landmarks and three-dimensional visualization, and an electromyography device monitors and verifies the placement of the muscle,” Bastian explains. I did.
Because only local anesthesia is used, patients can drive to and from surgery.
Bastian said he finds it rewarding to be a pioneer in the Botox method.
“It was a great honor to 'discover' and codify the diagnosis and help disseminate that information to other doctors…and most of all, to our beloved patients who have suffered for so long. It was an honor to work with him.''I've been living with this terrible disease for a long time,'' he told FOX News Digital.
Bastian's patients described the treatment's effects as being able to burp, “no more rumbling,” and “almost complete reduction in bloating,” the doctor said.
The patient also said that having the surgery had “dramatically” improved his daily life.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Botox's manufacturer and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for comment.
