In people with inability to burp disorder, the cricopharyngeal muscle fails to relax therefore gas get trapped in the oesophagus. Patient suffering from this disorder often complain of discomfort and sometimes a gurgling noise deep behind the chest wall in the midline.
Patients with inability to burp or abelchia present typically with symptoms of bloating, abdominal and retrosternal or chest pain/discomfort, gurgling noise in the throat, excessive flatulence [1, 2].
Belching and gurgling
But burps and gurgles can also point to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a common condition that often develops from overeating or pressure on the stomach (up to 50 percent of pregnant women suffer from it).
Not being able to burp happens when the upper esophageal sphincter loses its ability to release air for some reason. The upper esophageal sphincter is a muscular valve surrounding the upper part of the esophagus (food pipe) just below the throat passage.
Symptoms. Symptoms of Retrograde Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction (R-CPD) or the “No Burp Syndrome” are the lifelong inability to burp, chest pain and discomfort, stomach bloating, gurgling sounds coming out of your throat and flatulence. These symptoms make social social interaction very stressful.
Aside from the principal symptom of an inability to burp, RCPD patients will often suffer from these additional complaints: Gurgling noises from the throat or neck, often uncontrollable, and audible to others. Uncomfortable pressure sensations in the chest or neck. Abdominal bloating.
The cricopharyngeal sphincter is usually in a state of contraction and only relaxing to allow passage of food down or during burping/belching. In people with inability to burp disorder, the cricopharyngeal muscle fails to relax therefore gas get trapped in the oesophagus.
In people with no-burp syndrome, the cricopharyngeus muscle never relaxes for burping. The condition's medical name is retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction (R-CPD) and it wasn't discovered until 2019.
The inability to burp may not sound like a big deal, but it is actually a serious health problem that can cause severe pain in the chest and abdomen.
A steady gurgling of acidic stomach contents into the lower esophagus is what gives us the classic symptom of heartburn and it happens when the protective mechanisms in the esophagus are simply overwhelmed, whether by our anatomy, our food choices, our eating behavior, or, most commonly, some combination of these.
“These noises are normal, as long as they aren't accompanied by other gastrointestinal symptoms, such as pain, nausea, excessive bloating, distention, diarrhea or constipation,” she says.
Common symptoms of trapped wind include a bloated stomach or abdomen, flatulence or burping, stomach cramps, a rumbling or gurgling sound, nausea, and pain when you bend or exercise.
Pharyngoesophageal diverticulum (Zenker's diverticulum). A small pouch that forms and collects food particles in the throat, often just above the esophagus, leads to difficulty swallowing, gurgling sounds, bad breath, and repeated throat clearing or coughing.
But certain conditions, such as chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or obesity, weaken the sphincter. When that happens, stomach acid can gurgle up and burn the lower end of the esophagus. Occasional heartburn is harmless, but chronic GERD can set the stage for Barrett's esophagus.
Aerophagia symptoms typically include: Excess belching or burping. Feeling significant bloating or having a lot of gas. Heartburn or reflux.
Belching is commonly known as burping. It's your body's way of expelling excess air from your upper digestive tract.
Supragastric burping: This involves a person suctioning in air, often subconsciously, from their mouth into their esophagus. The person then expels the air through their pharynx, the tube that carries air, food, and fluid down from the mouth and nose. People may do this to relieve symptoms of acid reflux.
Choose food that is warm or cool. Let foods and drinks that are very hot or very cold sit for a bit before eating or drinking them. Suck a peppermint lozenge. Peppermint oil is a smooth muscle relaxant and might help ease esophageal spasms.
Carbonated drinks, fruit drinks, beer, and red wine. Fried and fatty foods. Sugar and sugar substitutes.