Jade Thirlwall has discovered that she has a relatively rare condition that means she’s unable to burp, revealing that it has “caused issues” throughout her life.
The singer, who was a member of girl band Little Mix before embarking on a successful solo career, revealed that she was diagnosed with Retrograde Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction (also known as R-CPD), in the comments of a TikTok video on the subject.
According to the National Library of Medicine, R-CPD is a condition characterised by the inability to burp, with symptoms including bloating, gurgling and flatulence.
Commenting on a video by content creator Gemma Renwick, who regularly posts about the condition, Thirlwall wrote, “Omg I finally feel so seen and understood.”
“It’s always been a fun fact that I can’t burp but it’s caused issues my whole life and I’m sick of people commenting on my weight and body onstage when I’m just bloated af [as f***],” she added.
The 33-year-old also mentioned that she would like to get “throtox” which is botox treatment targeting the cricopharyngeus muscle to relax the upper esophageal sphincter and let trapped gas escape.
In the video, Renwick reveals that she’s undergone the treatment for her R-CPD and that she’s started a petition wanting greater recognition of the condition within the National Health Service.
Thirlwall has also reposted a video of Renwick’s about the petition, which currently has nearly 5,000 signatures, and asks the government to review how adequate treatment options for R-CPD are.
Speaking about the condition in 2023, a spokesperson for NHS England told BBC News that clinical evidence of the condition is “extremely limited” due to the small number of people who have made themselves aware.
However, “NHS staff enact clinical advice from NICE [the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellent], which sets out the care and services suitable for patients with a specific condition or need.”
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