SINGAPORE – Daryl was 52 when he finally learnt how to burp in 2026.
“All my life, I could not burp,” the cybersecurity executive, who declined to use his full name, told The Straits Times.
The build-up of gas made him feel terribly bloated and uncomfortable. He also suffered excessive flatulence as his body tried to expel the trapped air elsewhere.
Daryl did not think his inability to belch was a problem until he was in his mid-40s, when he started experiencing bloating, trapped wind, pain and constipation every day.
“I could not eat certain foods or have gassy drinks without turning into a pressure cooker. When it happened, I would get relief by self-inducing vomiting to expel the excess air. My colleagues could hear me gagging in the toilet,” he said.
Daryl thought he had become lactose-intolerant and, because he loves his daily caffeine fix, started drinking kopi-o kosong, or black coffee.
From 2018, Daryl started seeing “a slew of GPs and specialists – at both private and public hospitals”.
“I underwent (procedures) such as an endoscopy and a colonoscopy and was told that they couldn’t really find anything serious. Some told me I had GERD while others said it was IBS (irritable bowel syndrome),” he said.
GERD, which stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a chronic digestive condition where stomach acid frequently flows back into the food pipe, or oesophagus, irritating its lining.
IBS is a common, long-term digestive condition that affects the large intestine and how the gut works.
The medication that Daryl was prescribed did not help his condition at all.
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