How often have you felt there is something stuck in your throat, even if you haven’t eaten or drunk anything in the near vicinity? Sounds familiar?
Such a sensation happens right at the back of your throat; somewhere behind your tongue and it seems as if an object is sitting there, which refuses to budge.
You find it tough to swallow, and in rare cases you may drool as well. And since you are trying endlessly to clear your throat, chances are that you may do so with all your might, ending up with a hoarse voice and a painful upper chest too.
So what’s exactly happening here? Let’s find out the causes and what to do when such situations happen, shall we?
Causes
1. There actually must be something stuck in your throat
This is more common in children and elderly people. Chances are that some of the particles of food are lodged and stuck in the throat. What can be done is, have plenty of water to flush it down and the matter would resolve on its own. The matter should resolve in a day’s time; if not, it would be wise to check with a doctor and get it solved.
2. Do you suffer from GERD
Check if you are constantly burping or facing flatulence; chances are the GERD condition has taken over which makes you feel there is something stuck in the throat, when in actuality it is the acids playing havoc.
Drinking a lot of water or a cup of cold milk can help every three hours until the situation subsides. If the situation persists for more than a day or two; a doctor visit is a must.
3. You could be suffering from Scleroderma
Scleroderma in layman terms would be the narrowing or the hardening and eventually the weakening of the tissues in the oesophagus. This is a condition which forces the foods we eat to travel back into the throat. When this happens, the foods have no outlet to escape from, and hence make you realise that there is something stuck in the throat.
4. Check if you have tonsillitis?
Tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial or viral infection, where in the tonsils become inflamed and thus swallowing becomes difficult, making it feel like something is stuck in the throat, where in reality there’s nothing.
5. Check if you suffer from diverticula
Diverticula is a condition which will cause your throat or oesophagus to swell with small sacs, resulting in a very unsettling condition. It is mostly seen in adults to senior citizens
6. You may have some form of allergies?
Seasonal allergies are common and so are pet allergies; they both can create inflammation and swelling, pains as well in the throat, and make you feel as though something is stuck in your throat. In such cases, do not self-medicate.
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What to do:
Only under the guidance of a doctor an anti-allergy dose or medicine should be taken, which helps clear the passages. Experts recommend using the neti pot method at home; however, if you are unsure about the method, don’t risk it!
7. Get check for outer oesophageal growths
Lymph nodes and tumors can create extreme pressure on the oesophagus and the force is pushed upwards into the throat.
What to do:
Pain and swelling follow, and this makes the individual feel as though their throat is choked. Once again, this is a calling for the medical experts to deal with.
8. Thyroid gland enlargement
If a thyroid gland enlarges, it can grow out large or medium, and when this happens, there would be a feeling as though something is stuck in the throat.
What to do:
You would experience difficulty in eating or drinking or swallowing. However, until the issue solves through doctors treatments, it would be wise to drink a lot of water to keep your throat hydrated round the clock.
9. Tumors in the oesophagus
It could be a cancerous or a benign tumor lodged in the oesophagus, and this is what is actually making you feel that there is something stuck in your throat.
What to do:
Drink a lot of fluids, liquids and soups to help with the swallowing and to stay hydrated; a doctor’s visit at the first signs of the same is a must.
10. Check on you stress levels
When one is too stressed and anxious, feeling chocked and blocked throat is common. What you could do is to relax a little, take a break, and go somewhere quiet. Deep breathing at this point would be helpful, and sipping plenty of water would also be quite helpful. This helps calm the anxiety.
Now that we have given you ten probable causes as to why you feel there is something stuck in your throat, let’s check on a few treatment options for the same, and get wiser too!
A. you could try antibiotics
For infections caused by bacteria, doctors would suggest antibiotics to beat the infection. The same would be needed to tackle the issues you face – the swelling caused by the pathogenic bacteria would be killed. Follow the course as prescribed by the doctor and drink plenty of water.
B. To beat stress use lavender
Lavender for many centuries has been used as an active ingredient to beat stress and anxiety. Medical experts too opine that stress and anxiety could cause the feeling of lumpiness in the throat, which is why inhaling a drop of lavender oil placed on a kerchief all through the day is recommended
Alternatively, You could also add a few drops of the oil to a warm bucket of water and bathe with that water for total stress relief at the end of the day.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we would say, you need to eat well, chew your food properly, do nasal drips at least once a month to drain out all the mucus and germs from the throat and the oesophagus, and one should also quit smoking too.
Disclaimer: This post is for information only and if you have more queries on the same, it would be wise to speak with your family doctor. His words would take precedence over what is written here any time.
Stay happy and healthy always.
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