What causes feeling of something stuck in throat for days

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Overview

Swallowing is a complex process. When you eat, around 50 pairs of muscles and many nerves work together to move food from your mouth to your stomach. It’s not uncommon for something to go wrong during this process, making it feel like you have food stuck in your throat.

When you take a bite of solid food, a three-step process begins:

1. You prepare the food to be swallowed by chewing it. This process allows the food to mix with saliva, and transforms it into a moistened puree.
2. Your swallowing reflex is triggered as your tongue pushes the food to the back of your throat. During this phase, your windpipe closes tightly and your breathing stops. This prevents food from going down the wrong pipe.
3. The food enters your esophagus and travels down into your stomach.

When it feels like something didn’t go all the way down, it’s usually because it’s stuck in your esophagus. Your breathing isn’t affected when this happens because the food has already cleared your windpipe. However, you may cough or gag.

Symptoms of food stuck in your esophagus develop immediately after it happens. It’s not uncommon to have severe chest pain. You may also experience excessive drooling. But there are often ways to resolve the issue at home.

Thousands of people die from choking every year. It’s particularly common among young children and adults over the age of 74. Choking happens when food or a foreign object gets stuck in your throat or windpipe, blocking the flow of air.

When someone is choking, they:

• are unable to talk
• have difficulty breathing or noisy breathing
• make squeaky sounds when trying to breathe
• cough, forcefully or weakly
• become flushed, then turn pale or bluish
• lose consciousness

Choking is a life-threatening emergency. If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms, call your local emergency services and perform rescue techniques such as the Heimlich maneuver or chest compressions immediately.

The following techniques may assist you in removing food that’s become lodged in your esophagus.

The ‘Coca-Cola’ trick

Research suggests that drinking a can of Coke, or another carbonated beverage, can help dislodge food stuck in the esophagus. Doctors and emergency workers often utilize this simple technique to break up food.

Although they don’t know exactly how it works, doctors believe that the carbon dioxide gas in soda helps disintegrate the food. It’s also thought that some of the soda gets into the stomach, which then releases gas. The pressure of the gas can dislodge the stuck food.

Try a few cans of diet soda or seltzer water at home immediately after noticing the stuck food.

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Simethicone

Over-the-counter medications designed to treat gas pain may help dislodge food stuck in the esophagus. In the same way as carbonated sodas, medications containing simethicone (Gas-X) make it easier for your stomach to produce gas. This gas increases the pressure in your esophagus and can push the food loose.

Follow the standard dosing recommendation on the package.

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Water

A few big sips of water may help you wash down the food stuck in your esophagus. Normally, your saliva provides enough lubrication to help food slide easily down the esophagus. If your food wasn’t chewed properly, it may be too dry. Repeated sips of water may moisten the stuck food, making it go down more easily.

A moist piece of food

It may feel uncomfortable to swallow something else, but sometimes one food can help push another down. Try dipping a piece of bread in some water or milk to soften it, and take a few small bites.

Another effective option may be to take a bite of banana, a naturally soft food.

Alka-Seltzer or baking soda

An effervescent drug like Alka-Seltzer may help break down food that’s stuck in the throat. Effervescent drugs dissolve when mixed with a liquid. Similar to soda, the bubbles they produce when dissolving may help disintegrate the food and produce pressure that can dislodge it.

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If you don’t have Alka-Seltzer, you can try mixing some baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), with water. This may help dislodge food in the same way.

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Butter

Sometimes the esophagus needs an extra bit of lubrication. As unpleasant as it may sound, it may help to eat a tablespoon of butter. This can sometimes help moisten the lining of the esophagus and make it easier for the stuck food to move down into your stomach.

Wait it out

Food that gets stuck in the throat usually passes on its own, given some time. Give your body a chance to do its thing.

If you’re unable to swallow your saliva and are experiencing distress, go to your local emergency room as soon as possible. If you’re not in distress but the food is still stuck, you can have an endoscopic procedure to remove the food within 24 hours. After that, there’s risk of damage to the lining of your esophagus. Some doctors recommend coming in after 6 to 12 hours to reduce the likelihood of damage and make the extraction easier.

During an endoscopic procedure, your doctor can identify any possible underlying causes. If you frequently get food stuck in your throat, you should consult a doctor. One of the most common problems is a narrowing of the esophagus caused by the buildup of scar tissue, or esophageal stricture. A specialist can treat esophageal stricture by placing a stent or performing a dilation procedure.

Getting food stuck in your throat can be frustrating and painful. If this occurs frequently, talk to your doctor about possible underlying causes. Otherwise, you may be able to avoid a trip to the emergency room by treating yourself at home with carbonated beverages or other remedies.

In the future, be particularly careful when eating meat, as it’s the most common culprit. Avoid eating too quickly, take small bites, and avoid eating while intoxicated.

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Feeling a lump in your throat is not uncommon. Many people experience this painless sensation at least once in their lifetime. Some people describe it as feeling like there is something stuck in their throat, but they can still eat and drink.

Feeling a lump, bump, or swelling in your throat without having an actual lump is known as globus sensation.

The most important thing that sets globus sensation apart from other potential causes is its impact on swallowing. If you have difficulty swallowing, you may be experiencing another, more serious issue.

If you experience this sensation but have no difficulty swallowing, you’re likely experiencing the common globus sensation.

Learn more about what causes a lump in your throat, when it’s a sign of something more serious, and what you can do to ease it.

Doctors and researchers are not quite sure what causes this condition. It can impact people of any age or sex, and it may come and go throughout your life.

Other common conditions that can cause a feeling of a lump in your throat include:

Muscle tension

When they’re not in use for talking or swallowing, throat muscles are often relaxed. However, if they do not relax correctly, you may feel more tension than usual. This can sometimes feel like a lump or bump in your throat.

Acid reflux

Stomach acid entering your esophagus can cause a feeling of muscle tension or swelling in your throat’s tissues. This may feel like a lump or blockage in your throat.

It’s also possible for reflux to push up into the larynx and pharynx, which can also create the globus sensation.

Postnasal drip

Excess mucus from the nose and sinuses can accumulate in the back of your throat. This is known as postnasal drip. As it slides down your throat, it can cause a lump-like feeling by causing an increase in sensitivity.

Emotional reactions

Stress, grief, anxiety, and pride are intense emotions that may trigger globus sensation. They can also make the feeling worse. Extreme fatigue may also cause this feeling.

It’s important to know that globus sensation is not dangerous, and it does not cause additional complications. That means contacting a doctor is often unnecessary.

However, this sensation can be confused with other disorders that do need a doctor’s attention. You should call a doctor within a few days if you continue to experience the lump in your throat or if you develop other symptoms.

For example, difficulty swallowing can be a sign of a larger problem and should be addressed immediately.

Seeing an ENT specialist

If you’re unsure of your symptoms and would like a clear diagnosis, make an appointment with a doctor. They may refer you to an otolaryngologist, or an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist.

This doctor will examine your mouth, nose, and throat. They will pass a flexible, ultrathin telescope with a light through your nose to see inside your sinuses and down into your throat

This examination may not confirm a globus sensation diagnosis. What it can do is offer another explanation for your symptoms. For example, if acid reflux is suspected, additional testing may be done to confirm that diagnosis.

Globus sensation is benign. That means it’s not a serious condition and will not result in more serious complications.

However, some conditions may mimic globus sensation at first. In other words, the first symptoms may seem like globus sensation, but additional symptoms will appear eventually.

You should pay attention to additional symptoms that may pop up if you experience a lump in your throat occasionally. In most cases, a globus sensation is a sign of nothing serious, but being alert to changes can help you catch other possible problems early.

These symptoms include:

• pain
• difficulty swallowing or choking
• a lump or mass that can be seen or felt
• a fever
• weight loss
• muscle weakness

Globus sensation has no treatment. That’s because doctors and researchers are not sure what causes it, and in most people, the sensation goes away quickly.

But it’s important to know that if you experience this sensation from time to time, you’re not alone. This is a very common feeling, and it is not a sign of a more serious problem.

Some of the causes of the lump-in-throat feeling are treatable. If a doctor discovers that one of these conditions is responsible for your globus sensation, treatment may help ease the feeling.

Treatment for some common causes of feeling a lump in your throat include:

Muscle therapy

If muscle tension is causing the feeling, a doctor may refer you to a speech pathologist or physical therapist to learn how to ease the tightness when it occurs.

Nasal spray

The most common treatment for postnasal drip is a nasal spray.

Some other treatments include drinking plenty of fluid to keep the secretions thin and mobile. Over-the-counter (OTC) decongestants may also help remove the buildup and eliminate the drip.

Therapy

Depression, anxiety, grief, and other mental health issues can sometimes temporarily cause globus sensation. Talk therapy or treatment with antidepressants may help treat the underlying issues that lead to this feeling.

Antacids

Both OTC antacids and prescription reflux medications can help ease acid reflux. When this is treated, the sensation in your throat should ease.

Eating

Simply chewing and swallowing food may be all you need to ease the feeling. Swallowing saliva may cause you to feel a lump in your throat, but swallowing food may ease it.

Because researchers do not know what causes globus sensation, it’s difficult to understand how to prevent it. Because of this, the best course of action is to take care of your throat as well as you can.

Follow these healthy throat tips to prevent possible issues with either globus sensation or other causes of having a lump in your throat:

Drink plenty of water

Staying hydrated is good for more than your skin. It keeps fluids and secretions throughout your body moving properly.

Quit smoking

Your throat, sinuses, and mouth are greatly impacted if you use cigarettes and tobacco. Using any of these products increases your risk for many conditions, including cancer.

Rest your voice when you’re sick

When you have a cold or something more serious like laryngitis, rest your throat. The muscles inside your throat are already inflamed and sore from the illness. Using them too much can cause irreversible damage.

Employ lifestyle habits to avoid reflux

If the lump-in-throat sensation is caused by acid reflux, a few lifestyle habits may help ease the sensation. These habits include:

• waiting at least 3 hours to lie down after eating
• limiting or avoiding trigger foods, such as spicy or high fat foods
• losing weight if your doctor has recommended it

Globus sensation can feel a little odd when it occurs, but for the most part, it’s a benign condition and there’s no need to worry.

However, if you find yourself feeling like there’s a lump in your throat often and it’s accompanied by other symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing, pain, or a fever, it’s important to talk with a doctor immediately.