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Why Am I Getting Odd Sensation In Throat?
Question: Hello doctor,
For years I have had a sensation of something in my throat. I have been to docs, dentists, and even had an ENT look down my throat. The ENT says tissues look perfect. He also said that 99% of the of the people he see's who complain of such a sensation have nothing unusual. So I went way with comfort.
Year or more later, I still have an odd sensation. Doesn't inhibit eating or getting things down. Doesn't hurt. Doesn't bleed. I can easily forget about it too. Was fishing around down my throat with my finger and I can feel a small lipoma (that is how I would describe the feeling) on my epilglottis. About the size of a bb or smaller and moves around easily under the skin. In fact, I feel it move and disappear the second I touch it. I can feel it move like a rolling bb and then it disappears.
I have had other little movable balls (fatty tissue?) in other parts of my body over the years. Hence my comparison to lipomas.
Any thoughts?
For years I have had a sensation of something in my throat. I have been to docs, dentists, and even had an ENT look down my throat. The ENT says tissues look perfect. He also said that 99% of the of the people he see's who complain of such a sensation have nothing unusual. So I went way with comfort.
Year or more later, I still have an odd sensation. Doesn't inhibit eating or getting things down. Doesn't hurt. Doesn't bleed. I can easily forget about it too. Was fishing around down my throat with my finger and I can feel a small lipoma (that is how I would describe the feeling) on my epilglottis. About the size of a bb or smaller and moves around easily under the skin. In fact, I feel it move and disappear the second I touch it. I can feel it move like a rolling bb and then it disappears.
I have had other little movable balls (fatty tissue?) in other parts of my body over the years. Hence my comparison to lipomas.
Any thoughts?
Hi
Thanks for the query and a detailed history
The symptoms described by you are the typical features of 'Laryngopharyngeal reflux' (LPR) secondary to 'Gastroesophageal reflux disease' (GERD).
Acid from the stomach when it regurgitates into the esophagus and the throat, it burns the mucosa of the former and the latter. The burning causes the mucosa to swell giving rise to foreign body sensation in the throat.
Do not worry! This is one of the common problems experienced by many individuals. Stress, lifestyle changes, obesity, smoking, alcohol, spices, excessive consumption of coffee or tea, etc. are some of the factors which can give rise to this problem.
The swelling noticed down into the throat could be either a cyst (fluid filled sac) or the hypertrophied lingual tonsils. This can be confirmed after performing an indirect laryngoscopic examination or telescopic laryngoscopy. Both of these procedures are harmless and can be done in the office setup. I doubt it to be a lipoma.
Meanwhile, you can try the following:
1. Drink plenty of warm water.
2. Avoid coffee/tea/alcohol/smoking/stress/chilled food & beverages.
3. Do not retire to bed immediately after taking your meals, this will cause easy flow of gastric contents back into the throat.
4. Abdominal excercises to strengthen the esophageal spinchter.
Hope I have answered your query; I will be available for the follow up queries.
Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon
Thanks for the query and a detailed history
The symptoms described by you are the typical features of 'Laryngopharyngeal reflux' (LPR) secondary to 'Gastroesophageal reflux disease' (GERD).
Acid from the stomach when it regurgitates into the esophagus and the throat, it burns the mucosa of the former and the latter. The burning causes the mucosa to swell giving rise to foreign body sensation in the throat.
Do not worry! This is one of the common problems experienced by many individuals. Stress, lifestyle changes, obesity, smoking, alcohol, spices, excessive consumption of coffee or tea, etc. are some of the factors which can give rise to this problem.
The swelling noticed down into the throat could be either a cyst (fluid filled sac) or the hypertrophied lingual tonsils. This can be confirmed after performing an indirect laryngoscopic examination or telescopic laryngoscopy. Both of these procedures are harmless and can be done in the office setup. I doubt it to be a lipoma.
Meanwhile, you can try the following:
1. Drink plenty of warm water.
2. Avoid coffee/tea/alcohol/smoking/stress/chilled food & beverages.
3. Do not retire to bed immediately after taking your meals, this will cause easy flow of gastric contents back into the throat.
4. Abdominal excercises to strengthen the esophageal spinchter.
Hope I have answered your query; I will be available for the follow up queries.
Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Dr. Naveen Kumar Nanjasetty
Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist
Practicing since :2001
Answered : 2540 Questions
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