Do you feel like something is stuck in your throat? Many people experience this feeling right behind their tongue or tonsils. This feeling may vary from mild to severe and occur on and off, while others may persistently experience these symptoms. This sensation may also be associated with other symptoms, such as pain or pressure in the chest, drooling, hoarseness, loss of appetite, or weight loss.

Any area in the throat may be affected. If you experience occasional difficulties swallowing, it may not be a concern. However, persistent difficulties may require medical attention. There are two main causes for difficult swallowing, which is medically referred to as dysphagia.

1. Something is blocking your throat or esophagus.

This condition may be associated with the following common causes:

  • Food or object - Some type of food or object is stuck in your throat or esophagus, which is common among children and elderly people with dentures.
  • Tonsillitis - Inflammation and chronic enlargement of the tonsils may make swallowing difficult. Tonsillitis is sometimes associated with fever and pain in the throat.
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) - Stomach acid may travel back up into your esophagus, causing formation of ulcers in this long passageway, which results in scar formation. These scars (strictures) can make the esophagus narrower, making it harder to swallow.
  • Esophagitis - Inflammation of the esophagus may be caused by conditions such as GERD, infection, or something small actually stuck in the esophagus. An allergic reaction to food or airborne particles may also trigger this inflammation, which would therefore cause this blocking sensation.
  • Esophageal webs - Thin pieces of tissue stick out, forming webs in the walls of the esophagus. It may be a congenital condition, while others develop it later in life.
  • Diverticula - Small sacs form in the walls of the esophagus or the throat. These may be congenital or developed later in life.
  • Esophageal ring - A thin area of narrowing in the lower esophagus can cause sporadic difficulty swallowing solid foods.
  • Esophageal tumors - New growths in the esophagus may be cancerous or benign.
  • Growths outside the esophagus - This includes tumors, lymph nodes, and bone spurs on the vertebrae that press on the esophagus. This can also be caused by an enlarged thyroid gland in the neck that presses on both the throat and the esophagus.

2. The muscles and nerves in the throat and esophagus are not working right.

This can happen in people who:

  • Experienced a stroke, a brain injury, or spinal cord injury.
  • Have nervous system dysfunction that reduces the nerve and muscle function involved in swallowing, such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.
  • Have an inflammatory condition involving the immune system, causing swelling and weakness, such as polymyositis or dermatomyositis.
  • Have esophageal spasm, which occurs when muscles of the esophagus suddenly contract and prevent food from reaching the stomach.
  • Have Scleroderma - hardening, weakening, and narrowing of the tissues of the esophagus that cause food and stomach acid to travel back up into the throat and mouth.

Remedies and Treatments

Depending on the doctor's physical examination and final diagnosis, treatments may vary:

  • Throat infections like tonsillitis may require antibiotics, while symptoms caused by GERD and esophagitis may simply require stomach acid reduction medications. You should also avoid food that can cause allergic reactions as well as those that can increase stomach acidity, such as coffee, sour foods, alcoholic drinks, and spicy foods.
  • Foreign objects such as fish bones that are stuck in the throat will require medical removal to obtain relief.
  • If the cause is a tumor, either inside or surrounding the throat, it will probably require surgery, radiotherapy, and further medical treatment.
  • If swallowing difficulties cannot be prevented, especially when the cause is congenital or neurological, you can reduce the risk of swallowing difficulties by chewing your food well and eating slowly.

Early detection and effective treatment of the underlying cause behind this symptom can lower your risk of developing dysphagia. Contact your doctor if your symptoms persist for more than one week. Furthermore, if you experience a sudden difficulty breathing call emergency medical services immediately as it might be life threatening.

References
  1. Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia) - Overview. http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/difficulty-swallowing-dysphagia-overview. WebMD.
  2. Difficulty Swallowing. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/difficulty-swallowing/DS00523/DSECTION=causes. Mayo Clinic.
Discussions(6) Add New

  1. Bruce September 15, 2011 03:56 PM Reply

    Hi, I also feel something stuck in my throat. I have a friend who had similar experience (albeit more severe one as she had a near choke situation a couple of times). She went through a lot of hassles and many hospital visits only to finally have it successfully diagnosed as thyroid problem. I am very worried about myself.

  2. Amistad October 17, 2011 05:14 PM Reply

    Thanks for this article and your comments. What happens to me is that sense that feels like something stuck in throat, not the difficulty with the act of the swallowing of real food. So it is more like there is a lump or some sort occupying a space inside. In my case, I am also pretty sure that it is not allergy.

  3. Ogden December 15, 2011 08:38 AM Reply

    Me too. It feels like something in throat for several days. I know this experience is not unique; at least I had the same experience before. It is irritating, and it comes and goes. However, I don’t know what the deep cause is.

  4. Achit February 01, 2012 05:33 PM Reply

    It feels like food stuck in my throat. My doctor told me that it could be a case of dysphagia, medical term used to describe difficulty in swallowing.

  5. Vara February 03, 2012 02:05 AM Reply

    Hi, I wonder if anybody here shares the same experience as me. It feels like something stuck in throat for days. I first noticed this last month. At first I thought it was some food leftover from lunch which refused to push itself down the esophagus. I washed it down with 2 glasses of water and that first attempt seemed to have cleared it. But in the evening the same day, that discomfort came back again. This time, I could sense that it is some slimy stuff and through coughing, and later with the help of a pair of tweezers, I managed to clear some off. But there never seem to be enough time, or simply there are too much of this mucus like substance in the throat, to completely get rid of them. So my next best option is to ring up ENT and they fix me an appointment which is 3 months later. One funny thing is that a day or two later, there was no trace of leftover food or mucus no matter how hard I look. In the meantime, I hope to find out more what this incident is all about.
    This article describes the most common causes of this feeling. But I don’t know what may cause my feeling. Should I see a doctor?

  6. joy November 02, 2012 02:44 PM Reply

    Hi, just want to share my experience also about kinda theres something stuck in my throat, I can feel it every before or after 25th of the month. I tried to search about laryxngitis, pharyxngitis but I dont have those lists of syntoms, Its not difficult for to swallow but its kinda moving or transferring along the line and its bothering me... please advice. thanks