Feels like a lump in the throat
Does it feel like a lump in your throat when swallowing? A lump in the back of the throat is an unpleasant experience that can cause worry and anxiety. Some people worry that food will get stuck when swallowing. On this page, we’ll explain common causes of a lump in the throat – and how you can treat it easily.
Many are worried about eating alone for this reasons. It is just as common that someone will avoid meals or leave the table when they have something stuck in their throat. Remember to never leave the table if you have something stuck in your throat, as you may need help from others to free your airways.
In many cases, the discomfort begins with occasional heartburn and acid reflux, and cramp in your oesophagus. The symptoms may also appear in reverse order.
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It is not uncommon for people with these difficulties to experience increased problems with certain types of food, such as dense and/or dry textures such as chicken, meat, or rice.
The sensation of ‘thickness’ in the throat, the feeling that some food will get stuck, creates a certain stress that makes the situation even worse. Those of you who are afflicted should be listened to and taken seriously.
The feeling of the lump in the throat and the acid reflux disappeared
Malin suffered from a chronic feeling of a lump in the throat and had difficulties in swallowing food. Thanks to IQoro, she is now symptom free.
I had to understand that they couldn’t treat me for something they couldn’t see. Read Malin’s story
Causes of a lump in the throat
When it feels like you have a lump in your throat, the most common reason is usually a so called hiatus hernia. A hiatus hernia means that the diaphragm muscle is weakened, which also affects the musculature of the oesophagus and throat.
At the upper opening of the oesophagus is a muscle, the posterior oesophageal sphincter (PES), which relaxes to allow food down into the oesophagus.
But when the diaphragm does not do its job in the swallowing process. When this sphincter does not work as it should, it cannot relax and open the entrance to the oesophagus correctly.
This is what gives you the feeling of a lump or a cramping sensation in your throat. When you feel a lump in your throat, it is in fact the tightened oesophageal sphincter that you can feel.
The fact that the oesophageal sphincter can not relax and open fully is also the reason that firmer textured food sticks more easily in the throat, with coughing as a result.
However, liquid textures like water, yogurt or soup often pass smoothly, but even these consistencies can in the long term be difficult to swallow .
As you repeatedly try to swallow, a lot of air enters your stomach, meaning that many people will belch frequently.
Treating a lump in the throat
Although a hiatus hernia is the most common cause of a lump in the back of the throat, the feeling can also be caused by other things.
If you cannot swallow bites larger than a certain size, you may have some sort of narrowing. In these cases, you should contact your healthcare provider.
Whether you have seen a doctor or not, you can strengthen the musculature involved in swallowing. The unique IQoro neuromuscular training device can help most people experiencing a lump or cramping sensation in the throat, to help remedy the cause of the problems.
In internationally published studies of the effect of IQoro treatment on Hiatus hernia, all patients experiencing the sensation of food being stuck in the throat reduced their symptoms.
All you need to do is train using the device to build up the chain of muscles from the face, mouth, throat, oesophagus down to the diaphragm and stomach.
It only takes 90 seconds a day and will naturally get to the cause of why you feel a ‘thickness’ in the throat, without side effects. IQoro is CE marked in accordance with the Swedish Medical Products Agency’s regulations. It has been created based on over 20 years of Swedish evidence-based scientific research.
Reference sources
- Kjellén G, Tibbling L. Manometric oesophageal function, acid perfusion test and symptomatology in a 55-year-old general population. Clinical Physiology. 1981; 1:405-15
- Hägg M, Tibbling L, Franzén T. Esophageal dysphagia and reflux symptoms before and after oral IQoro® training. World J Gastroenterol 2015; 21(24): 7558-7562.