Distal pharyngitis is one form of difficulty swallowing. At Sound Heal, we meet a lot of patients who suffer with dysphagia, a condition in which food becomes trapped in the throat.
The sensation of food "sticking" may be consistent for some people and vary from day to day for others. It is critical to determine the source of these symptoms in order to alleviate them.
The elderly are more likely to experience dysmotility of the oesophagus. The digestive system's neurons and muscles are less efficient. That makes it harder for the oesophagus (the food pipe/gullet) to break down both solid and liquid meals.
The term "referred sensation" describes the feeling that one's throat is higher than it actually is at the location where food becomes trapped.
Osteophytes form in the cervical spine when the vertebrae move forward slightly and press on the neck. These factors could make it hard for food to pass through the digestive tract.
When the oesophagus (the food pipe/gullet) becomes too narrow, this condition is called oesophageal stricture, and it restricts the types of food that can pass through it easily. You may already be thinking about switching to softer, more lubricated foods.
The inability of food to travel down the food pipe or gullet into the oesophagus occurs when the cricopharyngeal muscles do not work properly, leading to food becoming trapped in the throat. Some symptoms you might be experiencing include an increased desire to drink fluids to help wash things away and a noticeable increase in the quantity of solid or sticky foods getting stuck.
When a physical abnormality in the throat is not the culprit, there are many of other reasons why food could seem like it's "sticking":
Most occurrences of cervical spondylitis, which causes clicking and stiffness in the neck, tend to happen in middle age or later in life. These may cause a change in your sensation in your throat, making it seem as though something is there.
When you're worried or stressed out, your throat muscles may tense up, which can make it feel like something is stuck or uncomfortable there. Tight muscles that hurt when touched often cause a sore throat that doesn't go away even when you lie down or swallow. Stress and anxiety may have their roots in a series of minor "hassles" or in a single "big" life event.
Being hypersensitive causes us to notice minute changes in our surroundings that we would normally disregard. Observing details like salivary gland activity that we would ordinarily ignore becomes possible when we allow our minds to take charge of repetitive, automatic tasks like swallowing.
An increased sensitivity to sounds and movements in the throat may be a symptom of an infection or injury to the airways or throat.
When these issues arise, patients can seek help from the speech-language pathologists at Sound Heal.
When evaluating a patient for swallowing difficulty, the staff at Sound Heal will ask about any relevant medical history as well as any recent symptoms of gastrointestinal issues. Possible elements that could be evaluated include:
You might benefit from bringing any item that you have special dietary requirements for or that you have an adverse reaction to to your examination so that we can look into it more thoroughly.
Helping you reach your maximum functional potential will allow you to take part in daily activities to the best of your ability, which is our primary goal. Some or all of the following may be part of a treatment plan:
