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Question: Throat pain - swallowing or not
- Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:46 pm
Today at lunch while drinking some water (no food - still waiting on the plate), I swallowed and heard a 'click' or maybe a 'tick' and felt an "odd sensation" in the left side of my throat. I swallowed again and the left side of my throat hurt rather significantly.
Now, it's over 3 hours later and it still hurts to swallow, and probably just as bad. Even if I don't swallow, there is a slight ache at times. It doesn't seem to matter if I turn my head and swallow; the pain is always there. The site is a small area in line with the adam's apple and about 1.
5 inches to the right. It feels as if it's at the tip of a small bony formation (they line the outside of the throat it feels like). Applying slight pressure to the area causes a slight ache at the site. Applying pressure to the opposite side of the throat causes a small ache in the region in question on the left side. I don't feel any abnormal swelling anywhere ... then again I'm not in the habit of feeling my throat so I don't think anything feels abnormal. Otherwise, I don't have any other throat pain (like what is typical with colds, sinus drainage, etc).
Anything come to mind?
|Dr. Safaa Mahmoud
- Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:39 pm
Your symptoms could be due to:
In appropriate contraction of the throat or esophageal muscles causes pain that can be severe and sometimes is felt as a lump or tightness in the chest with difficult swallowing and bad breathing. The condition can be a sequence of sore throat or (viral, bacteria) infection that subsides gradually after recovering from infections or as a motility disorder in the esophagus.
The anatomical relation between the diaphragm and the Lowe Esophageal Sphincter LES prevents the gastric acids to come up into the esophagus (reflux). Acid reflux causes severe pain and discomfort in the chest in the morning. Others may experience a feeling like the food stuck in their throat or tightness in the throat, dry Cough and Shortness of breath similar to Asthma.
Stress and smoking can increase these symptoms. Certain foods as well are known to aggravate the condition, and you better avoid them.
Psychological or emotional stress and Anxiety, in these cases the diagnosis is made by exclusion of other causes.
Diagnosis is made by complete history taking, physical examination, investigations like Upper Endoscopy, Manometric studies, and other lab tests that can be recommended by the doctor accordingly.
Follow up with your doctor, only by complete history and physical examination, the correct diagnosis can be reached.
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