Food going up nasal cavity

[mich018]

The other week I was eating some cake and somehow some of it went up my nose.  I eventually got it down after snorting and blowing my nose.  I didnt think too much of it until this week when the same thing happened again except I couldnt get the food down.   The problem is now whenever I eat all my food keeps getting caught in my nasal cavity.  My left nostril feels rather weird where it joins the bak of my throught, it feels like there is   some sort of gap which wont close.  Does anyone have any ideas why this is happening or what can be causing it?  It's quite distressing and making it very awkward to eat solids.

Thanks

[aure2628]

I've had this problem for over a year now and each time I grow more conviced it has something to do with a malformation of the hyoid bone. The hyoid bone is a a small easily flexible bone that is crucial in the swalling process. It is proven that a malformation can cause a swallowing disorder. Now my theory is that a particular malformation of this bone can cause the feeling of "food going up the nasal cavity" we all complain about.
The problem is that ENTs don't know much about this bone as these malformation are quite rare, so to diagnose any malformation you will have to be the one guiding you doctor/ENT.
I have been reading medical articles and found that traditional MRIs and CT scans are not succesful in dignosing hyoid bone malformations. I would therefore recommend insisting on getting a "spiral CT with 3D reconstructions". I would also recommend saying that you feel a discomfort of slight pain in the hyoid bone area so your doctor takes you more seriously.

I want to underline that this is a theory I have, but I am confident that it is a solid one.
I wish luck to everybody and I would be extremely grateful if you kept me updated with any questions, success, or feedback.

[specialmom]

Hi, thanks for sharing that.  So, have you had a doctor follow up on this with you?  Is there no way to verify?  If there is no way to verify, then there is no way to treat? That's frustrating.  I'm sure.

[sondrakahler]

I'm a speech therapist, and I'm so sorry nobody has provided a simple answer for you all.  It is called "Velopharyngeal inadequacy".  "Velo" comes from your velum, which is basically that dangling skin at the back of the roof of your mouth.  "Pharyngeal" comes from your pharynx, which is basically the back of your throat area including what you can see when you look in a mirror, and just down past the back of your tongue little ways.  Swallowing includes a complex series of strong, well-timed muscle movements for everything to go as planned.  If the muscles that move your velum (dangling skin at the back of the roof of your mouth) becomes weak or looses its timing during your swallow, it doesn't move up and back in time to make contact with your pharynx (back of your throat) and properly seal off your sinuses.  Thus, food or drink can pop up into your sinuses.  Swallows are very sudden and strong, so it could surprise and frighten you more than it will hurt you.  All sorts of fluids or foods can get up there, and you won't choke.  Choking happens when it goes down wrong, making the turn into your breathing tube that leads into the lungs (trachea) instead of going down your food tube (esophagus).  If food or drink feels like it goes way up into your sinuses, try not to take a big, sudden breath in through your nose, or it might dislodge and be drawn into your lungs.  Instead, open your mouth to take air in slowly, try to not breathe through your nose by pretending you are too stuffed up to use your nose, and exhale or blow your nose with great effort to shoot it out.  If you feel like the food/drink barely went up into your sinuses and might be sitting just right above your uvula, you could try taking in little snorts through your nose to pull it back down.  BUT, beware that too much force might pull it down too fast, and it might go into your lungs, and then you could choke on it.  Believe it or not, some people start experiencing this kind of weakness/incoordination when they are in their 50's and 60's, and it usually continues to slowly get worse as our overall body muscles get weaker.  There is something you can do that will help most people.  By performing a few simple exercises, you can improve your eating/drinking safety:
1) When sitting at a table, push down with your hands on top of the table, or pull up with your hands under the table.  Take a big breath, hold that breath for a couple seconds, then hold the push while you make a loud grunt or cough.  In order to make a loud grunt, your velum and pharynx must close off to hold the air back.  Perform 10 times, 3 times each day.  2) Make exaggerated, strong, and prolonged yawns.  Perform throughout the day.  3)  Gargle, making your throat muscles be extra tight.  4) Whistle throughout the day.  5) Say and prolong the "EEEEE" vowel (i.e., as in the words "Easter", "eat") while tightening your throat muscles.  Say it loud, and strong!  6) Sing!  Sing songs that hold notes a long time, such as church music.  Sing with strength and lots of volume!  7) Hard, effortful swallow exercise- squeeze every muscle you have in your mouth and throat tightly when you swallow.  This makes sure your velum kicks in gear and closes off your sinuses.  You can do this as an exercise, but you should also do this with every swallow of food or drink.  I hope this is helpful to you all!    ~Sondra

[specialmom]

Wow!!!!  I'm so glad you have come to the forum to share this!  Excellent information.  I hope you come back!  There is a speech and language forum too.  

Anyway, this is sincerely very valuable information and I appreciate you sharing it!

[Trongduy]

I’ve suffered this problem for over 10 years. I live in Vietnam.
In the first 2 years, ENT doctors don’t know (believe) what I said. They gave me sinus medicines every time my sinus got injections by foods (most of the time by tiny foods and rice). CT scan and x Ray can’t find any abnormal
Years later they told me got used to it, like a disability of body and they don’t allowed me to use medicines anymore, just salty water spray only.
2 years ago I tried a new treatment : physical therapy. It can’t help my swallow problem, but the Japanese doctor found that my right muscle from back of my neck and my right muscle under the lower jaw are weak. Still stuck!!
Last year, 2017. I visited an Acupuncture doctor, he said he can cure my problems. He use a coin 1/ to scratch back neck , 2/ prickle needle,
3/ and bloodsucking (cupping)
I tried the first step but I’m too weak at that time, I were so scared to tried the other steps.
I’m praying God to give me more brave to step over this painful. If I’m cured by this method then I will let you know . Thank you for reading and I hope this help someone.
You can reach me at trongduy 980 @ Gmail com

[Trongduy]

It work for me. He pumps out the stuck blood inside me (black and red colors) and I can swallow fine now. I hope this help you too. Thank you God!

[Trongduy]

It works! Thank you God!

[ArtieK]

Hi I just looked this up because I has been happening to me for some time now. However I have noticed it more since I had cervical fusion done a few years back. They cut through the front of the neck to do this. I believe that it may have weakened the muscles somewhat. I know that for me if I am eating crumbly foods I must practice focused swallowing in order to avoid the problem, and occasionally it still happens. I it a good measure to use a (Neil Med Sinus Rinse) a few times a week. I suggest this for everyone on this topic. It cleans out all foreign crap from the nasal cavity as well as let it run down the back of the through to wash out old food. I use this every time I sing in public, it really helps with mucus,  colds, allergies etc. Just google this product.

[jdtrue]

What is the point of this web site. 106 answers to this question? These aren't answers, just other people commenting of having the same problem. I don't want to flush my naval cavity after every meal. I want to know how to stop this from happening to begin with.

[jdtrue]

No edit function. I meant nasal not naval.

[Noodlesaregreat]

Can you please help me and let me know what to do , I was eating breakfast (yes I do have acid reflux)  and when I swallowed I coughed think I chock on my food and some went in my nose , I don't know what to do I was eating eggs and bacon , at that time I was eating eggs , I'm only 15, I'm scared of doctors , and my mom doesn't know what to do please , do I blow out my nose ? Can big things get unlodged from the nose ?? I'm scared of doctors

[Emmy814]

I hope some of you may have figured out by now what is causing the problem with food going up your sinuses- I have been having this problem for over 2 years now..I knew that I have problem with Acid reflux as I sometimes cough at night when I laid down, or feel like choking.
then I started having frequent sinus infections that took a long time to improve so I went to ENT, he then recommended sinus surgery- which I unfortunately went for..my problem got worse, i had sinus infection the week after surgery!..then I started having problem with feeling like something stuck in the back of my throat, when I tried to rinse it with sinus wash, it didn't feel like whatever stuck was coming out, I started using a lot of water and spent hours trying to rinse it..then start having excessive saliva especially after I eat but not all the times, it was unpredictable. It was really disgusting and embarrassing..I can't even function well at work, because I had to spend time in the bathroom trying to rinse my nose and mouth, so strange..I can spit out saliva for an hour, I don't know where it came from..
After seeing ENT, sinus surgery, a few GI doctors, back to ENT- and a few other tests..
I am pretty sure now..that my problem is what called
Non-acid reflux or Laryngopharyngeal reflux which is different from GERD..that's why PPI doesn't help that much, I'm still struggling because I'm afraid to eat and lay down..I don't know what kind of food would make me start having all these saliva again..but at least it helps to understand what the heck is going on because it was driving me crazy for two years..
Now, I am trying to adapt to Fast Tract Diet..which is supposed to help reduce the reflux symptoms..and not eat too much in one meal, chew food well, not eat before laying down (which is so hard)..
Hope it helps..

[c2sbi]

Hi Emmy,  I too have had sinus surgery and even though it helped breathe more deeply I too am suffering from this strange feeling of something stuck/irritating my throat.  I fit pretty much all the LPR symptoms too but when I mention this to doctors they look at blankly.  Anyhow, have you recovered???  Hope you have!  Please reply.   - Steve