Feeling of something 'stuck in throat'

[glad2bamom]

My MIL called yesterday (74, in excellent health, walks 3 miles a day) and said that she had been feeling as if something was stuck in her throat.  She doesn't have a sore throat, has no redness or white patches on the tonsils.  She feels like she constantly has to clear her throat, but feels no pain.  She just feels like she's going to choke whenever she eats/drinks.  



She is in amazing health, and not used to being ill...or going to the doc.  This is one symptom that I have no reference for.  Anyone have any ideas?  Her doctor is a small-town country doc who's been practicing medicine for 50 years or so.  I'm afraid that she'll go to him, and he'll miss something.



Thanks..

[NinaV]

When I had something similar, my doc said it could be caused by heartburn.

[mungufuata]

It could also be yeast.

[boninclyde]

My doctors thought heartburn or thyriod. It ended up being heartburn. Strange and scary but so.

[mslkpage]

My mother and grandmother both had that problem. It got bad with my mother, because she would get food stuck in her throat when she was eating...not just meat, but stuff like jello!! She wasn't actually choking, but it would just get stuck, and would take quite awhile to finally go down. A couple of years ago, a doctor used something like a scope and stretched her...um, what would that be in there? Trachea, maybe? She's better now- still has to be careful and take tiny bites though. How long has your MIL had this problem?

[cheery]

If she is having difficulty swallowing then it can be a muscle problem. The doctor will probably want to run some tests- one would be a video swallowing study to determine what exactly is going on and where the food/ drink is getting hung up. The term for this is dysphasia and you can learn more at Mayo website:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/difficulty-swallowing/DS00523



She should go to the doctor for evaluation



Take care

[glad2bamom]

Thanks for all the replies.  We went yesterday to the ENT and he did a strobe down her throat and saw the top part, said everything looked fine.  She is going Monday for a Barium swallow.  She's not looking forward to this, but I told her it is for the best.  

I thought thyroid, as well...will he be able to see this with the Barium swallow?  

As far as the reflux, he mentioned that could be the case, even though she has never had symptoms of heartburn at all.



Thanks everyone..

[charley1986]

I thought acid reflux as well - but I have two growths on my thyroid and have recently started having swallowing problems/choking.  I don't really know anything about barium swallows but I do know that mine was caught by accident during cartoid artery ultrasound....maybe mention the thyroid thing to the doc.  Hope all goes well.

[dreemluver28]

I have something stuck in my throat, or at least it feels that way. I also coughed really hard yesterday and romething dislogded from my throat and flew out of my mouth it smelled like vomit but i had not thrown up recently. it was redish brown in color but didnt look like food.. any ideas?

[smll092780]

I experienced something very similar... My ENT told me that it was more than likely Acid Reflux...

I began taking Prevacid and the feeling has almost ceased.