Feels Like Food Stuck in Throat and Chest, Not Choking, Can Breathe, Remedies

What causes feeling of food stuck in throat and chest?

Difficulty when it comes to swallowing is a feeling that food or even a liquid is stuck in throat or at any other point before food enters the stomach. This problem is also known as the dysphagia.

The process of swallowing normally involves many steps. These are;

• Chewing of the food
• Moving the food into the back of mouth
• Moving it down the esophagus

There are several nerves that assists the muscles of the mouth, throat, and also the esophagus to work together. Much of the swallowing happens without a person being aware of what he is doing.

It is a very good idea to be fully evaluated by a doctor when you have a chest discomfort or even pain. That is normally to rule out any possibility of experiencing a heart attack, which is a risk irrespective of the overall health and also age.

Some other people ignore the pain thinking that it is nothing very serious. Some other people continue with daily routine while also having a very slight discomfort that occurs in the chest. You should not take all this things much lightly.

Ensure to see a doctor and she can be able to assist you understand the symptoms of the heart attack and also identify the underlying causes of the feeling if heart disease is not the exact problem.

A brain or even the nerve disorder is able to alter the workings of muscles that are in the mouth and also the throat.

Swallowing is a very much complex act. Most of the nerves work in a balance so as to control how the muscles of the mouth, throat, and also the esophagus perform together.

A brain or even the nerve disorder is able to alter the fine balance in muscles of the mouth and also the throat.

• Damage to the brain can be brought about by multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, or even stroke.
• Nerve damage can be because of the spinal cord injuries, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or myasthenia gravis.

Stress or even the anxiety can lead to some people feel tightness in throat, or even feel as if there is food stuck in throat. This sensation is normally unrelated to eating and is known as the globus hystericus.

Problems that usually involves the esophagus normally lead to swallowing problems. These includes:

• An abnormal ring of tissue that usually forms at a place where the esophagus and also the stomach meet (known as the Schatzki’s ring)
• Abnormal spasms of esophagus muscles
• Cancer of esophagus
• Failure of muscle ring that is at the bottom of esophagus to relax
• Scarring which usually narrows the esophagus. This can be because of radiation, chemicals, chronic swelling, or even infection.
• Something that is stuck in the esophagus, like a piece of food.
• Scleroderma, which is a disorder where the immune system attacks the esophagus mistakenly
• Tumors that forms in the chest that then press on the esophagus

Pain occurring in the chest can also be an indication of heart attack, but there are several other conditions that can make an individual feel as if there is food stuck in chest;

1. Gastric Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

The condition is usually characterized by an improper closure of lower esophageal sphincter. These is basically a ring of muscles which is used to prevent the stomach contents and also the acids to move back up to the esophagus, the tube usually connects the mouth to the stomach.

Symptoms

When the stomach acid moves up and then touches the esophageal lining, then a person will experience a burning sensation in the throat and also the chest. This feeling is known as the heartburn. Some of the people who have experienced GERD normally feel as if there is food stuck in throat close to the breastbone. This implies that a person who does not experience GERD can have a heartburn occasionally. If you have an acid indigestion more than a number of times in a week, the chances are likely that you have GERD.

Treatments

What works for a person much depends on how severe the GERD is. Making the below indicated lifestyle changes can greatly assist in all cases:

• Stop smoking
• Avoid alcohol
• Lose weight.
• Do not eat 3 times a day; instead, eat very small meals often.
• Do not sleep immediately after eating; wait for at least 2 hours before sleep.
• Wear loose-fitting clothes and also ensure to keep the head elevated (8 inches high) by use of the extra pillows.
• Your doctor can as well suggest some of the over the counter antacids or ther medications so as to stop acid production.

2. Esophageal Spasm or Stricture

If it feels like food stuck in throat, you might have developed a disorder known as an esophageal spasm, which is usually characterized by the abnormal muscle contractions in a narrow muscular organ known as the esophagus.

Symptoms

You can have some symptoms like dry cough and also a feeling that food is stuck in the throat. Difficulty with swallowing foods is also a very common sign. Severe chest pain can also be felt in some of the cases.

Treatments

There are several treatment options that are available for esophageal spasms. For instance:

• Nitrates and also calcium channel blockers can greatly assist to relax the esophageal muscles. You can also consider taking of the Hyoscyamine so as to relieve spasms.
• Antianxiety medications as well as the anticholinergic drugs can also prove to be very effective.
• Most of the people have experienced good effects of having injections of the botulinum toxin. The injections are supposed to be taken into smooth muscle of the lower esophagus. This is able to inhibit transmission of the nerve impulses and also relieve pain and several other symptoms.
• Patients who are not able to respond well to the medication might require to undergo surgery. The surgical procedure is known as the myotomy which usually involves making a very long incision in a lower esophageal sphincter so as to assist control spasms.
• In addition, you can also benefit from biofeedback, which involves relaxed breathing, and also hypnosis. Drinking of a glass of warm water as well assists to relieve symptoms of esophageal spasms.

3. Hiatal Hernia

When the upper part of the stomach goes through the diaphragm and thus entering into the chest region, you can be having a hiatal hernia. The diaphragm normally lies between the chest and also the abdomen and assists a person to breathe properly. The stomach lies beneath the diaphragm, but a portion might push through the muscle. The particular opening in this given case is known as the hiatus.

Symptoms

You do not experience most of the symptoms, but some other people have said it usually feels like food stuck in throat. This normally occurs when bile, or even the air enters the esophagus. Some specific symptoms include;

• chest pain
• trouble swallowing
• heartburn which becomes severe when a person lie’s down

Treatment

You do not need any given treatment if the hiatal hernia is not leading to any trouble. You might have to take the medications so as to treat heartburn and also an acid reflux. Making changes to the diet might also assist to prevent the acid reflux, which is the vital reason why you have some symptoms. Surgery might be needed when regular treatment options do not work as expected.

4. Achalasia

Achalasia is a disorder which makes it very much difficult for a person to eat or even drink since the esophagus loses the ability to squeeze the food down. In this given disorder, then the muscular valve that is between the stomach and also the esophagus also fails to relax fully.

Symptoms

People who have the condition normally complain about chest pain and also say that it feels like food stuck in throat. When this occurs, a person can have a severe coughing, which increases the risk of aspiration. Other common symptoms that are involved are;

• weight loss
• pain in chest discomfort after eating
• heartburn

Some other people that experience this disorder also have backflow or even regurgitation.

Treatments

You can also take oral medications such as the calcium channel blockers so as to assist the sphincter to relax. This can ensure that what is eaten passes through the esophagus with a lot of ease. Some of the doctors might recommend the use of Botox so as to relax the sphincter.

For a permanent treatment, you can as well opt for a surgical procedure known as the esophagomyotomy in which the doctor alters the sphincter or even dilate it.

5. Barrett’s Esophagus

When it is left untreated, GERD is able to transform into the Barrett’s esophagus, which is a very much complicated situation. In this particular condition, the esophageal lining can change so as to resemble the lining of intestine. Even though this condition only affects about 15% of people with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease, the risk is however there.

You do not have different symptoms other than having heartburn and feeling as if there is food stuck in throat. You are required to treat it or it can turn into the esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is a very much complicated cancer of esophagus and thus life-threatening complication.

Signs and symptoms of esophagus cancer

Cancers of esophagus are normally found due to the symptoms that they cause. Diagnosis in the people without symptoms is very much rare and accidental (as the tests are normally done for other medical problems). However, most of the esophageal cancers do not lead to symptoms until they have reached a very advanced stage, when they are much harder to treat.

1. Trouble swallowing

The most common symptom of the esophageal cancer is the swallowing problem, with a feeling like food stuck in throat or chest, or also choking of the food. The medical term that is used for trouble swallowing is known as the dysphagia. This is normally mild when it begins, and gets worse over a period of time as the opening inside esophagus gets narrower.

When swallowing is harder, people affected normally change their diet and also the eating habits without knowing it. They take much smaller bites and then chew food more carefully and very much slowly.

• As the cancer starts to grow larger, the problem is able to get worse. People then can be able to start; eating much softer foods that is able to pass through esophagus easily
• They can avoid the bread and also the meat, since foods usually get stuck

The swallowing problem can as well get bad enough that some other people stop taking of the solid food fully and also switch to liquid diet. If the cancer continues to grow, at some point even the liquids can be very hard to swallow.

To assist in passing of the food through esophagus, the body makes a lot of saliva. This leads to some people complaining of having lots of thick mucus or even the saliva.

2. Chest pain

Sometimes, people who are affected complain much of pain or even the discomfort that occurs in the middle part of the chest. Some other people describe a feeling of burning that occurs in the chest. These symptoms are often brought about by problems other than cancer, like the heartburn, such that they are rarely seen as an indication that a person is having cancer.

Swallowing can become much painful if the cancer is much large that it limits the passage of food through esophagus. Pain is able to be felt just a few seconds after swallowing, as food reaches the tumor and has a lot of trouble getting past the tumor.

3. Weight loss

About half of the people who have the esophageal cancer lose weight. This occurs as the swallowing problems makes them avoid food or take a little amount that is not enough to maintain their weight. Other factors may include;

• a decreased appetite
• an increase in the metabolism from the cancer

Food stuck in throat but can breathe (not choking)

If the food stuck in throat is in such a manner that it is not leading to choking or even affecting the ones who are breathing then there are some given natural remedies that are used to get rid of the blockage.

So as to understand what to do when there is food stuck in throat, a person should bear in mind that in most of the cases, such food tends to dissolve on its own over a given period of time and if the food that is stuck in throat is not causing a lot of discomfort then it is supposed to be allowed to get dissolved naturally with saliva that is available in the mouth and also the throat.

But if one still experiences the feeling of food stuck in throat for several days or food stuck in the throat while he is swallowing then a natural remedy would be:

• To consuming plenty amount of water. Water can assist to push the food particle or can greatly assist the process of dissolving the food particle.
• Taking some hot tea or even warm water which can assist to dissolve the stuck food faster. It is also recommended that you drink warm water rather than taking of tea as water is not much saturated.

While trying the remedy so as to do away with the food stuck in throat, a person should ensure that the water is not very much hot as it can be able to burn the sensitive skin that is inside the throat. If a person has food stuck in their throat after taking the food, then they can as well gargle using some warm salt water solution.

But, you should remember gargling using salt water can be able to induce vomiting more especially if they are on a full stomach. This is due to the fact that the action of gargling induces the reflux of the fluid via the throat. Most of the time, women who suffer from the morning sickness especially during pregnancy can as well get the feeling of food stuck in throat after vomiting.

How to dislodge food stuck in throat after eating

The treatment for the swallowing problem largely depends on the cause.

It is vital to understand how to eat and also drink safely. Incorrect swallowing can cause choking or even breathing food or even the liquid into the main airway. This may cause pneumonia.

To manage the swallowing problems:

• The provider is able to suggest changes to the diet. You can as well get a special liquid diet so as to assist you stay healthy.
• You might be required to learn new chewing and also swallowing techniques.

Medicines that might be used largely depend on the cause, and include:

• Some medicines that can relax muscles in esophagus. These include the nitrates, which is a medicine that is used in treatment of the blood pressure, and also dicyclomine.
• Injection of the botulinum toxin.
• Medicines that are used in treatment of the heartburn and also gastroesophageal reflux.
• Medicines that are used in treatment of an anxiety disorder, if present.

Procedures and surgeries that might be used include:

• Upper endoscopy: The provider is able to dilate or even widen an area of the esophagus by use of the procedure. For some other people, this requires to be performed again, and sometimes more than twice.
• Radiation or surgery: These given treatments might be used if the cancer is leading to the swallowing problem. Achalasia of the esophagus might as well respond to surgery.

If the symptoms are much severe and you are much unable to eat and also drink, or you have problems of pneumonia, you might require a feeding tube.

Other remedies for food that’s stuck in throat

Tonsil Enlargement

Throat obstruction may be brought about by the tonsil enlargement. When the lymph nodes are inflamed they are able to swell leading to discomfort and also pain. Tonsillitis is a very common ailment that is brought about by inflamed tonsils. Some of the home remedies can assist you in treatment of the tonsillitis, but if the condition continue to persist even after 2 weeks, then you should see a doctor.

Humidifier

A humidifier in room can greatly assist to reduce pain that is brought about by swollen tonsils. The machine is also able to increase the air humidity, which may make you to breathe and also swallow easily as it prevents the tonsil from being too dry. You can replace the water before sleeping and also clean the machine at least once a week, for instance during the weekend.

Rest your throat

It is able to reduce the swelling and also cure irritation. To reduce discomfort, a person should avoid eating of the solid foods and also talking. Talking a lot while having the tonsil inflammation can lead to laryngitis, which may impair speaking ability because of the damages on vocal cords.

Further references;

1. Swallowing difficulty:
2. Feels Like Something Stuck in Chest:
3. Signs and symptoms of esophagus cancer:
4. Throat Obstruction Home Remedies:
5. How to Remove Food Stuck in the Throat: