Feels like there's a lump in the throat after eating

Reasons for appearance

A lump in a person’s throat is caused by factors such as:

• gastrointestinal disease;
• autoimmune diseases;
• inflammation of the mucous membrane of the throat;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• oncology;
• stressful conditions.

When the throat hurts due to gastritis, the feeling of squeezing can radiate to the back of the head or to the cervical spine. The patient feels compression in the chest area and for this reason cannot breathe fully. But squeezing pain in the throat does not always appear with stomach diseases.

Changes in a narrow muscular tube disrupt the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract.
Discomfort may increase when eating fatty and spicy foods. Among the minor factors are the following:

• cold;
• hiatal or diaphragmatic hernia;
• overweight;
• cervical vertebra injury;
• disruption of digestive processes.

Lump in throat with gastritis

There are many symptoms that indicate a wide range of different diseases. The feeling of a “lump in the throat” is a similar sign. To apply treatment, it is necessary to understand what causes the discomfort.

What is a lump in the throat? Tension, spasm, feeling of a squeezing metal ring, pressing, tickling, making it difficult to swallow. Sometimes a sore throat, pain or choking develops. This is how we can describe the upcoming state. But in parallel, other symptoms indicating the cause of the syndrome are monitored.

Let's look at what diseases a lump in the throat indicates.

1. When infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract (for example, sore throat or pharyngitis) are excluded, the cause may lie in psycho-emotional states. Under the influence of stress, the muscles of the larynx spasm, and a feeling of constriction appears. Soon the disturbance passes, but if the situations are often repeated and the sensations too, neurosis develops and the help of a psychotherapist will be required.
2. A lump, sore throat, dryness, discomfort and cough are signs of a serious illness, for example, throat cancer. An additional symptom that distinguishes the pathology from others is hoarseness and loss of voice. It is especially important to monitor symptoms in the early stages, when the tumor has not grown much.
3. A sedentary lifestyle leads to degenerative processes in the intervertebral discs and the occurrence of osteochondrosis. When the spine is deformed, the nerve endings are compressed, a spasm of the neck muscles occurs, and a feeling of a lump in the throat is born. Injuries to the neck and back of the head, hernias will also cause the feeling.
4. Cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, stroke are characterized by pain in the heart area, manifested by discomfort in the neck, in particular pain and a lump in the throat.
5. Thyroid dysfunction is characterized by a sensation of a foreign body in the larynx. Especially if the disease occurs in tandem with disorders in the functioning of other organs and is considered autoimmune.
6. Gastritis and other gastrointestinal diseases. The throat is the entrance gate of the digestive tract; any disorders in the digestive system result in unpleasant discomfort - a lump, soreness or burning sensation is felt in the mouth and throat.

What other symptoms might there be?

With gastritis with high acidity, hydrochloric acid is actively released, which irritates and puts pressure on the walls of the throat, for this reason unpleasant symptoms occur. This process is accompanied by the following features:

• heartburn;
• stomach ache;
• nausea;
• sore throat;
• general weakness;
• heaviness and pressure in the stomach;
• sour taste in the mouth;
• white coating on the tongue;
• decreased appetite;
• increased sweating.

If these signs appear systematically, you should immediately contact your doctor for advice. If your throat hurts in the morning and the discomfort persists for a long time, then perhaps the cause is reflux. Fever, cough, sore throat often indicate symptoms of respiratory diseases.

The mechanism of formation of belching and other symptoms

Pain in the stomach and belching of air are symptoms that almost always accompany each other. This is due to the fact that the mechanism of their formation is almost the same. Impaired coordination of smooth muscle contractions with simultaneous relaxation of the cardiac sphincter leads to the formation of increased intragastric pressure. The contents of the stomach enter the lower third of the esophagus, which not only aggravates the situation, but also closes the pathogenetic vicious circle. The result of a violation of the motor function of the stomach and esophagus is the formation of a complex symptom - belching and heaviness in the stomach after eating. Despite the fact that most patients do not pay due attention to such symptoms, their presence leads to a noticeable decrease in the quality of daily life.

Diagnostic measures

The study will determine the localization of the pathology and the degree of tissue damage.
To make a diagnosis, you should consult an otolaryngologist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist and surgeon. Effective therapy is determined by the doctor based on the results of all examinations. You will need to do:

• biochemical blood and urine test;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs;
• examination of the mucous membrane using a probe;
• examination of the nose and nasopharynx.

Gastritis and peptic ulcer

An inflammatory disease that affects the mucous membrane of an organ. Irritation of the walls of the organ with hydrochloric acid when the mucous layer is damaged leads to the development of dyskinetic processes, which impairs motility and the evacuation of food masses from the stomach. Stagnation of gastric contents causes increased gas formation and leads to an irresistible desire to regurgitate food, feelings of nausea and sometimes even vomiting.

As for peptic ulcer disease, with significant erosion of the mucous layer, gastric juice begins to actively affect not only the submucosal, but also the muscular layer of the gastric wall, which leads to the formation of a pronounced pain syndrome, which manifests itself as intense and severe pain in the epigastric region immediately after eating . Patients usually complain of stomach pain, nausea and belching. On an empty stomach, you may experience a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen and belching, but not pain.

Treatment of the disease

The main method of treating stomach pathologies is diet. The choice of diet depends on the factors and progression of discomfort. Proper nutrition must be systematic and, as a result, develop into a habit. To get rid of discomfort, it is recommended to give up bad habits, a busy lifestyle and stress. The patient should exclude citrus fruits, onions, fatty foods, chocolate and pickles from the diet.

If, nevertheless, the sensation of a lump in the throat is associated with gastritis, then it is possible to take antibiotics, which have a detrimental effect on one of the causes of the pathology - Helicobacter. Drugs are also prescribed that reduce the acidity of gastric juice and preserve the integrity of the gastrointestinal mucosa. And a prerequisite is that the treatment must be timely, in this case the unpleasant symptoms will quickly go away and the patient will only have to follow a diet.

A lump in the throat as a sign of gastritis of the stomach

Often, discomfort in the esophagus is provoked by gastrointestinal pathologies caused by inflammation of the mucous membranes. Unpleasant symptoms in the form of squeezing of the throat usually appear after eating. This is due to the entry of acidic stomach contents into the esophagus. As a result, the pharynx is irritated and a corresponding sensation appears. Therefore, simultaneously with the lump, a patient with gastritis will experience accompanying manifestations, such as:

• sour aftertaste in the mouth;
• belching of air or food;
• heartburn and painful burning in the chest.

The appearance of an unpleasant feeling of a lump in the throat simultaneously with heartburn, heaviness and distension in the epigastrium, sharp pain immediately after a meal indicates the development of gastritis.

Prevention

Diet and healthy foods will help improve digestion.
To avoid the feeling of a lump in the throat, doctors recommend following simple tips:

• do not overeat;
• eat only fresh food;
• do not drink alcohol;
• no smoking;
• eat food in small portions.

If the sensation of a lump in the throat appears after eating, has a squeezing nature, and is also accompanied by heartburn, then the likely cause is gastritis.

You should also protect yourself from inhaling substances that irritate the mucous membrane. Avoid excessive stress on the vocal cords and be sure to treat respiratory diseases. It is recommended to follow a balanced diet. Consume foods high in fiber: vegetables and fruits. You should avoid spicy and fried foods.

Treatment

Therapeutic measures to eliminate the unpleasant sensation of a lump in the throat are aimed at treating the underlying cause - gastritis. The course and medications are prescribed and selected by the doctor individually.

The following measures will help get rid of throat discomfort and other symptoms of chronic gastritis:

• To eliminate heartburn, belching and a lump in the throat, drugs that reduce stomach acidity - proton pump inhibitors - are used.
• The next step is antibacterial therapy aimed at exterminating Helicobacter, the main causative agent of chronic gastritis. At the same time, medications are taken aimed at restoring the intestinal microflora.
• In the treatment of peptic ulcers, enveloping drugs are used to protect the epithelial cells of the stomach and duodenum from aggressive acids and enzymes.
• To treat autoimmune diseases, replacement therapy is used, which includes injections of vitamin B12, thyroid hormones, gastric juice and enzymes. Corticosteroids are used to eliminate autoimmune inflammation. Sometimes surgery is performed to remove the tumor.
• It is important to adhere to a diet and nutrition regimen when treating chronic gastritis. Eliminating alcohol, smoked, sour, spicy and fried foods that irritate the gastrointestinal tract will help significantly improve your condition and get rid of the sensations of heartburn, coma and sore throat.

Dysphagia

Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder that interferes with the normal passage of food and liquid through the esophagus. Pathology can appear as a result of septic inflammation of the trachea, esophagus, larynx and oropharyngeal mucosa. Most often, dysphagia develops against the background of diffuse spasm of the esophagus or the formation of benign and malignant tumors.

Dysphagia is accompanied by specific manifestations, which include:

• periodic cough;
• difficulty swallowing saliva;
• pain when food passes through the esophagus;
• penetration of food particles into the trachea or larynx.

In most cases, patients have difficulty eating only solid foods. Therefore, at the time of undergoing therapy, they adhere to a diet that consists of eating only liquid food.

Associated symptoms

A lump in the throat that cannot be palpated (felt with your hand) is a common manifestation of many pathological processes. But it's far from the only thing.

Most often we talk about a whole complex of pathological signs:

• Feeling of lack of air. Dyspnea (increased number of respiratory movements per minute), suffocation (inability to make full movements due to obstruction). Usually this symptom has nothing to do with the lump, but is directly adjacent to it.
• A burning sensation in the throat, a sore throat that provokes an intense cough without sputum and mucous exudate.
• Feeling itchy in the throat. There is a desire to comb the affected area with the tongue. It is observed mainly in allergic reactions.
• Sensation of a foreign body in the airways and pharynx.

Pains of various localizations, heartburn, belching of air, belching of food and many other manifestations are also possible.