annoying problem in throat | Arthritis Information
Ok I can't sleep. Well, I tossed and turned in the bed for an hour or so but that's about it. There seems to be a little crumb of someting on the back of my throat. It's the darndest thing and such a bother. I had some pringles chips with my dinner and I think a little piece has stuck to the back of my throat and just won't go down. I've gargled, drank water till I think I'll burst, tried just about anything to get rid of it. This isn't the first time that something has stuck in my throat like this. It doesn't hurt or anything it is just a bother and I am beginning to wonder if this is something to worry about. Rd has asked me in the past if I have any trouble swallowing and until now it didn't seem that I did. Should I be worried? Should I mention it to RD on my next visit?
If your doc asked you specifically about this, absolutely tell him... he must have had a reason to ask.
Maybe instead of liquids, try something like jello or pudding?
CathyMarie
Hope whatever it was went down. MY RD always asks me if I have trouble swallowing too. I'm not sure why.
I can tell you that a person with RA can have trouble swallowing. I took care of a lady at a nursing home that had problems with that. It is all about the RA. It does bad things to our body's. I know I had the same problem with swallowing. I don't get it often but it does happen. If feels like you swallowed down the wrong way and sometimes it can really hurt.
You should ask your doctor about it maybe there is a reason why he ask. There is a swallowing test that can be done. I think he wants to make sure you are not aspirateing your food. Because that can go into your lugs which would not be good. Joan
Yikes, food going down the wrong way. Wow that's somethng I never even thought about. Yeah my RD always asks me about the swallowing thing too and I too have wondered why but it hasn't been a problem until just recently. I will definately talk about it on my next visit.I have a little trouble with my throat at times too. My doctor never asks about it though.....And I don't think I've ever mentioned it either. Well I was actually told to drink water at my exam. He felt my throat while I was drinking water. That was different.
I do know what you are talking about. I always have trouble with lettuce. Had trouble with apple peel yesterday. Only ate about four apple slices and was annoyed for hours. I do not know what it means. I have Barrettes esophogus so I always atribrute it to that. If you find out let us know. I also have Sjorgrens so I am dryer then most people. But even drinking liquids doesn't help sometimes.
I was going to post a topic on this very thing! My throat issue is on the left side, there is palpable swelling, but not a hard lump. It started in Sept of '08, and my RD sent me to ENT who put me through all kinds of test and x-rays... NOTHING! Sooo weird! It was so bad that I had to turn my head to the right to swallow comfortably and it made a strange 'click' sound. It feels like something outside instead of inside my throat!
How common is this with RA?
Yeah, definitely mention throat/swallowing probs. to your rheumy. There are some parts in there that RA does go after. (Could be a sign of a thyroid issue, too.)
I've been having progressive throat symptoms for quite some time and am right now in the process of determining the exact cause. Had an upper endoscopy last week but it didn't show anything going on that far up. Just a few spots of inflammation further down the line. Looks like my next trip is to an ENT.
Another possibility: I have a couple of bulging disks in my neck that have narrowed the spinal canal and two of the spots where nerves go out--gastro guy said that may even be a cause of my symptoms.
Whatever it is, you're right--it sure is annoying!
Bump... in the hopes others with throat issues chime in...
We did the thyroid check back in June of 08 and everything was ok. Should I ask to have it rechecked? If it is something that needs looking into what kinds of tests will the Rd request to help figure it out? Or should just a simple "open wide and let me see your throat" be sufficient enough to tell if something is going on?
Somewhere rabbiting around in my RA research, I learned that your voice box (largnx? sp) has a tiny JOINT in it. So, one reason for change in voice or possible throat pain in RAers. Just a suggestion. Good luck ~~ Cathyyet another reason to inquire about swallowing is sjogrens.... if you have times when your throat is SO dry that you cannot swallow without water.... then you have secondary (to RA) sjogrens.....
I've had issues w/ my parotid being inflamed making it uncomfortable to swallow.....
hope you figure this out!!
For some reason when my RD tells me to swallow I always have a hard time doing it. Like I can't get enough sailva together. He sees I'm having trouble or I even say hmmm wait a minute but he never says anything. I really don't think I have trouble other times except sometimes my pills get stuck even though I only swallow one at a time. It's the little one that give me trouble not the big horsey ones.
[QUOTE=wanttobeRAfree] I really don't think I have trouble other times except sometimes my pills get stuck even though I only swallow one at a time. It's the little one that give me trouble not the big horsey ones.
[/QUOTE]
Same here big things don't stick to my throat it's only the little things. I can't remember having any pills stuck yet but the food that stays there is so annoying. And I guess I should mention sometimes foods hurt going down. Not often, but it does happen.
Facinating. I joint in the voice box. I will have to look more into that. Is there any place in our body the RA doesn't really get to??
Try eating something really rough. I occasionally get something stuck in the back of my throat, and I've found that eating a bunch of popcorn or something else really scratchy can help "scour" my throat and clear it up.
[QUOTE=wanttobeRAfree]For some reason when my RD tells me to swallow I always have a hard time doing it. Like I can't get enough sailva together. He sees I'm having trouble or I even say hmmm wait a minute but he never says anything. I really don't think I have trouble other times except sometimes my pills get stuck even though I only swallow one at a time. It's the little one that give me trouble not the big horsey ones. [/QUOTE]
a bout pills getting stuck: try drinking some water first.. before you put them in your mouth.. then take the drink to swallow.. works that way for me.
[QUOTE=justsaynoemore]... your voice box (largnx? sp) has a tiny JOINT in it. [/QUOTE]
The cricoarytenoid joint (CJ), between the cricoid and arytenoid cartilages in the back wall
of the larynx.
Rheumatoid synovitis does affect and effect the CJ, causing hoarseness and other changes in the voice,
fullness in the throat, and in the worst case scernario, difficult breathing.
However, as JasmineRain suggests, a cracker, a handful of nuts, a raw carrot, can act as a broom when something is "stuck" in the throat. Once the tissue has been irritated the feeling of have something caught can be annoying for a very long time.
Babs mentioned SS, deep sigh...I will sometimes get a
dry spot in the back of my throat that no amount of water will moisten. The accompanying urge to cough will not only keep me awake, but will also wake me up.
Although it is tempting to blame every physical symptom on RA, at least sometimes the symptom has nothing to do with RA.
Best wishes, Shug
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