What Could Cause a Feeling of Foreign Body in the Upper Part of the Throat?
Having a sensation of foreign body in the throat is a common experience that anyone may encounter. This sensation is generally caused by factors such as excessive heat in the body. Frequent use of the throat and infections in the throat can also lead to this sensation. The reasons for this sensation can include chronic pharyngitis, tonsillitis, or a feeling of a plum-stone in the throat, which is similar to neurasthenia or hysterical globus in Western medicine. The cause of this sensation can be diagnosed through throat endoscopy, and the treatment method can be selected based on the cause.
This condition is often caused by emotional distress, liver qi stagnation, ascending along the meridians and accumulating in the throat. It can also be caused by stagnation of liver qi and spleen, leading to the failure of body fluids to be transported and transformed into phlegm, which accumulates in the throat. Patients may feel a sensation of foreign body in the throat, without pain, unable to cough it out or swallow it down. It does not interfere with eating and drinking, but may vary in intensity, accompanied by depression, chest and rib pain, poor appetite, fatigue, weight loss, dark tongue, and taut pulse.
Chronic pharyngitis is mainly chronic inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa. Diffuse inflammation is often part of chronic catarrhal inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, while localized inflammation is often accompanied by inflammation of the lymphatic tissue of the pharynx. The main symptoms of chronic pharyngitis include discomfort, dryness, itching, swelling, and a sensation of foreign body in the throat. If the patient is older and has difficulty swallowing, it is necessary to examine the throat.
If you have pharyngitis, it is recommended to consult a doctor for examination. Symptoms may include discomfort in the throat, a sensation of foreign body, a feeling of something stuck in the throat that cannot be swallowed or coughed out, stimulating cough, dryness, swelling, blockage, and itching. However, there is rarely pain in the throat. It is important to drink plenty of water, eat more fruits and vegetables, avoid spicy and stimulating foods, and rest and stay warm. Antibiotics such as azithromycin or amoxicillin, as well as throat lozenges, can be prescribed for treatment.
It is also important to be vigilant about the possibility of throat tumors when experiencing a sensation of foreign body in the throat. In the early stages of throat tumors, especially hypopharyngeal cancer, the initial symptoms may manifest as a sensation of foreign body in the throat, and the symptoms may gradually worsen. Sometimes, pain or other symptoms may occur. If the sensation of foreign body in the throat persists or worsens, accompanied by pain, coughing up blood, or hemoptysis, it is crucial to seek immediate medical attention.
