Aa
just swallowed a pill and it won't go down...help!
This is going to sound really dumb but I took a standard vitamin in pill form over an hour ago and it still hasn't gone down! It really hurts and I have tried everything. There is a sharp pain when ever I swallow, talk, cough, etc. I can still feel it, it's like a huge lump in my throat. I drank 3 glasses of water, ate pudding...everything. What should I do? Do you think I should go to the hospital or something? HELP!
I have this same problem but only with pills and no issue with food or liquids. The smaller the pill, the higher the likelihood it will be stuck in my throat for the foreseeable future. I finally realized I was swallowing pills differently. I was tipping my head back... Something I did not do while eating a general meal.
***TRY THIS***
When you swallow, rather than tipping your head back, tuck your chin downward. This creates a better seal over the posterior nasal cavities by pressing the salpingopharyngeal fold backward.
***If you have something CURRENTLY stuck***
-Tuck your chin slightly downward
-Give a few short burst-like snorts as far back toward your soft palate as possible (like you're trying to clear mucus from your posterior nasal passages) until the item dislodges.
-KEEP YOUR CHIN TUCKED as you swallow.
-If the item is inadvertently inhaled, keep your chin tucked as you cough. This will prevent the item from shooting back up behind the soft palate as it's expelled from the trachea, allowing you to safely swallow it instead.
This can be caused by anatomical malformations, surgical nerve trauma (thyroid, tonsils/adenoids, oral/dental, etc) or (more likely) cervical spine misalignment/ nerve impingement that weakens the response by associated nerves to the various throat muscles.
When the nerve is weaker, the glossopharyngeal fold does not raise enough to properly seal the nasal cavity. We are always taught to tip our head back when swallowing which actually has the opposite effect were looking for when the glossopharyngeal fold is weak or dysfunctional. Tucking the chin forward and down resolves this dysfunction by engaging an additional muscle group.
A weekly or biweekly chiropractic adjustment has helped me tremendously! No more pills stuck in my throat, throat burning, irritation, tension headaches, or super annoying sniffling and snorting and coughing!
If you don't know of a reputable, appropriately credentialed and experienced chiropractor, biweekly deep tissue massage, acupuncture, yoga and diaphragmatic breathing exercises can all help build muscle strength, release muscle tension causing misalignment, and increase sensitivity and responsivity of the nerves associated. Some people have gotten relief from regularly singing to increase muscle control in the larynx and pharynx.
Hope this helps!
Wishing you all lump free throats and resolution of your pain!
***TRY THIS***
When you swallow, rather than tipping your head back, tuck your chin downward. This creates a better seal over the posterior nasal cavities by pressing the salpingopharyngeal fold backward.
***If you have something CURRENTLY stuck***
-Tuck your chin slightly downward
-Give a few short burst-like snorts as far back toward your soft palate as possible (like you're trying to clear mucus from your posterior nasal passages) until the item dislodges.
-KEEP YOUR CHIN TUCKED as you swallow.
-If the item is inadvertently inhaled, keep your chin tucked as you cough. This will prevent the item from shooting back up behind the soft palate as it's expelled from the trachea, allowing you to safely swallow it instead.
This can be caused by anatomical malformations, surgical nerve trauma (thyroid, tonsils/adenoids, oral/dental, etc) or (more likely) cervical spine misalignment/ nerve impingement that weakens the response by associated nerves to the various throat muscles.
When the nerve is weaker, the glossopharyngeal fold does not raise enough to properly seal the nasal cavity. We are always taught to tip our head back when swallowing which actually has the opposite effect were looking for when the glossopharyngeal fold is weak or dysfunctional. Tucking the chin forward and down resolves this dysfunction by engaging an additional muscle group.
A weekly or biweekly chiropractic adjustment has helped me tremendously! No more pills stuck in my throat, throat burning, irritation, tension headaches, or super annoying sniffling and snorting and coughing!
If you don't know of a reputable, appropriately credentialed and experienced chiropractor, biweekly deep tissue massage, acupuncture, yoga and diaphragmatic breathing exercises can all help build muscle strength, release muscle tension causing misalignment, and increase sensitivity and responsivity of the nerves associated. Some people have gotten relief from regularly singing to increase muscle control in the larynx and pharynx.
Hope this helps!
Wishing you all lump free throats and resolution of your pain!
I have the same feeling, it kinda feels like your throat is sucked in by a pressure. Have you tried feeling your neck? My neck feels numb to the point that It no longer feels like it exists, a blankness.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Ear, Nose & Throat Community
Think a loved one may be experiencing hearing loss? Here are five warning signs to watch for.
Discover the common causes of and treatments for a sore throat.
Learn about what actually causes your temperature to spike.
Find out which foods you should watch out for.
Family medicine doctor Enoch Choi, MD helps differentiate between the common cold and more threatening (bacterial) infections
Dr. Steven Park reveals 5 reasons why breathing through your nose could change your life
