Hi,I am Dr. Shanthi.E (General & Family Physician). I will be looking into your question and guiding you through the process. Please write your question below.
What Causes Food To Get Stuck Between The Tongue And The Epiglottis?
Hi. I am a 30 year old female. I feel as though I have food that continues to become lodged between the base of my tongue and eppuglattis. I can feel the food I m swallowing become lodged and I cannot cough it up. I have very minimal gag reflexes and have reached my fingers down far enough to feel the food on occasion. I also am able to let small mounts of liquid glide down my throat and can catch it in the she spot. While doing this I m able to still breathe and talk easily. I can as well move my head around without choking on it. I also never choke on the food lodged in my throat. I have been able to do the water thing since I was a child after I fell with a baton in my mouth but the recent (1-2yrs) onset of food becoming stuck has suddenly become a constant problem. What should I do? What may be wrong? My doctor believes it s all in my head and will not refer me to see an ENT. Is there anything I can tell him differently to make him believe me and understand the problem I m having? He s treated me for what he assumes is due to some sort of acid reflux but I ve taken the pills for 2 years and cut out all foods that would cause heartburn and that has done nothing.
Understanding your concern. As per your query you have discomfort due to food get stuck between the tongue and the epiglottis. It seems to be because of swelling and inflammation of epiglottis and surrounding tissues.
Need not to worry. I would suggest you to do warm saline gargles for now. You should consult ENT specialist for proper examination without any delay , because it can cause breathing difficulty. Doctor may order examination with fiber optic lighted tube. throat culture and blood tests. you should maintain complete oral hygiene to avoid exaggeration of symptoms. Doctor may prescribe antibiotics for at least 5 days along with anti inflammatory along with wind pipe in case of breathing difficulty.
Hope your concern has been resolved.
Get Well Soon.
Best Wishes, Dr. Harry Maheshwari
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What Causes Food To Get Stuck Between The Tongue And The Epiglottis?
Hi Dear, Welcome to HCM. Understanding your concern. As per your query you have discomfort due to food get stuck between the tongue and the epiglottis. It seems to be because of swelling and inflammation of epiglottis and surrounding tissues. Need not to worry. I would suggest you to do warm saline gargles for now. You should consult ENT specialist for proper examination without any delay , because it can cause breathing difficulty. Doctor may order examination with fiber optic lighted tube. throat culture and blood tests. you should maintain complete oral hygiene to avoid exaggeration of symptoms. Doctor may prescribe antibiotics for at least 5 days along with anti inflammatory along with wind pipe in case of breathing difficulty. Hope your concern has been resolved. Get Well Soon. Best Wishes, Dr. Harry Maheshwari