Does it feel like there is something lodged in your throat but there is nothing there upon examination? It’s called globus sensation. Although it may feel like it can interfere with your consumption of food and liquids, it really can’t. Continue reading to know more about this uncomfortable sensation in the throat that is bugging many.

Everybody calls it as a lump in the throat, but doctors call globus sensation by many other names such as globus pharyngeus, globus pharyngis or simply globus. There was a time when it was referred to as globus hystericus because it was once thought that it was due to a psychiatric condition.

Common Causes

There are many different suspected reasons why people feel as though they have a lump in the throat that refrains to go away even after trying to flush it down with water. Despite of the fact that scientists remain unsure to date as to exactly what can cause globus sensation to strike, they believe that the following are contributors:

Inflammation of a part of the throat

When the larynx or something else in the throat becomes swollen, it’s very much likely for the individual to feel that there is something stuck in the throat.

Cricopharyngeal spasm

There is a muscle in the upper part of the esophagus called cricopharyngeus muscle, which is normally contracted but then relaxes whenever an individual swallows food or liquids. When it becomes hyper-contracted, cricopharyngeal spasm happens and globus sensation is a symptom.

Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

When acid in the stomach climbs up the esophagus high enough, it can cause irritation of the throat. This can give rise to globus sensation, which is why a lot of individuals with acid reflux or GERD report that there is something lodged in their throats.

Stress

It’s not uncommon for individuals who are stressed out to feel like there is something that’s trapped in their throats. Sometimes stress can exacerbate an already-existing globus sensation.

Anxiety

There are many different symptoms associated with anxiety, and one of them is globus sensation. Sometimes it is anxiety that is the direct cause of that feeling of a lump in the throat, but other times anxiety can exaggerate globus sensation, causing the person to have more anxious thoughts.

So many people fear that the feeling of having something wedged in the throat can be related to cancer. It’s important for them to know the difference between globus sensation and dysphagia, which is a medical term for difficulty with swallowing. Globus sensation, just like what’s mentioned earlier, does not really interfere with consumption of food and liquids, but dysphagia can, on the other hand.

Usual Remedies

There are different ways of dealing with globus sensation, depending on what’s causing the issue in the first place. It’s a good idea to be seen by a doctor of the throat (ENT) to be examined, allowing the underlying cause to be identified and treated, such as in the case of acid reflux or GERD.

In some instances, learning the fact that there is nothing really stuck in the throat can give a person much-needed peace of mind and reassurance, and this can cause globus sensation to go away on its own naturally, especially if its root cause is stress or an anxiety attack.