Globus is a symptom that can make you feel like you have a lump in your throat. It is also called 'globus sensation'. Globus can be caused by many things, such as an increased tension of muscles or irritation in the throat.
The most common causes of globus pharyngeus are anxiety and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a form of acid reflux that causes the stomach's contents to travel back up the food pipe and sometimes into the throat. This can result in muscle spasms that trigger feelings of an object caught in the throat.
When you have GERD (chronic acid reflux) your stomach acid persistently flows back up into your mouth through your esophagus. You may experience heartburn, acid indigestion, trouble swallowing, feeling of food caught in your throat and other problems.
Globus pharyngeus or globus sensation is the painless sensation of a lump in the throat and may be described as a foreign body sensation, a tightening or choking feeling. It is often associated with persistent clearing of the throat, chronic cough, hoarseness, and catarrh.
Dysphagia can be classified into four categories, based on the location of the swallowing impairment: oropharyngeal, esophageal, esophagogastric, and paraesophageal (Figure 82.1). These four types occur in four separate but continuous anatomic areas.
The acute onset of the inability to swallow solids and/or liquids (including saliva) is likely related to an esophageal foreign body impaction. Food impaction is the most common cause of acute dysphagia in adults.
Globus can last days to weeks to even months and can be recurrent. If symptoms last longer than a couple weeks, often, the patient will be referred to an Otolaryngologist or an ENT.
Globus sensation has no specific treatment, and in most people, the sensation will go away on its own. Globus sensation is different from other throat conditions in that it does not affect your ability to swallow. If you do experience difficulty swallowing, you may have a more serious condition.
Globus sensation, or globus pharyngeus, is a feeling of having a foreign body or lump in the throat that may come with a choking or tightening feeling. This is a common symptom of GERD, and recent evidence suggests that GERD may be the primary cause .
“Most people with food obstruction can almost always identify what they ate that is now stuck in their esophagus,” says gastroenterologist Christine Lee, MD. “But with globus pharyngeus, most people describe the sensation as a lump that has been affecting their swallowing for weeks or months.”
Key points about esophagitis
Symptoms can include sore throat and a feeling that something is stuck in your throat. Treatments can include lifestyle changes, medicines, dilation, and surgery.
The duration of GERD symptoms can vary from person to person. In some cases, symptoms may occasionally last a few hours. In other cases, symptoms may be more frequent and persist for several days or weeks.
You can try avoiding trigger foods and lying down after eating, losing excess weight, exercising, and quitting smoking and avoiding alcohol, if applicable. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to cure GERD.
A person with globus sensation may never need to see a doctor, as the condition is likely to clear up on its own. However, in cases of chronic globus sensation, a person may want to speak to a healthcare professional to help identify the cause of the sensation.
Globus is a well-defined clinical symptom that is persistent, difficult to treat, and has a tendency to recur. The incidence is fairly constant among men. Relative to men, women are affected three times more commonly at 50 years of age and below and with equal frequency above 50 years.
What causes it? Globus can often be experienced by individuals at times of stress or anxiety. It often occurs when holding back strong feelings or emotions. Laryngopharyngeal reflux, also referred to as 'silent reflux' is a condition in which the stomach acids travel up the food pipe and into the throat.
Diagnosis of Globus Sensation
Clinicians want to make sure that patients have no physical mass, stricture, or growth causing the sensation. Diagnostic tests of choice include flexible laryngoscopy, barium esophagram, and or esophageal endoscopy/transnasal esophagoscopy.
Causes of dysphagia
having a learning disability. a cleft lip and palate in babies. heartburn and acid reflux, especially in children or people who have gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. problems with your breathing caused by conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Dysphagia refers to difficulty swallowing. It can be temporary, or it can be a permanent condition that may or may not deteriorate over time, depending on the aetiology. Signs that an individual is experiencing dysphagia may include: Reported difficulty swallowing certain foods/liquids.
You should see your doctor to determine the cause of your swallowing difficulties. Call a doctor right away if you're also having trouble breathing or think something might be stuck in your throat. If you have sudden muscle weakness or paralysis and can't swallow at all, call 911 or go to the emergency room.