Yet there are several reasons that trouble swallowing occurs, and they all relate to a common problem for those with anxiety — an over-sensitivity to their body. Most of what your body does is automatic. You breathe without thinking about it. Your hand grasps things without thinking about each finger. And you also swallow automatically, without moving the muscles in your throat yourself.
But when you struggle with anxiety — particularly anxiety attacks — your mind focuses too much on things that used to be automatic, and forces them into your consciousness. You still have the ability to swallow, but when you swallow it no longer feels like a natural reflex, because your mind is too focused on how it feels. Similarly, when you have anxiety, you may not have trouble swallowing at all. Something has to trigger the swallowing reflex.
Yet when you have anxiety, it can feel as though something is wrong. To those with anxiety, the difference between being unable to swallow and simply not swallowing is very slim, and the fear that develops very real. Difficulty swallowing is a symptom of suffering from anxiety, so on its own it is difficult to stop without some type of intervention.
First, always visit your doctor. One based on your anxiety symptoms so that you will be able to experience less overall anxiety. I have hsd problems swallowing since end of May , I have had camera down and they found nothing wrong every time something touches the top of my mouth Imwant to get rid of it , I can only eat sandwiches carefully, I have problems eating most things like chicken, salad , chips fruit , seeing mental nurse Thursday , can an antidepresant help to bring my swallow back as I am suffering terribly.
Has anyone worked through this? The voluntary initiation of swallowing takes place in special areas of the cerebral cortex of the brain called the precentral gyrus also called the primary motor area , posterior-inferior gyrus, and the frontal gyrus. Information from these areas converges in the swallowing center in the medulla, which is part of the brainstem. Apart from the brain, nerve signals originating in the mouth receive input about the food we are chewing.
Several sensory nerves in the mouth, pharynx, and larynx bring information to the brain that allows us to know what type of material is in the mouth and throat. For instance, they "tell" the brain about the size, temperature, and texture of food. This information is sent to the sensory cortex of the brain, and eventually the medulla, which uses the sensory information to direct the efforts of the muscles of chewing.
The act of chewing changes the food into a softer and more slippery food bolus that is suitable and safe for swallowing. As the swallowing reflex advances through its different phases, the nerves involved in swallowing trigger the reflexive closing of the larynx and the epiglottis.
This closing off of the "windpipe" prevents food and liquid particles from entering the lungs. If the windpipe does not properly close off, or if swallowing is not well coordinated, problems such as choking can occur. Another complication of swallowing problems, aspiration pneumonia, can happen if food enters the lungs.
This may happen as a result of a stroke or other neurological disorders. Lastly, malnutrition and dehydration may occur as a result of swallowing difficulties. As you can see, there are multiple areas of the central nervous system which, if affected by a stroke or another neurological condition like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease , or dementia , could disrupt the ability to swallow.
Even more so, the medulla is a relatively small area of the brainstem that contains multiple structures that are critical in carrying out the swallowing reflex—so strokes that involve the medulla are especially likely to cause swallowing problems. In fact, people with medullary strokes may require temporary or permanent feeding tube placement to prevent choking and aspiration pneumonia.
Guidelines published in by the American Heart Association AHA for treatment of patients with stroke recommend early screening for dysphagia trouble swallowing to prevent potential aspiration and avoid related illness.
The AHA also recommends feeding tubes for patients with dysphagia for at least the few days immediately following a stroke as doctors continue to check for problems with swallowing.
While living with swallowing problems certainly adds a complication to your life, know that there are well-designed techniques that can help you or your loved one safely adapt to these difficulties. For instance, a speech and swallow therapist can help you make adjustments to the types of food and liquids that you consume in order to make it easier for you to safely swallow.
In addition, swallowing exercises like the supraglottic swallow or Mendelsohn's maneuver can help strengthen your muscles involved in swallowing. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Hard to swallow: developmental biological insights into pediatric dysphagia. Dev Biol. Haggard P, De Boer L.
Oral somatosensory awareness. I hope you've found peace. Sorry you find yourself in the same situation. Im travelling prettt well at the moment. We discovered i have acid reflux and heartburn which was contributing to the swallowing problem. Also i became too conscious of the swallowing so was doing it too much and always checking if i could swallow whicg. Made it worse. I too kept a water bottle with me at all times.
I had 6 months with a mental health worker fortnightly then monthly and while i have my bad days still im on top of my anxiety for the most part :.
I have same issue w swallowing as everyone here. Feels like something in there? Little swallow? Like I have to swallow in order to swallow? Food and drink are going in fine. I have an endoscopy booked in a month. Doubt anything will come of it. Doctor thi is I have globulus sensation. Hi KMTE, I know it has been a long time since you have posted this, just wondering how are you doing?
I just have developed something similar when I am eating is like I forget how to swallow for a few seconds and then work it out? It causes me a lot of anxiety. I have come across your post regarding problems with swallowing. I too have recently found this to be a problem. I used to have this problem where if I got my throat irritated and started coughing my throat would close up. I had seen a throat specialist and he looked down my throat and obviously found nothing but it was something that he said that helped me The worst case scenario would be I fall unconscious and my throat will automatically relax!
When I reached the bathroom it stopped automatically which never happens. The next time it happened I was at home and I made my way outside and it worked. I now realise that when I have my brain think about walking and doing another motion it stops. Its now been years since I had this problem. I went back to swallowing. Please try it. I just have a feeling if our brains are distracted then the automatic motions will happen. I was really sorry to hear what you are going through.
I could not breathe in any air. It would last about 2 minute and then suddenly my throat would open up and I would be okay again. It would happen if the food was a little spicy or a grain of toast irritated my throat. I became careful with what and how I ate. I was going through something at the time and no doubt it was related to anxiety. Particularly because of what I wrote in my previous post about moving around when it happens. However out of the blue I now get this sensation of not being able to swallow suddenly.
It creates immediate anxiety but I again distract and move around to have my mind focus on something else. It works for me. Sometimes reassurance from a throat specialist may ease your mind which in return helps you relax. I have learnt over the years mine goes straight to my throat tensing up and then the rest started happening slowly over the years.
Apologies for the late reply. I have been off line. I hope you are doing better. I still wanted to reply in case you come across the thread again.
In regards to how long will my throat close up for.. I do get a tiny bit of air which can be described as through a straw that has been flattened. I gasp for air and it sound scarey to those around me. I find that moving has my silly brain think of walking or just doing another motion that it stops me focusing on my throat. While the food is in my mouth I get up and move around then I can swallow. I hope that all makes sense. My advice is try relax before you eat or distract yourself while you are eating.
Tv, playing with your baby or having a conversation.
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