What causes Clicking or Popping in Throat when Swallowing?

I was put on steroids by a nurse practitioner because I had swollen glands from a lot of drainage and pressure in my ears. I couldn’t finish the steroids they gave me bad side effects . I went to the nurse practitioner I see and she said she thinks the feeling in my throat may be my Eustachian tubes because I have a lot of fluid in my ears and swollen glands . She could tell I have a lot of allergies stuff going on . She prescribed me antibiotics and nasal spray . I have a checkup with my doctor in 3 weeks . If it’s still happening she’s gonna do ultrasound of my throat and check my thyroid . She did feel my thyroid when I seen her and she said it felt okay . I seen an ent a few weeks ago and he said it was my voice box sliding which is normal and which I also don’t agree with that because I feel it in my throat like a rubber band flicking the back of my throat when I swallow.

@ewalkercece Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, a place to give and get support.

You are having a click popping sensations for about a month, your doctor thinks you may have larynx dysfunction, you are not sure you agree, and you are looking for answers.

Members like @mushroom @klangston85 @shey have discussed this topic and may be able to help answer your questions.

May I ask if you have considered a second opinion?

Hello @ewalkercece,

You mentioned that your doctor thought you might have larynx dysfunction, If you are comfortable sharing more, could you tell us what type of doctor made that diagnosis? Was it an ENT specialist? Did he/she explain how this could be treated?

I would encourage you to see an otolaryngologist. This is an ENT doctor who specializes in the larynx, vocal cords, etc. By putting a small tube down your nasal passage (after numbing the area) they can see the larynx and vocal cords. Have you had this type of examination done by your previous doctor?

Depending on the cause of this problem, please note that speech therapists can be very helpful in treating swallowing problems. Most folks think that speech therapists are only used for speech problems, however, they can provide a great deal of help for swallowing problems as well.

Hi. I speak very difficult for a year now. ENT said I need Therapy. Will a otolaryngologist be a better option?
Regards
Hilda Venessa

@hildavenessa Yes, if your speech is also affected an otolaryngologist would be a good medical person to see for a second opinion. Since you have had speech problems I would recommend that you ask the otolaryngologist for a referral to a speech therapist.

Is your speech problem related to volume, raspy voice, or difficulty forming words?

Ok oct 31 2020 I choked in a restaurant. I was dying.a big man performed the Heimlich on me and saved my life in front of my children. Im forever greatful.against everyone's advice i didn't follow up at e.r. I was sore but figured I'd be fine.well a few weeks later my throat started clicking when I swallowed and mind you after the choking episode it happened twice more a few days later. so I was thinking all the anxiety and stress caused me to chew chew chew drink swallow and swallow many times.i went to hospital as clicking has driven me nuts.they did an xray all normal. I have been treated like I'm crazy and sent back and fourth to drs.finally I have endoscopy on the 19th.now I have sore throat.throat clearing ear and jaw pain.and the wonderful clicking.i do have tmj and gerd.im so terrified its a tumor and even though I have never smoked drank or done drugs I know cancer is still possible.my primary care said in all his years hes never heard of this.if.i gently push in on the right side of my neck/throat its cracked and feels like an accordian.like.crunchy springy?this is the strangest thing I've ever had.i need dr. House. Please pray for me.i am raising my niece and nephew after my sisters death.they need me.

My mother had the clicking for years, her doctor said it’s bone on bone, it eventually went away. A good ENT doctor can look in your throat without a lot of tests.
I would be very, very, very surprised if it was cancer.
Hope you feel better soon.

Hello @jramirez77 and welcome to Mayo Connect. I appreciate your posting about your concerns. We all fear the worst when we are ill and we can't find a diagnosis. I'm glad to hear that you will be having an EGD. I hope this will put your mind at ease regarding the matter of cancer. I know you said that you went to the ER. What types of tests or scan did they do in the ER. Did you have an abdominal ultrasound or a CT scan?

Will you post again after your EGD on the 19th?

@jramirez77 -I hope I can provide some peace of mind for you. This is a common occurrence after someone’s body has been through a traumatic experience. That area of the body was put under distress and panic, as well as your mind. Having a stranger perform the Heimlich maneuver on you can be traumatizing as well. Depending on how you process intense situations/threats, you could still be stuck with event. Choking is also a threat/stress on that area. Sensations could be odd right now as it is balancing, working getting and getting back to homeostasis. If you’ve had xrays and they turned out normal, I would focus on that positive. While I don’t discount the body sensation is distressing, I think the further you get away from the event, the more you go on to eat and swallow, this will fade into the background. Similar is when someone is in a car accident. When they start driving again they will focus on everything to assure they are safe. Once the person drives more and more and your brain realizes you are ok, driving returns to second nature. The act of chewing/swallowing for you right now, could be registering as “danger” when it’s truly not. Many people don’t understand how much thoughts come up as physical sensations. Hope this helps.

Hi All, I'm somewhat relieved to find this active thread as I've been exhausted in my search for answers as to why I am experiencing swallowing issues. In short, a few months ago, I noticed a pop/click/crunch (it varies) when swallowing. It can be heard and felt (by myself internally and externally through the skin), occurring in the area of my hyoid/thyrohyoid membrane/thyroid cartilage. It isn't painful, but it's jarring and alarming. I need to constantly reposition my neck to relieve it. This symptom came on rather suddenly, but I can't point to a specific action or event that directly caused it. It has increased in frequency and occurs on and off throughout the day. I'd say that literally half of my swallowing triggers this symptom in a given day.

I first saw an ENT who told me that it was probably just some ossification due to aging (I'm a 41 year old man, non smoker). He ordered an ultrasound and nothing was discovered. I tried to ignore it but couldn't, so more recently, I saw another ENT. He originally thought it could be my Hyoid hitting my cervical vertebrae. However, after ordering a CT scan, it was clear that wasn't the case. What was discovered were two things: I have early ossification of my thyrohyoid membrane and my thyroid cartilage area is out of alignment, curving to the right by a few millimeters. The ENT was perplexed and wondered if the misalignment was the cause of my positioning during the CT scan. However, both my mandible and spine seem to be centered. He thinks my symptoms may be caused by the ossification and/or the misalignment. He was also perplexed because he only sees something like this in patients who have suffered trauma to the neck. I have not had that, maybe except sleeping in a horrible position from time to time. He also though it may be from an older injury I could have suffered, even as a child. But, it's unclear to me why this symptom would now appear. The ENT told me to take an anti-inflammatory for a month and to give him a call to reassess. He also said he may eventually send me to see another specialist or therapist specializing in swallowing. I feel a bit hopeless at this point as I've seen two ENTs and had a CT Scan, ultrasound and I've been scoped in the office. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I'm also attaching the CT scan, which shows the misalignment.