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What causes Clicking or Popping in Throat when Swallowing?
I was doing some neck massages a few days ago and then afterwards whenever I swallow, I feel a clicking/popping sensation and sound when my larynx moves up upon swallow. There is no pain at the moment but the popping sensation in my throat gives me anxiety whenever I swallow. Is this the result of the cartilage rubbing on each other? Is it from the hyoid bone rubbing the thyroid cartilage? Are there exercises that can fix this?
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Went to my chiropractor today. She too thought it to be kind of weird but she believes it to be ligament or tendon causing the popping. It didn’t really give me much peace of mind but she did tell me it’s probably not what I fear it but to be and should relax a little. She did tell me to lay on my back on my bed with my neck and head stretched back over the edge. And to swallow looking straight and to the sides a few times as a stretch to try and help. Guess I’ll give it a shot. I will update after my ent appointment on Monday.
Well my chiropractor seems to think it’s tendon/ligament related which should have put my mind at ease a little bit but naturally doesn’t. She did give me some stretches to try and we will see how that goes. I will update again after my ENT appointment Monday.
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1 ReactionHave you gotten any resolve?
All, I finally had my appointment with my ENT this morning. His conclusion without a doubt was my hyoid bone and adams appl/thyroid cartilage are rubbing. He did say it's not too uncommon and that he has performed a few surgeries a year fixing this problem for people. He would basically remove the center area of the hyoid to avoid the contact. He had the camera that goes up your nose to look down into the throat and told me we could do it but it's about 300 bucks and he knew he wouldn't find anything because he knew the issue. I told him i didn't care and to look anyways. After looking he said everything looked great and saw no issues. He pointed out, the reason it doesn't pop when head is turned or looking up or down is because that articulation separates the two. He told me to relax, its nothing to worry about and if it is bothering me enough, we can get the surgery and get it fixed.
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1 ReactionWent to ENT this morning. His conclusion without a doubt was my hyoid bone and adams appl/thyroid cartilage are rubbing. He did say it's not too uncommon and that he has performed a few surgeries a year fixing this problem for people. He would basically remove the center area of the hyoid to avoid the contact. He had the camera that goes up your nose to look down into the throat and told me we could do it but it's about 300 bucks and he knew he wouldn't find anything because he knew the issue. I told him i didn't care and to look anyways. After looking he said everything looked great and saw no issues. He pointed out, the reason it doesn't pop when head is turned or looking up or down is because that articulation separates the two. He told me to relax, its nothing to worry about and if it is bothering me enough, we can get the surgery and get it fixed.
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1 ReactionWhere is this dr? Can you send me his name? Did he say if it will go away on its own?
I'm located in Wichita, KS. My ENT is Mid Kansas ENT. He said chances of it going away are pretty slim. Whatever moved, pulled or shifted is probably where it's going to stay. I could continue to work on stretches and working out and maybe losing some weight could influence it he said but I'm not a big guy 5'-10" 195lbs. It sounds like if I want it gone gone surgery would be the route to go but he didn't push me into it. He told me he has done the surgeries before but that the popping isn't hurting me, and he is willing to do it if I feel it's something I want done for myself.
Hello guys,
Thankful that I discovered this forum, as I have been dealing with this issue for a while now. I do have TMJD and neck issues. It has been confirmed that my TMJD is causing my ETD as well. In such a case, I pretty much have all the mentioned symptoms: crunch/grinding in throat when swallowing saliva trickling down most prominently on the left side, shortness of breath, and being able to offset the problem by lowering my neck to my chest. While I do believe my jaw joint misalignment is the underlying cause of the issue, there are other factors that should be considered.
From what I have gathered, I believe that this is an issue with the neck that has possibly caused thyroid cartilage issues. It is important for all of us to take into account any past history of neck trauma or complications.
In this regard, has anyone gotten a neck MRI evaluated by a specialist?
I will soon get my neck MRI image evaluated by a specialist. If no luck there, I will go see an ENT and ask about my thyroid cartilage.
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1 ReactionI would still like to get an mri or X-ray to see what has moved in my throat
An x-ray is not going to detect cartilage damage. Getting a neck MRI order is preferred as it is the best diagnostic tool out there. If it happens to be hard for you to get a doctor's referral, PM me because I got mine through an online program which made the process inexpensive and run ten times faster.