What causes Clicking or Popping in Throat when Swallowing?

Posted by mushroom @mushroom, Oct 2, 2020

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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Hello I thought I was the only one going through this. 4 months ago I woke up and out of no where I had that clicking sound in my throat. It was accompanied by a feeling of something touching my gag reflux and throat tightness. I have been to multiple doctors and ENT's. I have had a barium swallow, ultrasound on thyroid, cervical X-ray. and an larynscopy. All came back normal, I did have a molar pulled two months prior to my thoat clicking. Im not sure if that has anything to do with it. I did notice my jaw was popping when I would eat a few days prior to the click starting. I also went to a chiropractor a few weeks before the clicking started and she had a hard time adjusting my neck to the point where it wouldn't adjust. My second ENT I saw said she wants to send me to Stanford Medical to see if a cortisone injection might help. If the shots dont work I believe there is a surgery that can be done to eliminate the click. I have tried multiple exercises daily, some do help. I have read countless articles and watched countless YouTube videos on how to help it but nothing seems to help. Like many of you said it only clicks when looking straight ahead, not the left, right, up or down. If anyone out there can please let me know if they found any relief, and what they did for it. Thank you.

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Profile picture for rockysolomon995 @rockysolomon995

Hello I came across your post. I have been suffering for 4 months with throat clicking. how long did you have until it resolved? has it completely resolved? Also what kind of massages was your GF giving you and what position was your head in when you swallowed.?

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Hey! I had it for about 4-5 years. It almost completely resolved yeah.
it was just regular neck massages, what I think caused the "fix" was the position and my stretching of the neck. Not sure if I can post links here, otherwise DM and I can show you what I was doing.

She was sitting on the sofa with her knees to the stomach and I was laying on her knees as if they were a head rest, since's she's way shorter than me, I managed to pull my head back above her knees and that's when I swallowed kinda hard whilst my head pulled back and heard a sort of "rubbing" of my crycoid cartilage, and I kinda knew something was fixed because I could feel the relief.

I didn't want to sing victory because a few times I felt I "fixed" it but then it would come back. Now it hasn't come back, at least not that strong, it doesn't bother me anymore **knock on wood**-

Regards,

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Profile picture for rockysolomon995 @rockysolomon995

Hello I came across your post. I have been suffering for 4 months with throat clicking. how long did you have until it resolved? has it completely resolved? Also what kind of massages was your GF giving you and what position was your head in when you swallowed.?

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She had her knees/legs like this on the sofa, and I was resting my back on them, but part of my shoulders/neck was above the knee line so I could tilt it back, that's when I swallowed and felt it crack and it was "fixed".

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Profile picture for ipodclassic @ipodclassic

She had her knees/legs like this on the sofa, and I was resting my back on them, but part of my shoulders/neck was above the knee line so I could tilt it back, that's when I swallowed and felt it crack and it was "fixed".

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Thanks I'll have to try it out. I really dont want the surgery if I can get away with out having it. But it has to come to a point where I think I would take the surgery if it fixed it. Did you see any physical therapist, or chiropractors during the 4-5 years of having it?

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Profile picture for rockysolomon995 @rockysolomon995

Thanks I'll have to try it out. I really dont want the surgery if I can get away with out having it. But it has to come to a point where I think I would take the surgery if it fixed it. Did you see any physical therapist, or chiropractors during the 4-5 years of having it?

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I wouldn't have surgery either, unless they really identified what it is, and can show it to you.

I didn't see anyone for it. All doctors had no idea what could be going on and tried to do more harm than good.

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I was advertised this respiratory training device on TikTok and am now having serious complications.

It’s a little flute looking thing that you’re supposed to breathe through using your diaphragm to help strengthen your breathing, but on my second time using it, it must have built up air pressure in my throat because I felt like my throat collapsed inward at the end of my first set of 10 breaths, during my second time using this device.

Now I have a sickening popping/clicking inside my throat whenever I swallow and the entire left side of my throat has this constant feeling of pressure on it.

I’m trying to see an ENT about this, and I have seen an ER doctor and my primary care dr. and so far, it’s a big mystery because they can’t see anything wrong on the outside.

This is hideously uncomfortable and I don’t know what to do while I wait for the ENT. It’s probably gonna be months of waiting, but this is so weird and painful.

Has anyone experienced a popping/clicking when swallowing after an incident with air pressure build up? I don’t know what exactly happened but this is bad.

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Profile picture for sadsinger @sadsinger

I was advertised this respiratory training device on TikTok and am now having serious complications.

It’s a little flute looking thing that you’re supposed to breathe through using your diaphragm to help strengthen your breathing, but on my second time using it, it must have built up air pressure in my throat because I felt like my throat collapsed inward at the end of my first set of 10 breaths, during my second time using this device.

Now I have a sickening popping/clicking inside my throat whenever I swallow and the entire left side of my throat has this constant feeling of pressure on it.

I’m trying to see an ENT about this, and I have seen an ER doctor and my primary care dr. and so far, it’s a big mystery because they can’t see anything wrong on the outside.

This is hideously uncomfortable and I don’t know what to do while I wait for the ENT. It’s probably gonna be months of waiting, but this is so weird and painful.

Has anyone experienced a popping/clicking when swallowing after an incident with air pressure build up? I don’t know what exactly happened but this is bad.

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Hi @sadsinger, I'm glad that you have an upcoming appointment with an ENT specialist.

In the meantime, I moved your question to this existing discussion:
- What causes Clicking or Popping in Throat when Swallowing?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/clickingpopping-throat-when-swallowing/

I did this so you can read previous posts and connect with other members with similar issues.

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Profile picture for sadsinger @sadsinger

I was advertised this respiratory training device on TikTok and am now having serious complications.

It’s a little flute looking thing that you’re supposed to breathe through using your diaphragm to help strengthen your breathing, but on my second time using it, it must have built up air pressure in my throat because I felt like my throat collapsed inward at the end of my first set of 10 breaths, during my second time using this device.

Now I have a sickening popping/clicking inside my throat whenever I swallow and the entire left side of my throat has this constant feeling of pressure on it.

I’m trying to see an ENT about this, and I have seen an ER doctor and my primary care dr. and so far, it’s a big mystery because they can’t see anything wrong on the outside.

This is hideously uncomfortable and I don’t know what to do while I wait for the ENT. It’s probably gonna be months of waiting, but this is so weird and painful.

Has anyone experienced a popping/clicking when swallowing after an incident with air pressure build up? I don’t know what exactly happened but this is bad.

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Wellcome to the club Homeboy
It just started 4 months ago for me and i wasnt having any issue before i was just sitting on my computer and suddenly started popping out of no where. I was very frustrated at the time googled a lot and google increased my anxiety and it become worst what i have managed to do is to minimize stress and relaxation i have seen my popping decreasing try to read @rockysolomon995 articles very helpfully
Wish you all healings

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Profile picture for ch665296f @ch665296f

I had my last, and final check up with my emt doctor a few weeks ago. There was a small hole in my ear drum that was treated with medications that didn't work. Finally a patch was put over the opening that is there permanently. I still get those sounds once in a while, but not nearly as bad or often. I guess it's another one of those "geezer" things that crop up.

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Hello.

Sorry I know this is. Avery old post. But can you tell me if the clicking sound was resolved by fixing the hole in your eardrum? Did the doctor say this was the cause?

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Profile picture for @seekinginfo @nrd1

@mushroom- Hi. If I could provide you some reassurance, so you don’t cause yourself anxiety which can make things seem worse than they are.
You most likely massaged an area that was tense and needed the massage. You most likely just relaxed some muscles and drew attention to that area which now makes you hyper focused on the sound. If you didn’t have it before, the it is most likely nothing. The body is amazing and as it is amazing it does get loud sometimes, which is extremely normal. A simple massage would not have caused damage to that area. Perhaps just drew attention to it. Most doctor visits are due to people needing reassurance. So hopefully you end up with a doctor who understands mind/body connection, and doesn’t send you on a hunt as well as a ton of imaging. Be calm and the clicking probably fade away.

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Hello I am too facing same problem I didn't had it earlier I don't get any pain too it's just clicking whenever I swallow, is there any remedy or medications that I can follow to get relief from this

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