What causes Clicking or Popping in Throat when Swallowing?

I have the same thing I had covid in October 2022 and had sinus issues with it and then I got reflux that was in my throat and I also suffer from anxiety I am swallowing every five minutes and feel like my throat is tight I feel the popping in the left side I was told it could be inflammation and it’s making my hyoid bone do that noise since it is the only bone that floats my left ear hurts and I got tons my eustachian tube could be clogged from all the thick sinus drainage idk what’s wrong with me I can’t find the answer but anxiousness causes your throat to be tight rub your shoulders and see if that will help I feel the popping when my mouth and throat is dry more

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.?

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.

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,

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".

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?

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.

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.

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.

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