SHARE

Why Does Food Get Stuck in my Throat?

Elsie Goycoolea
By Elsie Goycoolea. Updated: January 16, 2017
Why Does Food Get Stuck in my Throat?

There are many ways that we can cook food to make it tastier and easier to eat. For instance, vegetables can be blended into thick soups so that they are easier to swallow by small children. Other times, this process helps to prevent people from choking on olive pits or fish bones that are naturally present in many foods. Before food reaches our stomach it must be chewed in the mouth and then pushed down by our throat muscles comfortably.

In this OneHowto article we answer the question: why does food get stuck in my throat?

You may also be interested in: Why Does my Stomach Hurt so Bad

Not Chewing Food Properly

A big reason for people suffering from food getting stuck in the throat is due to not chewing food enough. In the rush of making a living, people often set aside very little time to eat and will end up scourging down food that is barely chewed. One must chew food at least 20 times before it is swallowed so that the enzymes in our saliva can start to break down the food.

If you bite your grilled chicken only 5 times before you swallow it then it will just move down as a thick and dry piece of food that will most likely be hard on your throat or even get stuck. If you have little time to eat, choose foods that are easier to swallow or take smaller bites.

Why Does Food Get Stuck in my Throat? - Not Chewing Food Properly

Bad sitting posture

Bending forward can break your posture and is not only harmful for your spine but it can also affect your digestive system. The esophagus is a long tube that runs down from your mouth to your stomach so food is pushed down smoothly by your throat muscles. By not sitting up straight to eat, this long tube will be constricted and it can lead to food getting stuck in the throat.

Also, bad posture stems from having to eat on the go in the car, while walking or even while multitasking around the house. If you are bending down to pick up your laundry while you eat then you can’t expect your body to work against gravity.

Dysphagia

From a medical standpoint, dysphagia is the term used to describe the feeling of food getting stuck in the throat as a result of a difficulty to swallow. As opposed to the previous reasons, it is possible that you may believe that food is stuck in the throat but in truth you may be suffering from weak muscle tissues in your esophagus that are pushing food back up your throat.

Why Does Food Get Stuck in my Throat? - Dysphagia

Pharyngeal Pouch

A common throat-related condition in older females is called pharyngeal pouch. It is essentially the result of having a weaker lower end of the pharynx that when receiving excessive pressure it will expand to create a small “pouch”. Some of the common symptoms associated are dysphagia, cough, bad breath or regurgitation.

In this case, it may not be enough to chew food properly or eat in a much more relaxed and conscientious manner. Common treatment options include endoscopic lasers or surgery in order to remove the “pouch”.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to Why Does Food Get Stuck in my Throat?, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.

Write a comment

What did you think of this article?
1 comment
Rating:
Jas
It is stuck I woke up and then i felt something in my throat plz help me
Why Does Food Get Stuck in my Throat?
1 of 3
Why Does Food Get Stuck in my Throat?

Back to top ↑