Can silent reflux increase throat sensitivity ? Because I can feel even a tiny, unchewed piece of cookie in my throat after swallowing
Hello, I'm 21 years and I have had symptoms for 1.5 years. At the moment I am taking Gaviscon in the evening, I don't know if it helps me even though I don't have heartburn or regurgitation. I only eat smooth textures and I can drink liquids.
Symptoms:
- I get a sensation of food stuck in my throat after swallowing (not with smooth textures).
- When I drink a soda like coke zero, I get saliva in my mouth right after a sip; it’s the same with chocolate cake, for example. It leaves me with thick saliva after swallowing.
- I no longer know how to form a food bolus and swallow automatically.
- Sometimes, for example with mashed potatoes, when I bring them to the back of my throat, I have a blockage preventing me from swallowing for 1-2 seconds.
- I often have mucus and sometimes phlegm, but more often in winter.
- When I wake up, I have a bit of mucus in my throat.
- I sometimes have gurgling sounds in my throat.
- I can't swallow pills; I'm afraid to swallow them.
Test results:
- Normal upper endoscopy and normal biopsies.
- Normal FEES (I ate applesauce and soft cake).
- Normal barium swallow.
- Normal brain MRI.
High-resolution esophageal manometry:
Esophagogastric Junction
- Proximal LES position (from the nostril): 44.3 cm
- LES length: 2.6 cm (Normal: 2.7–4.8 cm)
- Esophageal length (UES-LES): 25.7 cm
- Intra‑abdominal LES length: 0.0 cm
- Hiatal hernia: Yes, 1.1 cm
Pressures LES
- Basal pressure (mean, respiratory): –7.7 mmHg Normal: 13–43 mmHg
- Residual pressure (mean): –2.2 mmHg Normal: <15 mmHg
Pressures UES
- Basal pressure (mmHg): 136.9 Normal: 34–104 mmHg
- Residual pressure (mmHg): 3.0 Normal: <12 mmHg
Pharyngeal / UES Motility
- Number of swallows evaluated: 10
- Levels evaluated: 2.0 cm and 3.0 cm above the UES
- Average peak pressure: 7.0 mmHg
Esophageal Motility
- % failed: 10
- % weak: 10
- % ineffective: 20
- % pan‑esophageal pressurization: 0
- % premature contractions: 0
- % fragmented: 0
- % intact: 80
- Number of hypercontractile swallows: 0
- Distal latency: 8.0
- Distal Contractile Integral (mean): 703.4 (mmHg·cm·s) (Normal: 500–5000 mmHg·cm·s)
- Distal Contractile Integral (max): 1385.2 (mmHg·cm·s)
- Contraction front velocity: 4.0 (cm/s) (Normal: <9.0)
Intensity of Esophageal Contractions
- Normal peristalsis (DCI 450–8000 mmHg·cm·s): 80%
- Weak peristalsis (DCI 100–450): 10%
- Absent peristalsis (DCI < 100): 10%
- Hypercontractile contractions (DCI > 8000): 0%
Morphology of Esophageal Contractions
- Normal contractions: 90%
- Premature contractions: 0%
- Fragmented contractions (defects ≥ 5 cm with DCI > 450): 0%
- Pan‑esophageal pressurization: 0%