Esophageal Blockage: Signs, Causes & Treatment

Download ArticleDownload Article

Esophageal blockages can be really uncomfortable, and leave you with a painful feeling in your throat or chest.[1] Don’t worry. We’re here to answer all your questions, so you can feel better as soon as possible.

Section 1 of 4:

What causes blockage in esophagus?

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: Chunks of food or foreign can create an esophageal blockage.
    [2] Stuck food in your esophagus is sometimes called “Steakhouse Syndrome,” since these blockages happen more often with solid food.[3]
    • Your esophagus is likely blocked if you experience chest pain, drooling, trouble swallowing, or feel like you're gagging, choking, or coughing.
  2. Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:

Why do I feel like something is stuck in my esophagus?

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: Step 1 Dysphagia could be the culprit.
    Dysphagia is a fancy term for having trouble swallowing. This can be caused by a lot of factors, including food obstruction. With dysphagia, you feel like there’s a lump in your chest or throat.[4]
    • Dysphagia is also caused by Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), where stomach contents re-enter and irritate your esophagus.
  2. How.com.vn English: Step 2 Globus pharyngeus might be the issue.
    With globus pharyngeus, you feel like food or a foreign object is lodged in your throat or chest, even if there’s nothing there. This condition isn’t painful, but it’s still frustrating to deal with.[5]
  3. Advertisement
Section 3 of 4:

How is an esophageal obstruction treated?

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: Step 1 A doctor might inject glucagon.
    [6] Glucagon is a drug that helps relax muscles in your digestive system, like the muscles in your esophagus.[7] This injection might clear up the blockage.[8]
  2. How.com.vn English: Step 2 Doctors may clear up the blockage with an endoscope.
    They might take a contrast scan, which helps them pinpoint where the blockage is. Then, they’ll get rid of the blockage with an endoscope, or through further surgery.[9]
  3. Advertisement
Section 4 of 4:

What helps food go down the esophagus?

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: Drink a carbonated beverage if the blockage isn’t that bad.
    Doctors agree that, in moderation, carbonated drinks can help. However, if your blockage is pretty severe, this remedy might make it worse. In severe cases, always call a doctor or emergency services for help.[10]
    • If you don’t have soda or seltzer water on hand, regular water might do the trick, too.

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      Warnings


      Advertisement

      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about speech disorders, check out our in-depth interview with Devin Fisher, CCC-SLP.

      About This Article

      How.com.vn English: Devin Fisher, CCC-SLP
      Co-authored by:
      Speech Language Pathologist
      This article was co-authored by Devin Fisher, CCC-SLP and by How.com.vn staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Devin Fisher is a Speech-Language Pathologist based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Devin specializes in speech and language therapy for individuals with aphasia, swallowing, voice, articulation, phonological social-pragmatic, motor speech, and fluency disorders. Furthermore, Devin treats cognitive-communication impairment, language delay, and Parkinson's Disease. He holds a BS and MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Fontbonne University. Devin also runs a related website and blog that offers speech-language therapy resources and information for clinicians and clients. This article has been viewed 30,071 times.
      How helpful is this?
      Co-authors: 6
      Updated: April 8, 2024
      Views: 30,071

      Medical Disclaimer

      The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 30,071 times.

      Did this article help you?

      ⚠️ Disclaimer:

      Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
      Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.

      Notices:
      • - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
      • - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
      • - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
      • - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.

      Advertisement