Why does a lump appear in the throat with gastritis and how to get rid of it

Gastritis is the most common ailment of the gastrointestinal tract of the modern generation of people. Everyone knows that the standard symptoms are pain in the epigastric region, nausea with the appearance of gag reflexes, stool disturbances - indicate the presence of problems with the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, these signs are harbingers of gastritis.

Atypical manifestations of gastritis: sore throat.

However, not all people know that problems with the stomach can also be indicated by non-standard symptoms, such as loss of energy, dizziness, or a sore throat that is not traditional for gastritis. Almost every person who experiences regular painful symptoms in the throat associates this fact with viral or infectious diseases, although there are many more reasons for such symptoms. In this article, we will consider whether a sore throat may indicate problems with the gastrointestinal tract, what accompanying symptoms should be a reason to contact a gastroenterology specialist, and how to diagnose and treat such health problems.

Physiological aspects of the appearance of pain in the larynx with gastritis

Most people who experience pain in the throat associate such symptoms with a cold, as a characteristic manifestation of the body in such a situation. Most often, if pain is accompanied by fever, cough and malaise, especially during winter or transitional seasonal periods, then the cause is indeed viral infections. However, in the absence of additional indicators of colds and the systematic occurrence of pain, it is necessary to look for another source of the problem.

It is very difficult for an ordinary person not involved in medicine to suspect from the regular painful symptoms of the larynx that he has problems with the digestive organs. At first glance, the throat and stomach are organs that do not have a direct connection with each other and are characterized by different dislocations. However, the human body is a single whole, and the presence of complications with one organ can lead to problems with other parts of the body.

Experts in the field of gastroenterology most often explain the cause of pain in the larynx as a consequence of the patient having gastro-food reflux. With the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, food that enters the stomach is broken down under the action of alkaline juice. If the patient has gastritis in the pathogenesis, the acidic environment of the stomach is characterized by changes in its composition, which, with an increased level of alkali, can be accompanied by the backflow of juice into the esophagus due to its excess. According to this fact, the patient may experience heartburn, symptoms in the form of unpleasant belching with a sour taste, as well as symptoms of nausea, often with bouts of vomiting. In addition, with the so-called “reflux”, the organs of the esophagus are exposed to acid, which entails inflammatory processes in the walls of the organs of varying severity; they are accompanied by significant dryness in the mouth, as well as soreness or pain in the larynx.

There are many reasons for the appearance of gastro-food reflux as a factor in the occurrence of laryngeal pain. This may be excessive consumption of unhealthy and irrational food, which includes spicy and fatty foods, smoked and pickled foods, spices, alcohol abuse and bad habits, stressful situations and obesity, as a result of poor nutrition or problems with other organs. Let's consider how to recognize problems with the digestive tract by painful symptoms of the throat.

Useful tips for patients

Use simple but very effective recommendations when treating a lump in the throat. They help get rid of unpleasant sensations in a short time.

1. A full 8-hour sleep. Improves well-being, has a beneficial effect on metabolism, the immune system, the functioning of the stomach and other organs. If possible, sleep on a hard surface. The head should be slightly raised.
2. Include foods that contain plenty of iodine in your diet.
3. Take daily walks in the fresh air.
4. Instead of black and green teas, which often have added flavorings, drink natural herbal drinks. Herbal tea prepared from valerian and motherwort perfectly relaxes and soothes, relieves discomfort in the throat.

Features of pain in the larynx with gastritis

For many people, going to the doctor is not a necessary step when experiencing periodic symptoms of a sore throat. Most often, such symptoms are eliminated by advertised lollipops or common lozenges, which can be easily purchased at any pharmacy. Accordingly, the pain goes away for a short time, recurring periodically, since when painful symptoms appear due to gastritis, only the symptom is treated, but not the source of the disease. Accordingly, uncontrolled use of medications only aggravates problems with the digestive tract and can cause the disease to progress to more serious stages.

To associate a sore throat with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, you need to listen carefully to your body, identify accompanying symptoms and contact a qualified specialist to prescribe rational treatment.

Indicators of the presence of gastritis with regular manifestations of laryngeal pain may be:

1. Painful throat symptoms recur regularly, mainly in the morning, for more than two weeks.
2. The pain is accompanied by a cough, which is caused by irritation of the larynx, a feeling of a lump in the throat.
3. The pain in the larynx goes away a few hours after a person gets out of bed.
4. Characteristic heartburn, accompanied by dry mouth and belching with a sour taste in the morning, as well as after each meal.
5. Difficulty swallowing, a feeling of a lump in the throat that interferes with the feeding process.
6. Pain in the epigastric region, often with difficulty breathing.
7. Absence of symptoms indicating the presence of a cold or viral disease.

The above symptoms, in combination with regular indicators of soreness in the larynx, indicate the presence of problems with the organs of the digestive system and require a mandatory visit to the doctor to establish a diagnosis and select the correct therapy. Independent attempts to eliminate a lump in the throat due to gastritis with the help of medications or traditional medicine will only aggravate health problems and can cause even more serious stomach problems.

What are the main symptoms?

Almost any disease has 2 stages - acute and chronic. The first has vivid symptoms, and without properly selected treatment quickly develops into chronic. It differs from acute in that it takes much longer to treat. Exacerbations of gastritis occur 1-2 times a year, most often in autumn and spring.

How to determine the form of gastritis? The surest, albeit unpleasant, way is to undergo a fibrogastroscopy procedure. It will help confirm a preliminary diagnosis based on symptoms.

The main manifestations of acute gastritis include:

• Not just a nagging or aching sensation, but severe pain in the stomach cavity. It often intensifies after breakfast, as well as in the morning after sleep.
• The patient complains of a burning sensation behind the ribs and sour belching. He feels nauseous all the time.
• Vomiting is another characteristic symptom of worsened gastritis. First, undigested food comes out, after which a mucous mass of yellow or green color joins it. The appearance of blood clots in masses rejected by the body indicates that an erosive form is developing. Treatment must be urgent and comprehensive.
• In the acute form, patients often sweat at night - even if the room is cool.
• Appetite decreases and problems with salivation begin. They are accompanied by bad breath and stool disorders. The tongue becomes covered with a white coating.

Sometimes gastritis may not manifest itself at all. In rare cases, heaviness occurs even after a light snack, a feeling of a coma. The last symptom is not specific. It is possible for stomach diseases and some pathologies.

The danger of sore throat with gastritis

Incorrect self-therapy for sore throat with gastritis as the primary source of the problem can lead to dangerous consequences not only in the form of progression of gastritis, but also in the form of serious problems of the larynx.

With regular irritation of the mucous membrane of the larynx due to reflux gastritis, diseases such as laryngitis with inflammation of the vocal cords and prolonged loss of voice can develop.

In addition, microbes that develop in the mucous membranes of the throat due to irritation by alkaline juice accompany the development of sore throat with purulent inflammation. Such phenomena have very painful symptoms, which are difficult to eliminate even with the help of medications. Also, ulcers and erosions may appear on the mucous membrane of the larynx, which will progress to throat cancer.

To regenerate laryngeal tissue in the event of ulcers or erosions, it is necessary to use an integrated approach to therapy, which consists of parallel treatment of gastritis as the primary source of the problem and foci of disease in the throat.

Diagnostics

If a patient comes to the doctor complaining of a lump in the throat, he is prescribed various examinations. First of all, it is necessary to exclude pathologies of the upper respiratory tract and nasopharynx. Therefore, the patient is referred for consultation to an ENT specialist.

It is imperative to conduct an examination of the thyroid gland, you will need to undergo an ultrasound and consult an endocrinologist. If there are indications that the unpleasant sensations are associated with nervous tension and stress, then you need to visit a neurologist and, possibly, a psychotherapist.

If other pathologists are excluded, the patient is referred to a gastroenterologist. The doctor will definitely prescribe the following examination methods:

• Endoscopy. This method is considered the most reliable and informative, as it allows you to examine the gastric mucosa, as well as take samples of the affected tissues and stomach contents.
• Laboratory tests of physiological secretions and blood.
• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs. The examination is necessary to identify concomitant diseases, for example, pancreatitis.

In case of coma, burning sensation in the throat due to gastritis, a diagnosis needs to be made. The main method is fibrogastroscopy. The procedure is performed with a probe that is inserted into the esophagus through the mouth and then into the stomach. With its help it will be possible to assess the condition of the gastrointestinal mucosa. The examination is performed with a special camera, which is built into the probe.

As reviews confirm, this method also helps to determine the degree of inflammation, type, and location. Doctors use a probe to collect tissue for a biopsy and also test for the presence of the malignant bacterium Helicobacter pylori. The study is performed on an empty stomach.

During the diagnosis, vomiting is likely. During insertion of the probe, it does not block the airway, but there may be difficulties, they must be endured. The study does not take much time; throughout the diagnosis, the patient must follow the doctor’s recommendations.

In addition to this diagnostic method, other methods are used:

• assessment of gastric juice acidity;
• blood analysis;
• determination of antibodies in the mucosa;
• establishing the boundary between pepsin and gastrin;
• stool analysis.

After performing diagnostic procedures and receiving the results, the doctor prescribes treatment for discomfort in the throat due to gastritis. According to reviews, it is important to adhere to all treatment methods prescribed by a specialist.

Diagnosis and treatment of laryngeal pain due to gastritis

As has already become known, a sore throat can occur not only due to a viral infection or a cold, but also due to problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Only a qualified specialist, based on tests, patient complaints and research results, will be able to make a correct diagnosis and prescribe rational therapy.

Most often, therapy is primarily aimed at eliminating problems with the gastrointestinal tract and includes the mandatory cessation of bad habits, in particular, smoking as the main irritant for both the stomach and throat. In addition, in complex therapy, it is considered important to follow a diet that accompanies the patient’s recovery, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and avoiding stressful situations.

In parallel, medications can be prescribed to treat stomach problems, the choice of which depends on the stage of evolution of gastritis. These can be analgesics or antispasmodics, histamines and antacids; in more complex situations, antibiotics are prescribed.

A separate stage of therapy is the elimination of painful symptoms of the larynx. If there are no serious problems in the throat and changes in the mucous membrane, then to eliminate the discomfort it is enough to follow the doctor’s recommendations to eliminate the source of the problem, namely gastritis therapy in compliance with all medical prescriptions. As soon as the source of the painful sensations in the throat is eliminated, the painful symptoms will disappear on their own.

When ulcers or erosions of the throat form, medications can be prescribed that help to locally reduce the painful manifestations of the larynx and medications that have a wound healing and regenerating effect.

Treatment with medications

There is no universal treatment regimen for gastritis and a lump in the throat that would suit every patient. Medicines are selected strictly on an individual basis. You cannot self-medicate - you can aggravate the painful condition. Since the key cause of inflammation of the gastric mucosa is the Helicobacter bacterium, therapy will be aimed at suppressing its activity.

If the attacks of nausea and coma in the throat are strong enough, the doctor prescribes medications that relieve spasm of the larynx.

Let's sum it up

A sore throat is not always an indicator of a cold or a viral infection; such a symptom may indicate the presence of more serious diseases in the body. It is impossible to establish the cause of throat diseases, as well as eliminate the problem on your own; to do this, you need to visit a specialist who can diagnose the source of pain and prescribe the correct therapy.

Pain in the larynx can have very serious consequences, including throat cancer if left untreated, and such symptoms are considered especially dangerous with gastritis. In this case, the consequences may be a stomach ulcer, malignant tumors in the digestive tract and trachea. Be attentive to the manifestations of your body, since pain is a kind of request for help. Seeing a doctor in a timely manner is a rational measure to maintain your health.

ethnoscience

If your throat hurts due to gastritis and there is a lump, then folk remedies can be used. But they relieve discomfort, but do not cure gastritis.

The following measures are effective:

1. Normalization of sleep and its quality is necessary. To eliminate the lump, it is important that the head is 15 cm higher than the body. The mattress and pillow should be of moderate firmness.
2. You need to introduce more foods with iodine into your diet.
3. Walk or ventilate the room daily.
4. Herbal teas are required. To remove the lump, lemon balm, St. John's wort, and motherwort are used. It is necessary to use decoctions and infusions instead of classic tea.
5. Baths with ethers help, as they have a relaxing effect.

These remedies are simple and have no side effects. They will be useful, but if you are allergic to oils or herbal components, you should avoid such treatment.

Causes

Depending on the reasons that led to the occurrence of chronic dysfunction, gastritis can be:

A – Autoimmune . The development of pathology is provoked by malfunctions of the body’s immune system, when lymphocytes attack and damage healthy cells of the internal secretion of the stomach. The process leads to the development of atrophic gastritis.

B – Bacterial . The most common type of chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Caused by infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which neutralizes hydrochloric acid and protective mucus, leading to damage to epithelial cells by gastric juice. To neutralize the pathogenic microorganism, the glands increase secretion production. The acidity level of the stomach increases.

C – Chemical . Occurs with prolonged exposure to various chemicals on the mucous membrane. These are bile acids and pancreatic enzymes (with gastroduodenitis), alcohol, toxic resins and heavy metals from tobacco smoke that enter the stomach with saliva. Selected medications (for example, aspirin), spicy, fried, smoked and spoiled foods, waste products of helminths, etc.

A lump in the throat with gastritis, depending on the form of the disease, is caused by:

1. The reflux of gastric juice into the esophagus. Along with the lump, sour belching and heartburn are felt, and the return of food masses into the oral cavity is possible. This happens after eating. Against the background of progressive bacterial gastritis and increased acidity, the cells of the superficial tissues of the muscle ring, which regulates the flow of food from the esophagus to the stomach, are affected. The situation is aggravated when food, moving down, irritates the mucous membrane of the esophagus, creating an unpleasant soreness, burning sensation and spasm of the throat muscles.
2. Stomach and duodenal ulcers. If the secretory function of the stomach is increased, chronic inflammatory processes occur, and ulcerations and erosions gradually form. The situation ends with a peptic ulcer, which, if not treated, can spread to the duodenum (through infection with Helicobacter pylori). Symptoms of a stomach ulcer - in addition to acute abdominal pain, heartburn, cough, belching, nausea, vomiting and a lump in the throat. Occurs due to the reflux of bile acids and pancreatic enzymes from the duodenum into the stomach.
3. Atrophic gastritis is characterized mainly by decreased gastric secretion. Under the influence of various unfavorable factors, inflammation leads to the death of a large number of mucosal cells, they cease to perform their role in secreting digestive juice. As a result, pathogenic microorganisms begin to intensively develop in the microflora of the stomach, food is poorly digested and rots. Dysbacteriosis leads to bloating, flatulence and stool disorders, feelings of heaviness after eating, and a bitter taste in the mouth. There is a dry cough, a lump in the throat.
4. Autoimmune gastritis, which is localized mainly in the fundus of the stomach and occurs when there are disturbances in the functioning of the immune system. The victims of the disease are the lining cells of the gastric mucosa, which produce hydrochloric acid and an enzyme that helps absorb vitamin B12. To compensate for the dystrophic changes occurring in the upper part, the antrum of the stomach begins to intensively produce the hormone gastrin (responsible for the production of hydrochloric acid) and the enzyme pepsin (which breaks down proteins). Overproduction of gastrin gradually leads to either the formation of a stomach ulcer or a tumor. More often, autoimmune gastritis in the early stages is asymptomatic. Due to a lack of vitamin B12, anemia develops - weakness, dizziness, pallor, headache, tachycardia, shortness of breath. The peculiarity of autoimmune gastritis is that the disease often occurs in those suffering from other autoimmune diseases. These are disorders of the thyroid gland, adrenal cortex, diabetes mellitus and more. Obvious pathologies of the thyroid gland - thyroiditis and diffuse toxic goiter - are manifested by hoarseness, coughing and a lump in the throat. If you have these symptoms and are diagnosed with an autoimmune endocrine disease, it is important to undergo further testing. Perform an ultrasound, endoscopy and screening for the presence of antibodies to determine fundic gastritis. At an early stage of identifying stomach pathology, it is possible to prevent the development of more serious consequences.