Causes of choking while eating
Bulbar syndrome
A pronounced symptom occurs with bilateral damage to the nuclei of the caudal group of cranial nerves, which are responsible for the act of swallowing. Patients choke while drinking and self-feeding is impossible. There is no swallowing reflex, so saliva flows from the corners of the mouth. Choking is also caused by atrophy of the tongue muscles, which makes patients unable to chew food normally. The main diseases accompanied by bulbar syndrome:
- Stroke
. - Inflammatory and infectious causes
: Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome. - Genetic pathology
: Kennedy disease, porphyria. - Damage to nerve cells
: syringobulbia and syringomyelia.
Myasthenia gravis
Choking with myasthenia gravis is associated with weakness of the muscles of the larynx, which contributes to the free flow of food masses into the trachea and bronchi. The disorder is pathognomonic in the bulbar form of the disease - patients choke while eating and drinking liquids. Characterized by variability of manifestations during the day, aggravation of symptoms after physical or mental fatigue. Similar signs are detected in half of those suffering from a generalized form of myasthenia gravis.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Swallowing disorders are observed in the later stages of the disease, after the development of muscle weakness in the limbs. At first, choking on solid food is observed; as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progresses, patients constantly cough and gag while eating. The symptom is combined with speech impairment; saliva usually accumulates in the mouth, which patients cannot swallow.
Mental illness
In this case, choking has no organic cause. Symptoms are caused by dysfunction of the cerebral cortex and inappropriate behavior in severe mental disorders. Patients choke on both drinks and solid food, and sometimes fluid flows through the nose. At the same time, a painful paroxysmal cough begins, soreness and discomfort occur in the throat.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Normally, a person swallows food while exhaling, when the airways are closed by the epiglottis and soft palate. In COPD, there is indiscriminate contraction of the muscles of the pharynx and larynx, resulting in a reflex inhalation when swallowing food. An attack of severe coughing begins, which is associated with irritation of the larynx with pieces of food.
Rare causes
- Developmental anomalies
: hypoplasia of the larynx, cleft palate. - Gastrointestinal pathologies
: diaphragmatic hernia, reflux esophagitis. - Traumatic rupture of the vagus nerve
.
Increased salivation - causes and features
Increased salivation (hypersalivation) is not always associated with food consumption. In this case, this indicates some disorders in the body. Heavy salivation can be a symptom of various internal diseases. Hypersalivation also occurs in dental pathologies. Therefore, if such a problem occurs, you should consult a dentist.
If the doctor discovers local causes, he will carry out the necessary treatment measures. If there is no dental cause, the dentist will refer you to another specialist for examination.
Features of the violation
Hypersalivation causes discomfort. You can understand that such a problem has arisen by the fact that you have to swallow saliva more often. There is also a constant feeling that there is a lot of it in the mouth.
Increased salivation is often accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms. For example, nausea, heartburn, unpleasant odor. Also, saliva sometimes changes color and becomes thick.
Hypersalivation in some cases is the norm. Excessive salivation is observed during teething, getting used to dentures, and during pregnancy. And, of course, this is the norm during meals.
Such a symptom will indicate a problem if it is present together with other signs.
Main symptoms:
- General malaise.
- Dyspeptic symptoms.
- Discomfort when swallowing.
- Change in taste sensations.
What are the reasons
Causes of hypersalivation include:
- intoxication of the body;
- period after tooth extraction;
- pathologies of the digestive system;
- hormonal disorders;
- problems with blood vessels and the thyroid gland;
- angina;
- menopause;
- stress;
- disorders of the central nervous system.
Treatment and prevention
Treatment varies greatly depending on the cause. Sometimes it is enough to sanitize the oral cavity and cure existing dental diseases. In some cases, it will be necessary to remove the salivary glands.
There are special medications that reduce saliva production. Medicines are prescribed only by a doctor after examination.
To avoid this problem, you need to visit the dentist regularly and treat dental diseases in a timely manner.
It is also important to undergo a general medical examination. It is important to monitor oral hygiene and have tartar removed by the dentist every six months. Giving up bad habits and eating healthy are important preventive measures. Good luck! Tags: increased salivation, hypersalivation, treatment and prevention of increased salivation, treatment and prevention of increased salivation Mosrentgen, treatment of hypersalivation Mosrentgen
Diagnostics
A neurologist examines patients with complaints of choking on food. Many causes are already established on the basis of carefully collected clinical data, so the doctor conducts a detailed examination, checking tendon reflexes and assessing muscle tone. Next, specific diagnostic methods are prescribed, the most informative of which are:
- Proserine test
. The study is necessary to verify the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis. In this disease, after subcutaneous administration of 3 ml of proserine, muscle function is restored, the person can make swallowing movements. - Electroneuromyography
. The study helps confirm neuromuscular causes of choking. Characterized by a reduced response of muscle fibers to stimulation by impulses, rapid muscle fatigue is observed after repeated exposure. - MRI of the brain
. The method is necessary for visualizing brain tissue and identifying focal lesions. For amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the appearance of a hyperintense MR signal in the area of the cerebral peduncles and internal capsule is typical. In case of stroke, the area of ischemia is determined. - Additional methods
. To exclude pathology of the digestive system, a survey radiography of the abdominal cavity and photographs using a contrast agent are performed. To exclude COPD, spirography and bronchoscopy are performed. Sometimes a consultation with a psychiatrist is prescribed.
Causes of choking when eating
The most common cause of this disease is damage to the vagus nerve, regardless of its area (it can even be the central nuclei).
The vagus nerve suffers from injuries or tumors - both in cancer of the nervous system and other organs. In both cases, the nerve is compressed by the growing tumor.
When collecting anamnesis, it is necessary to take into account past neck injuries, previous infectious diseases, and surgical interventions in the chest area.
The second most common reason is the presence of a mental disorder, for example, a neurotic syndrome. In this case, you need to contact a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. But, before you come to see a psychiatrist, it is necessary to exclude neurological disorders by seeking an initial consultation with a neurologist.
Other causes of choking
- syringomyelia;
- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis;
- underdevelopment (hypoplasia) of the larynx;
- myasthenia gravis;
- Kennedy bulbospinal amyotrophy;
- stroke;
- large hiatal hernia;
- Children often experience choking due to improper feeding techniques.
Symptoms of fluttering
Symptoms of damage to the vagus nerve are not immediately noticed. This is a change in voice timbre, difficulty swallowing, choking, which is not paid attention to (sometimes up to several years).
When symptoms increase (when food enters the respiratory tract so often that it is impossible not to notice), the patient first goes to a therapist. Next, he receives a referral for examination (CT, MRI of the brain). The treatment is carried out by a narrow specialist - a neurologist.
In patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in addition to choking, speech and swallowing problems, muscle weakness, awkward movements of the fingers, and generalized muscle pain are also observed.
With a hereditary pathology (Kennedy amyotrophy), muscle weakness of the arms and legs occurs and increases; after several years, the masticatory and facial muscles are affected, swallowing becomes difficult, and choking when eating becomes a common cause.
In such cases, doctors examine the patient’s DNA, blood serum, perform electromyography, and perform a muscle biopsy.
Treatment
Help before diagnosis
If the disorder occurs occasionally and is caused by the habit of talking while eating, specific therapy is not required. The appearance of regular choking while eating, as a result of which a person cannot eat normally, indicates severe damage to the brain or other systems, which requires qualified medical care.
Conservative therapy
Medical tactics consist of eliminating or slowing down the progression of the underlying disease that caused choking. For myasthenia gravis, physiotherapeutic methods and massage are indicated to improve muscle function. In severe situations, when independent food intake is impossible, parenteral nutrition is provided. For etiotropic and pathogenetic treatment, drugs such as:
- Anticholinesterase drugs
. Medicines from the proserin group improve neuromuscular transmission processes and eliminate the causes of choking. To achieve a lasting clinical effect, they are taken for several years. - Glucocorticoids
. Hormones are used in severe forms of encephalitis to prevent brain swelling. They are also recommended for rapid progression of myasthenia gravis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. - Antipsychotic drugs
. Prescribed for serious mental disorders, which are accompanied by swallowing disorders and food getting into the larynx. Antipsychotics and tranquilizers are effective for quick relief of symptoms.
Treatment of fluttering
The symptom of choking when eating, of course, cannot be cured without treating the underlying disease. If a patient is diagnosed with cancer , chemotherapy, radiation therapy and, in some cases, surgery are prescribed.
When a particular lesion of the vagus nerve , doctors come to the aid of not only medications, but also physical therapy.
For example, with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ), a physiotherapist prescribes special exercises; electrical nerve stimulation, hydrotherapy, massage with passive movements, warming (cooling) procedures, and acupuncture are used to relieve pain.
For myasthenia gravis, the following physiotherapeutic procedures are used:
- neurostimulating (electrophoresis of special preparations, bioregulated electrical stimulation, neuro-electric stimulation;
- myostimulating (amplipulso- and diadynamophoresis, myoelectric stimulation, electrostatic massage;
- tonic (aerophytotherapy, pearl baths);
- trophostimulating (massage, darsonvalization);
- psychostimulants (non-selective chromotherapy, aerotherapy, electrophoresis of psychostimulants).
Consequences of choking when eating
The consequences of choking while eating are very different. If the underlying disease can be cured, the functions of the muscles (including those involved in the act of swallowing) are restored. Accordingly, the patient stops choking and after a while forgets about this problem.
In cases where the disease progresses, the outcome is difficult to predict. Especially with tumor processes, which can last for years, or can develop instantly and metastasize to other organs.
Diseases that affect the vagus nerve are difficult to treat, but science is not in the same place as it was 20 years ago.
The latest cutting-edge methods for treating neurological diseases can alleviate the condition of many patients with this symptom. If the condition of the muscular system of the whole body can be improved and stabilized, then eating becomes less painful.
