What is the cause of the foreign body sensation in the neck?

In the ENT clinic, we often encounter patients with neck discomfort, such as discomfort and foreign body sensation in the neck. These can be judged as throat problems. For example, there may be a tumor or frequent smoking and drinking, which may lead to small polyps. These all need to be checked and treated in time.

In the ENT outpatient clinic, we often encounter many patients who come to the hospital for treatment because of throat discomfort and foreign body sensation. Foreign body sensation in the throat is a common disease in the ENT department. Some patients are often accompanied by mental symptoms such as anxiety, fear, and irritability. The fear of tumors in the throat seriously affects their normal work and study. In fact, there are many reasons for the foreign body sensation in the throat, and it is not just caused by tumors.

Foreign body sensation in the pharynx refers to the patient's abnormal sensation of foreign body, blockage, pressure, itching, dryness, burning, etc. in the pharynx or throat. It may be caused by slight stimulation of the sensory nerve endings from the pharyngeal plexus to the pharyngeal wall, or caused by nerve reflex. Fatigue of the throat muscles can also cause a foreign body sensation in the throat. Due to inflammation, stimulation from tobacco and alcohol, or improper use of the throat, the throat muscles undergo uncoordinated movements, resulting in fatigue, strain on the throat muscles, and the foreign body sensation.

The sensation of foreign body in the throat is a common symptom of chronic pharyngitis. In addition to chronic pharyngitis, many diseases can also cause similar symptoms.

1. Pharyngeal lesions Direct stimulation of the sensory nerve endings of the pharyngeal wall causes this symptom, such as pharyngitis, tonsil disease, uvula elongation, pharyngeal tumors, pharyngeal keratosis, etc. The nasal cavity and sinuses are adjacent organs of the pharynx. When suffering from sinusitis, especially when accompanied by a deviated nasal septum, sinus secretions flow back into the nasopharynx, irritating the pharyngeal mucosa and causing a foreign body sensation.

2. Lesions in the vicinity of the pharynx may cause irritation due to movement of the pharyngeal wall, often leading to a foreign body sensation in the pharynx. Such as cervical lymphadenitis, carotid artery inflammation, elongated styloid process, goiter, cervical spondylosis, esophageal diverticulum, esophageal cancer, etc.; reflux gastritis, esophagitis, gastric acid contents or refluxed bile acid directly damage the throat and can also cause a foreign body sensation in the throat.

3. Lesions in distant parts can also cause this symptom through vagus nerve or other related nerve reflexes and transmissions, such as gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastroptosis, hypertension, heart disease, etc.

4. Functional lesions have no organic cause and are often called pharyngeal paresthesia, which is related to mental factors, autonomic nervous system disorders, endocrine dysfunction and metabolic disorders. It is commonly known as "plum pit qi" among the people.