Meanwhile on Monday I bought some broccoli cheddar soup to go from our local co-op market. It was on the thin side and I got home with it and drank it straight from the carton. Big mistake, as there were some thin flat fibrous pieces in the soup and because I drank it down, at least one went down my throat. Ever since I have felt off and on like there is something in my throat!
Wednesday I went to an ENT doctor and had an endoscope done. She did a thorough look and recorded it so I could see too - she couldn't find anything. She did say there were a few areas that are often hard to see with this procedure but she felt that she'd gotten a good look and that maybe the fibrous piece scratched my throat and the sensation can take up to a month to resolve. She also said there is no sign of anything serious going on and that she hoped that would be a relief to me.
We both agreed this is probably exacerbated by the fact that I am at that final throat clearing last cough stage of the cold I had, and by the sudden cold snap and cranking up of the wood stove (dry air in the house!). She suggested I give it a month, gargle with warm salt water several times a day, and come back if it gets worse or doesn't resolve by February.
It comes and goes. Sometimes it feels like something big is there, other times it feels like nothing is there. Sometimes eating makes it better, sometimes eating makes it worse. The gargling does help quite a bit.
When I was pregnant with each of my children I had this very sensation that something was stuck in my throat. The first time I had an endoscope done, nothing was seen, and they chalked it up to a hormonal change that caused a piece of tissue to swell. It ended by the time my son was born and when it happened again at the same stage of pregnancy with my daughter, I found out a few women do experience this during pregnancy.
So, of course I'm not pregnant, but I'm thinking maybe the cough and frequent throat clearing and dry air combined with the scratchy fibrous piece and as the cough resolves the tissue will heal and all will be well. The next thing they would do would be a procedure under anesthesia to do a more thorough look. May I never need to go that far! Meanwhile I am having to deploy mindfulness on a near-constant basis. It's pretty amazing how I can go from agitation to calm by simply relaxing and changing my thinking about how the throat feels. I guess on some level I need this lesson right now!
Good thoughts of a clear throat welcome, as are been there done thats!
Sorry to hear about your throat. That sounds very annoying. There were a couple of inflamed taste buds bugging the tar out of me this week. I just couldn't let them be.
ReplyDeleteGargling with warm salt water was my grandmother's go-to remedy. I credit swiftly employing that ministration at the first tickle in my throat with keeping me mostly cold/flu free. She also heated with a wood stove and kept a pot of water simmering on it all winter long to humidify.
I wonder if some slippery elm might smooth things out in your throat?
Feel better soon :D
Gargling with warm salt water has helped a lot, as has slippery elm tea. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteWe put the kettle on the wood stove too and it does help!
I employed the Neti pot yesterday and it worked wonders. I'm going to do it once a day and see how things go. :)
Having anything in your throat is an annoying feeling. I'm sure the salt water gargle helps a lot. That was my grandmother's cure all too. Hope it feels better soon. I've always like the Riccola lozenges the herbal one seems to help soothe the throat.
ReplyDeleteA, that is funny b/c husband came home with two bags of Ricola herbal lozenges last night! Thanks for the suggestion. :)
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