Globus Sensation (Something Stuck in Throat) + acid reflux = throat cancer worry

[brandonjamesh]

Newbs here,

I have had a white patch on my back right tonsil for at least a few months now. I certainly have acid reflux and have an upcoming appointment to get a hiatal hernia looked at and most likely fixed, which should fix the reflux and subsequent sore throats. As a result of the reflux, the back of my throat is all red and inflammed, and I can't help but worry about oral/throat/esoph'l cancer.

The big thing that scares me is the globus sensation (feeling that something is stuck in my throat), which I've had once before 2 years ago, but, as of 10 days ago, has come back every day since with a vengeance. My intuition tells me that if the globus were a tumor/mass, it wouldn't come and go throughout the day, like mine does; It would just remain the same size pretty much all the time, but it's difficult to keep reminding myself of that, and it's not enough to convince that something malignant isn't actually going on.

Has anyone else experienced anything close to this, or shared a fear of these cancers?

Any words of help/insight/encouragement would be greatly appreciated!

 

[matisworried]

sorry you're feeling anxious about this. i understand completely and have been there myself, with this exact same concern. hopefully, your issues have subsided. if not, the white patch could easily be a tonsil stone. you also mentioned you had reflux - the globus sensation is a very common symptom of acid reflux and i get it a lot. tumors don't tend to come and go, so if your problems aren't progressively getting worse, it's pretty safe to say it's a reflux-related issue.

 

[Gemma214]

My sister and I both get the globus sensation as well! It can actually be a symptom of anxiety! The most common causes are GERD and anxiety (usually from swallowing a lot due to anxiety). If you look at it from a statistics point of view, it's much much more likely that it is related to your acid reflux and possibly your health anxiety as well. I hope this helps; I definitely feel for you.

 

[TenLettersRap]

i have this issue a lot, i constantly swallow and clear my throat and dry it out and what this does is causes issues similar to laryngitis in terms of generating your own inflammation and irritation