It feels like something is stuck in my throat: Ask the GP DR MARTIN SCURR

Q: Years ago my doctor sent me for a gastroscopy (the opening to my stomach was inflamed). I was prescribed lansoprazole which was beneficial but my problem is breathing. Initially I had breathing problems while eating; the food got stuck in my throat. Recently this happened when I wasn't eating and I had trouble breathing for five minutes. I am 63, otherwise healthy and active; I walk my dog ​​five kilometers every day.

Stephen Larkin, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

A: The frightening symptom you described is laryngospasm. Essentially, the vocal cords suddenly seize, temporarily blocking the airways.

Firstly, I would like to reassure you that although this can be frightening, it is not life-threatening, but I do sympathize with your concerns.

The cause undoubtedly lies in your long history of acid reflux (for which you have been prescribed lansoprazole).

This is where stomach acid or undigested food backs up into the throat, causing the feeling you describe of food getting stuck in your throat (a symptom known as dysphagia). Sometimes the acid or food comes into contact with the larynx (or larynx), causing a laryngospasm.

Although food and drink are swallowed through one tube (the esophagus) and air is inhaled through another (the trachea), they share the same initial pathway. This is why acid rising from the esophagus can end up in your larynx.

Your previous swallowing problems will likely have been related to inflammation in your esophagus due to stomach acid. Lansoprazole is a powerful drug that works by suppressing acid production.

I suspect that your laryngospasm arose because, as you say in your longer letter, you only took the lansoprazole occasionally.

You should consult your doctor about this, but I expect that regular use of lansoprazole will prevent further recurrence.

Q: Ever since I removed the bandage from my broken wrist, I have been experiencing excruciating pain at night. And during the day my fingers tingle and I don't feel like picking anything up. Why am I still experiencing these symptoms?

Linda Gill, Twickenham.

A: It sounds like the nerves in your wrist are damaged, which is not an uncommon complication of wrist fractures.

Three nerves run through the wrist and into the hand: the median (which helps you move your forearm, wrist, and fingers), the ulnar (which helps with fine hand movements and grip), and the radial (the largest nerve in the arm , which is responsible for extending the wrist and fingers).

I suspect you broke your radius, the larger bone of the forearm and wrist joint. This type of fracture also damages the nerves, most often the median nerve, in 6 percent of cases (the pain, tingling and weakness you have experienced are consistent with this).

Because these symptoms were present from the start, it is likely that the injury itself caused bone fragments to press on the nerve.

DR. MARTIN SCURR: A radius fracture damages the nerves in 6 percent of cases, most commonly the median nerve (the pain, tingling and weakness you experienced are consistent with this) (stock image)

My advice is to ask your GP to refer you to a neurosurgeon to assess the nerve damage in your wrist. This should include both an MRI and nerve conduction studies (which use small electrical shocks to assess the function of each nerve in turn). This is painless.

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment may include wearing a wrist splint, or surgery may be required to relieve any compression of the nerve. This should be followed by physiotherapy to restore muscle strength in the wrist and hand, which has been weakened.

In the meantime, you can purchase a removable wrist splint at your local pharmacy to immobilize the wrist. This can be very helpful in minimizing this type of pain.

Ask the pharmacist to help you choose the most suitable version: the splint must be sturdy, chosen to size and carefully fastened to ensure that the wrist does not move. Wear this every evening until you see the specialist.

Write to Dr Scurr at Good Health, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London, W8 5HY or email: drmartin@dailymail.co.uk. Dr. Scurr cannot enter into personal correspondence. Answers should be taken in a general context. If you have health problems, consult your own doctor.