Epiglottis

[cherrybailey]

I wrote a month ago my reaching and swallowing had got worse I contacted the hospital saw a specialist Monday. He seems to think it is the epiglottis not working properly, which does make sense (I had something stuck the other week had to put my finger down and felt it) Also after examining me I am tender in the middle just below by boobs. He wants to do x ray can see more than endoscopy I go next Wednesday for Barium swallow/x ray.

It is fatal to Google want to know more, if it is Epiglottitis could be serious 999, Tracheostomy.

I don't believe it is and neither does he or he would have got me x ray straight away I hope! ha

Has anyone had problem with this and if it is what to expect, treatment?

I know we are all different and no one can tell me, but it would help me to know more.

[Hidden]

As I understand it, from a medically unqualified perspective, the epiglottis is a kind of flap valve that sends air to your lungs, and food / drink to your stomach, via trachea and oesophagus respectively. There are some people who have trouble with food getting into their lungs, but I think that this is usually because the food is refluxing up from below, particularly at night. It might depend on how high up the joint is from your surgery. My guess is that the higher up towards your throat it is, the greater the chance of the epiglottis getting affected in some way, but the surgeons would know how to avoid this, and I have not heard of it being a regular complication after surgery.

I am thinking that the soreness you describe might also have something to do with it? It may be something lower down that is causing the overall problem, and perhaps a nerve reaction that is causing the problem. Or perhaps a reaction to acid / bile reflux?

It does not sound like the serious things you mention. You will probably think as well that it might be some form of cancer coming back, but it does not sound like that either to me, for what it is worth. The x-ray and barium swallow sound very logical steps to investigate what the problem is, but sometimes it is frustrating when you cannot have all these tets done straight away.

[JDMC16]

Hi I am just over 2 years post op ivor lewis & have experienced much of what you have described, I have already just had the barium swallow last week because of the same symptoms/problems you describe. The consensus seems to be that I have fluid build up at op site which I have told by my upper GI consultant is quite a common occurrence, but from the Barium swallow they were not able to see exactly how much of a restriction there is from the fluid build up ! So now I am awaiting a laparoscopy appointment so the camera down the throat will be a better assessment as to if I will have to have a balloon inserted in order to open up the area as it's harder to swallow even after excessive chewing . Hope this helps as it sounds like you could have the same .