When you feel like something is stuck in your throat, even when you haven't eaten.

Here's what I'd look at first when it feels like something is stuck in your throat. 💚 You haven't eaten in hours, and there it is anyway. A lump. A fullness. The urge to keep swallowing it away. If you've been told it's anxiety, hear this: stress can absolutely turn the volume up, and it's a real contributor, but it's rarely the whole story. That sensation has a name. Globus. And it's common in silent reflux (LPR). When your lower esophageal sphincter isn't sealing well, refluxate can reach your throat carrying pepsin, the enzyme that irritates that delicate tissue. Here's the part that surprises people. Pepsin doesn't need acid to linger. Research in The Laryngoscope found pepsin can sit on throat tissue at a neutral pH for at least 24 hours and reactivate when acid returns, regaining about 79% of its activity (Johnston 2007, Laryngoscope, PMID 17417109). A 2026 review in BMC Gastroenterology maps how LPR shows up as globus, cough, and sore throat, and points out there's still no diagnostic gold standard, so it is easy to miss on a standard workup (Treat and Vaezi 2026, PMID 41612189). My work goes a layer beneath the acid, to the barrier and the nerves that keep that tissue reactive. Here's where I'd start, and these are what I teach my clients. The LES Lock: 1 to 5 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing immediately after meals, up to 5x daily, to train the crural diaphragm that wraps your LES like an outer valve. The 3-Hour Buffer: no food in the 3 hours before bed, beverages are fine, so less reaches your throat overnight. And go gentle on late acidic drinks, because pepsin reactivates when it meets new acid, so a late soda, juice, or wine can wake up what's already sitting there. Check the link in bio for my free Reflux Revolution guide to start mapping your own root contributors. Small hinges swing big doors. 🌿 Follow for more, and share this with someone who keeps swallowing. #SilentReflux #LPR #AcidReflux #GERD #Globus