What Causes Gurgling in Throat
General

What Causes Gurgling in Throat and How To Stop It?

Gurgling in the throat is a very common but it can cause a lot of uncomfortable feeling in the person experiencing it. Though gurgling can be frightening at times, there is nothing to worry about in a majority of cases. A number of people experience gurgling in their stomach but they do not pay attention to the same and gurgling in the throat is much similar. The bubbling sound that occurs during this time is similar to that of water flowing from a bottle. But, what causes gurgling in the throat? Let’s read on to find out more about it.

What Causes Gurgling In Throat?

Anyone can suffer from the very common condition of throat gurgling and it can be a little severe in adults than in kids. Gurgling can be treated more like a symptom than a condition itself and the same can occur due to a number of reasons. The weird throat noises that occur can also be combined with nausea and with a burning sensation at times. One can get to know the actual cause by analyzing such symptoms. And, once you are aware of what is causing the gurgling sound, it gets easy to get it treated.

Throat gurgling is quite common and as mentioned, a number of people have already experienced the same at some point in their lives. While there are several causes for the same.

Cough – One of the most common of Throat gurgling is a cough. When a person suffers from a cough and expectoration, he/she can suffer from the problem of throat gurgling. Such a condition gets better when the person gets the treatment for a cough and disappears after the cough is gone.

Acidity or Reflux Acid – Another common reason for gurgling in the throat is due to acidity or reflux acid. During such a condition, a certain amount of gastric content gets pushed into the esophagus, which is the food pipe. As the gas enters the lower part of the esophagus, the sphincter gets incompetent and the gastric content at times reverses back into the esophagus and this at times comes up till the throat and also to the mouth. This is when a person can experience a gurgling sound in the throat after swallowing. This is more common when the person is in the supine position or has been bending over a lot.

Fizzing Noise in Troat – People who are experiencing fizzing noise in the throat for a longer duration, it can also be a warning sign of something being stuck inside the throat. This can also occur when a person swallows a foreign body by mistake. This can be a common condition with kids and parents should first check with the kid about the same before trying to analyze other causes for gurgling.

Repressed Emotions – A person can also experience gurgling sound in the throat when they have repressed emotions. This cause however has to be only concluded after various other possible causes have been checked for.

Other – Gurgling in throat when lying down can also be caused due to acid reflux. Some medications also cause acidity which in turn causes gurgling in the throat. If you experience the same after trying a new medication, it is advised to speak to your medical advisor about the same.

How To Stop Gurgling In Throat?

In many cases, gurgling in the throat only remains for a very short time and this often eases off with the actual cause for it is treated. Like for example, when a person has gurgling in the throat due to acidity or a cough and when he/she takes medications for the same, the gurgling too reduces in no time. But, this can also get quite uncomfortable at times and can also lead to embarrassing situations.

It is during such situations that the issue has to be well taken care of and people suffering from the same need to take necessary actions to control it. One of the immediate actions is to know the cause for the same and getting treated. If you are suffering from a cold or a cough and know that this is what is causing the issue you can even take natural home remedies along with the medications to ease out any uncomfortable feeling. People can take luke warm water in regular intervals and also gargle. Taking steam too does the trick as it helps loosen the sputum.

If you find out that the cause for gurgling in your throat is due to acid reflux, you might also experience a number of other symptoms like burning sensation in the throat or in the chest and this can occur when you sit in the wrong posture or a while after you take your meal. A proper evaluation needs to done in such situations and the patient also needs to change the food as well as the life style habits. It is important to avoid taking spicy and oily foods and one also needs to avoid taking alcohol, stop smoking and excessive drinking of aerated drinks.

People who are often experiencing gurgling in the throat also need to take good care of their postures. Do not over bend and they should also not lie down in the supine position. In cases of a foreign body, the person might need immediate medical attention.

Conclusion

In cases when you experience gurgling for more than once in a week, it is important you seek medical help. If you have gurgling that worsens at night, you might want to try talking to your doctor about taking an antacid or undergo an endoscopy to rule out the chances of any major disease. There are a number of home remedies too that can help you get rid of gurgling in no time.

It is always important to decode those weight sounds that occur in your throat. Once you know what causes gurgling in the throat, both the symptoms and the underlying condition can be treated with care. So, if you are one of those experiencing gurgling sounds in your throat, do not worry. Get medical help and get rid of the same in no time.

Medically Reviewed By
Dr. Kaushal M. Bhavsar (MBBS, MD)Assistant Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad