ENT Insights and Blogs

Globus is the sensation of a lump or tightness in the throat with no actual obstruction Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is a common cause — and many patients have no heartburn at all This post explains why throat symptoms can occur without classic reflux signs Diagnosis and management options are outlined Laryngopharyngeal reflux causes inflammation of the throat and voice box, producing the characteristic sensation of a lump or tightness — even in patients who have no heartbu

Acid reflux is widely associated with heartburn — a burning sensation in the chest that most people recognise immediately. But a significant number of patients experience reflux in a completely different way: with symptoms in the throat, not the chest. No heartburn. No obvious gastric complaint. Just a persistent throat problem that doesn't seem to go away.

Laryngopharyngeal reflux — where stomach contents reach the throat and voice box — frequently occurs without heartburn, which is why it is so often missed or misdiagnosed. The characteristic symptoms are throat clearing, chronic cough, globus sensation, and hoarseness rather than the burning chest discomfort of typical gastro-oesophageal reflux, and treatment requires both dietary modification and acid suppression over a sustained period.