Q. Can indigestion make your throat hurt?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
Yes, indigestion can cause throat pain, especially if the stomach acid moves up and irritates the oesophagus (the tube that connects your throat and stomach).
Indigestion occurs when the digestive process is disrupted due to a variety of factors such as eating too quickly, eating high-fat or spicy foods, consuming too much caffeine or alcohol, smoking cigarettes or being stressed. When this happens, your stomach produces more acid than usual which can cause uncomfortable sensations in your upper abdomen including bloating and heartburn.
When you swallow food it passes down through your oesophagus to your stomach. The lower end of your oesophagus has a sphincter muscle ([LES]) which acts like a flap keeping the contents inside of your stomach where they belong. If this [LES] doesn't close all the way after you eat or drink something acidic or spicy it may allow some of that material to enter into the area around your throat causing irritation known as 'reflux'. This reflux is what causes indigestion-related sore throats because acidity irritates delicate membranes in that area.
Symptoms of an indigestion-related sore throat include pain while swallowing food Nausea Vomiting Chest discomfort Burning sensation in chest and/or throat Hoarseness Chronic coughing Bad breath Other possible symptoms depending on underlying condition
If you are experiencing any combination of these symptoms then it is important to visit with a physician so they can evaluate you further and make sure there aren't any other more serious underlying conditions at play here such as GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) which may need medical attention right away.
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