Lump in Throat

The feeling of a lump in the throat is a common complaint in adults and is usually harmless. The symptom is more worrying when associated with the following; earache, difficulty in swallowing, weight loss, painful swallowing particularly when on one side of the throat and of course, in patients who smoke. A lump in the throat requires a thorough examination, including an endoscopic examination of the lining of the throat, tonsil, lingual tonsils, epiglottis and vocal cords. The symptom is often due to benign conditions but always needs appropriate assessment by an ENT surgeon. In addition, the throat and oesophagus may need examining with a barium swallow test or rigid endoscopy under general anaesthetic.