BrienE

Hi everyone, I don't want to wrestle with an imaginary universal upper airway and digestive system in writing, implying one thing or set of things will necessarily help all or most. This is just a quick report to everyone regarding what I feel is working for me, semi-quick discussion and to let people extrapolate and experiment. Good luck fellow snowflakes!!

HELPS
Frequent upper body and neck massage, stretching
E-cigarette using a menthol-cinnamon e-juice
Kombucha drinks
Very hot curries

AGGRIVATES
chaotic eating schedule, particularly skipping food for long periods
Innattention to managing stress
Slouchy, schlumpy posture
Eating in a hurry, gulping, talking over food

A discerning reader will entertain a lot of tangential/differential notions here e.g. curry might just give me an endorphin buzz to override worry and hyper-focus, obviously it may be horror to some sensitive stomachs, I may just really like Kombucha, and who doesn't like a nice chair massage. Also, understand I am a reformed smoker and the e-cig has 'stuck' for me 13 months now as a compromise for nicotine delivery. It's just that I noticed a collateral effect of the menthol vapor to soothe affected structures. FWIW you can 'vape' no nicotine with these flavors.

None of the above is a 'regimen,' I struggle to institute the discipline to work any daily plans.

I take no PPIs or other acid reducers as a general rule, but there are occasional flare-ups that I would call good old fashioned GERD, that I for sure anticipate will affect my throat -- In these sporadic cases I go for an H2 like a pepsid.

I currently take no supplements, or any anxiolytics or anti-depressants. I avoid doctors, websites, and health boards. Distention of belly and tight clothing, etc, sure I notice an upper gi connection along with other acid do/don't things. Gut health seems to be a factor. I am probably better off gluten-free, avoiding sugar and the coffee I like, however trying to adopt strict diet and opportunity to mull so many theories and (in my case) growing obsession that distracts from things I really want to do is very powerful in the negative column.

I have been mainly concerned with tuning up my breathing, swallowing, and other upper body functions with emphasis on structural interventions like massage, and pulling my focus onto my goals in life other than to not feel lumps and irritation in my throat. The caveat is for me, it is a delicate dance of trying to stick with what helps while the next moment forgetting it, and getting on with life. I do not infer anything is 'all in my head' -nor- that there are solely organic issues here and addressing stress is a red herring. Stress affects electrochemistry and structural, funtional process, and these things affect stress -- could be a working way to put it in my analysis.