I am getting braces later this month because I have TMJ and an overbite. There is one problem that I cannot identify what it is. At the back of my throat right behind my tongue it feels like something is there and it is constantly making me gag. It sort of feels like my tongue is being pushed back into my throat causing it but I am not sure.

It is a lot worse when I am exercising or running. After a while of running I start to get that feeling in my throat and that causes me to stop and is holding me back from doing what ever I am doing to my fullest capablilties. I feel it alot in karate when I am doing crunches too.

It is there all the time and it feels like I am going to throw up and I have to stop myself from doing it. I have had this since I was young and I do not know why.

I also have remembered that for some reason drinking water bothers that spot. When I was a bit younger I hated drinking water because when I swallowed it, that spot would feel like its rough or dry or scratched....its hard to describe.

It just feels like there is something there at the top of my throat right behind my tongue that is activating my gag reflex when it gets irritated or w/e.

Can someone please help me?

Do you still have your tonsils? Could be tonsil stones or tonsillolith. Definition is:

A tonsillolith (also called tonsil stone or calculi of the tonsil or bad breath ball or stinky ball) is a piece (or more commonly, a cluster) of calcareous matter which forms in the rear of the mouth, in the crevasses (called "crypts") of the palatine tonsils (which are what most people commonly refer to as simply tonsils).

Tonsil stones, it is theorized, are the result of a combination of any of the following:

* food particles
* dead white blood cells (a.k.a. "leukocytes")
* oral bacteria, possibly from mouth breathing
* overactive salivary glands

They are described as having a pungent odor: halitosis concentrated into a small solid object. Visually, they may resemble sesame seeds in color and texture.

Protruding tonsilloliths have the feel of a foreign object, lodged between the outside of wisdom teeth and the temporomandibular joint region of the fleshed jaw. They may be an especially uncomfortable nuisance, but are not often harmful.

ACTUALLy i believe it is my uvula. It cant be my tonsils.


Has anyone had experience with this?

ACTUALLy i believe it is my uvula. It cant be my tonsils.


Has anyone had experience with this?

Then you might have Pharyngitis which is inflammation of the back of the throat. This results in a sore throat, which is discomfort, pain, or scratchiness in the throat. Swallowing can be mildly painful as well. Sore throats, which are often caused by an infection, are very common, especially in children.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of pharyngitis may include the following:

* Sore throat
* Pain when swallowing
* Fever
* Enlarged lymph nodes in your neck
* Runny nose and postnasal drip
* Headache
* In rare cases, difficulty breathing


Causes

Certain viruses or bacteria can infect your throat and cause it to swell. You can catch such organisms through direct contact with someone who has one of these infections. They are passed via nasal secretions and saliva. Viruses that cause pharyngitis include the common cold, the flu, and mononucleosis (often called "mono"). Bacteria like Group A streptococcus (commonly known as strep throat) can also cause pharyngitis. See your Doctor.

Then you might have Pharyngitis which is inflammation of the back of the throat. This results in a sore throat, which is discomfort, pain, or scratchiness in the throat. Swallowing can be mildly painful as well. Sore throats, which are often caused by an infection, are very common, especially in children.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of pharyngitis may include the following:

* Sore throat
* Pain when swallowing
* Fever
* Enlarged lymph nodes in your neck
* Runny nose and postnasal drip
* Headache
* In rare cases, difficulty breathing


Causes

Certain viruses or bacteria can infect your throat and cause it to swell. You can catch such organisms through direct contact with someone who has one of these infections. They are passed via nasal secretions and saliva. Viruses that cause pharyngitis include the common cold, the flu, and mononucleosis (often called "mono"). Bacteria like Group A streptococcus (commonly known as strep throat) can also cause pharyngitis. See your Doctor.

I also forgot to mention about my difficulty swallowing.

When eating food, after I swallow the food would scratch and tear as it goes down passed my esophagous and into my chest. It does not do this all the time but usually meat and hard thick food causes it. The pain is excrutiating.


As for Pharyngitis. I don't think that can be it. I do not have a fever nor do I feel sick. Like I said I had this all my life so it can't be a bacterial infection unless a bacterial infection can last that long?

I do have really bad allergies and I get post nasal drip everyday but usually worse in the winter. I have TMJ which causes headaches as well.

i am going to an ENT this thursday at the childrens hospital in philly. I will tell you how it goes afterwards.

I just got back from the ENT today.


All he said was I should go see an allergist in my area to sort at my allergies and see how they are affecting my sinuses and w/e

About the throat he said it is just post nasal drip that is activating my gag reflex.

Now I really need help here. Has anyone ever have experience with post nasal drip causing the gag reflex to irritate almost all day long every single day? There are many people with allergies and sinus problems who I'm sure have post nasal drip but I have not ever read about any that have had their gag reflex irritated and cause them as much problems as mine does. Is there anyway to fix this or help me out?

ok honestly i dont think it is post nasal drip. Someone else suggested it was anxiety but I couldn't have anxiety since i was little and this bothers me the most mostly during excersise