Phlegm Stuck in the Throat? Here’s the Real Cause

After Clearing These “Body Pathways,” My Throat Finally Felt Clear**

Do you ever feel like something is stuck in your throat—
you can’t cough it out, you can’t swallow it down, and yet it’s always there?

I’ve been dealing with this problem for quite some time, and it was incredibly frustrating.

Recently, I constantly felt a foreign-body sensation in my throat. Swallowing felt awkward, as if something was lodged there. It wasn’t painful, but it was more irritating than pain itself.

Every morning, the first thing I did was clear my throat repeatedly. Sometimes a small amount of sticky phlegm came out, but most of the time it was just a dry cough, leaving my throat dry, itchy, and uncomfortable.

Why Common Throat Remedies Didn’t Solve the Problem

I tried almost everything:

throat lozenges
herbal throat sprays
herbal drinks like monk fruit or malva nut

They worked… but only for a few hours.
The discomfort always came back.

Eventually, I went to an ENT specialist. After a thorough examination, the doctor said:

“There’s nothing serious. Just mild chronic pharyngitis. Rest more and drink warm water.”

But the problem didn’t go away.

When Throat Discomfort Starts Affecting Mental Health

As the symptoms dragged on, my emotions began to change too.

I became anxious and hyper-aware of my throat, constantly worrying if something serious was growing inside. The more I focused on it, the stronger the sensation became.

At night, the feeling was worse.
I struggled to fall asleep, woke easily, and felt exhausted during the day.
My chest felt tight, my mood irritable, and my concentration dropped.

This cycle lasted over a month — until a TCM practitioner helped me see the real issue.

This Isn’t Just a Throat Problem — It’s “Qi Stagnation”

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this condition is called “Plum Pit Qi” (梅核气).

It describes the sensation of:

“Something stuck in the throat, impossible to swallow or cough out.”

This term dates back to the Eastern Han dynasty.
In Jin Gui Yao Lue, Zhang Zhongjing wrote:

“A feeling of roasted meat stuck in the throat — treat with Banxia Houpo Decoction.”

Later physicians further explained that phlegm and stagnant qi combine and lodge in the throat, creating this uncomfortable but often invisible blockage.

Why the Throat Feels Blocked (TCM Explanation)

Although the throat seems like a local issue, TCM views it as closely connected to three key organs:

1. Liver — The Regulator of Qi Flow

The liver ensures smooth movement of qi throughout the body.

Chronic stress, anxiety, or emotional suppression causes Liver Qi stagnation, like a traffic jam.
When qi doesn’t flow, body fluids can’t circulate properly and begin to condense into phlegm.

2. Spleen — The Source of Phlegm

The spleen is responsible for transforming fluids.

Poor digestion, overthinking, or liver qi stagnation weakens the spleen, leading to dampness and phlegm formation.
This phlegm rises with stagnant qi and lodges in the throat.