Loss of gag reflex

Introduction Pharyngeal reflex: Use the tongue depressor to gently touch the posterior wall of the pharynx and the base of the tongue. Normally, it causes nausea to reflex (pharyngeal muscle contraction). Pharyngeal reflex is a physiological reaction that prevents the swallowing of foreign bodies. When the toothbrush is put in the mouth and brushing the teeth, it will also involuntarily appear "retching", which is caused by pharyngeal reflex. The reflection center is in the medulla. When the body is infected by bacteria, viruses, etc., causing various diseases, causing nerve damage, the reflex is slow or disappears. More common in encephalitis, polio, polyneuritis, nasopharyngeal cancer metastasis.

Cause

Pharyngeal reflex: Lightly touch the posterior wall of the pharynx with a tongue depressor, causing nausea reflex (throat muscle contraction) when normal. The reflection center is in the medulla.

Pharyngeal reflex is a physiological reaction that prevents the swallowing of foreign bodies. When the toothbrush is put in the mouth and brushing the teeth, it will also involuntarily appear "retching", which is caused by pharyngeal reflex. Those with nerve damage are slow or disappear. More common in encephalitis, polio, polyneuritis, nasopharyngeal cancer metastasis.

an examination

Related inspection

Nasopharyngeal MRI examination, Otolaryngology, CT examination, Brain CT examination

Pharyngeal reflex is the nausea and vomiting caused by foreign body to stimulate the posterior pharyngeal wall and the base of the tongue.

When the pharynx, vagus nerve or its nucleus is damaged, there are hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing, loss of pharyngeal sensation, disappearance of pharyngeal reflex, often accompanied by atrophy of the tongue muscle, called medullary paralysis. More common in encephalitis, polio, polyneuritis, nasopharyngeal cancer metastasis. It should be confirmed by a neurological examination in a regular hospital. Indirect nasopharyngoscopy, fiber nasopharyngoscopy, skull base, MRI of the nasopharynx, CT examination of the ear, nose and throat.

Differential diagnosis

Symptoms of pharyngeal reflex disappearing

Ball paralysis ("ball" refers to the medulla of the brainstem, formerly called its "ball"), also known as medullary paralysis, is a common complication of neurological diseases. According to the damaged part, it can be divided into two types, namely, true ball paralysis (lower motor neuron medullary paralysis) and pseudobulbar paralysis (upper motor neuron medullary paralysis). True ball paralysis is caused by a nucleus or spinal neuropathy that innervates the medullary motor. The clinical manifestations are muscle spasm, atrophy of the larynx, pharynx, sputum and tongue, and the pharyngeal reflex disappears Common symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, coughing, hoarseness, difficulty speaking, and unclear articulation are common. These symptoms are the same as the clinical manifestations of true ball paralysis. The main point of clinical identification is that they have muscle atrophy and pathological reflex disappears. Pseudobulbar pharyngeal reflexes exist.

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