What is globus syndrome, Celine Dion’s disease?

The singer Celine Dion could suffer from globus syndrome according to the confidences of his ENT doctor, Dr. Jean Abitbol, ​​in the biographical book “Celine Dion: the real story“published in November 2022 by Laurence Pieau and Hervé Tropéa. It is characterized by the feeling of having a lump in the throat. What are the causes? A lump in the throat? How can it be treated?

Definition: what is globus syndrome?

The globus syndrome, formerly called globus hystericus (literally “hysterical globe”), characterizes the feeling of having a foreign body in the throat like a lump or a mass, whilethere is nothing in the throatindicates the site of the French National Society of Gastroenterology (SNFGE) This syndrome is not correlated with deglutition (the fact of swallowing), but would be more psychosomatic.

What are the symptoms of globus syndrome?

According to doctor Jean Abitbol, ​​the globus syndrome is “something extremely simple“. The person feelsa feeling of a lump in the throat as well as kinds of spasms which happen usually when you’ve been through a period of stress relatively aggressive“. This persistent or intermittent sensation of a lump in the throat occurs between meals, without food being ingested. “She occurs at rest and during salivary swallowing and yields when the subject eats (unless he has a phobia of choking on food)“, specifies the University of Lorraine in synthesis on stress-related digestive disorders. In the case of Celine Dion, this syndrome is associated with menopause. “During menopause, the hormones of women no longer play the same role. Associated with the globus, it causes this impression of gastric refluxof cut throat and spasms“, he continues. By extension, this syndrome causes difficulty breathing, speaking and singing.

What is the cause of globus syndrome? Stress or GERD?

The mechanism is poorly understood and probably multifactorial, can we read in the letter from the Hepato-gastroenterologist. According to doctor Jean Abitbol, ​​it would be a “psychosomatic reaction“. Some works suggest that the globus syndrome could be linked to thecricopharyngeal muscle hyperpressure (upper oesophageal sphincter) or abnormal motor function of the hypopharynx. But other studies say it’s not related. This syndrome could also be favored by a gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), too frequent swallowing movementsor a dry throat associated with anxiety or another emotional disorder. Some people have predispositions.

Faced with this feeling of a lump in the throat, the main difficulty is to distinguish the globus syndrome from a dysphagia (swallowing disorder). For this, the doctor will proceed tophysical examination and palpate the neck and floor of the mouth for a mass, as well as the oropharynx. He will also look for weight loss (suggesting a swallowing disorder), signs of muscle weakness or pain (suggesting globus hystericus or another neurological disease), possible salivary stagnation (in for a swallowing disorder). If the diagnosis is uncertain or if the doctor cannot see the pharynx well, tests are offered:

• Standard esophageal imaging or videography
• Swallowing time analysis
• Chest x-ray
• Esophageal manometry.

“No drug has been shown to be effective in the symptomatic treatment of globus pharyngeus“, explains the University of Lorraine. This syndrome requires above all psychological support of the patient, to treat the potential cause of the globus syndrome: underlying depression, anxiety or other behavioral disorder. “It is above all necessary to reassure the patient and listen to him attentively. For this, he may need to consult a psychotherapist. The community pharmacist also has homeopathic remedies and aromatherapy to relieve the patient“, she specifies.

Sources: Letter from the Hepato-Gastroenterologist in 2001 / Site of the French National Society of Gastroenterology (SNFGE) / GASTROENTEROLOGY 2009 Doctor Jean-Claude Debongnie / Digestive disorders related to stress, HAL University of Lorraine