Styloid protrudes into throat

So I am getting a Glossopharyngeal Nerve Block on Friday since my Pain Dr believes my 18+ year symptoms match Eagle Syndrome. But just today my dentist discovered the left styloid process actually is in my mouth/throat at the base of my tongue. Is that common to find about a 1/2 cm tip of the styloid protruding into the mouth/throat area?

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YIKES! It’s not common but it does happen. Most likely because you’ve had ES for so long & the styloids seem to keep growing once they start to elongate. I’d say it’s pretty imperative you get at least that one removed ASAP! There are pics on the internet & YouTube of people whose styloids have grown into their throats. It’s not a pretty sight nor, I imagine is it very comfy.

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Oh poor you, that sounds nasty! I hope that the nerve block helps, and that you can get surgery… :hugs:

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Hi Laluloh, I have the same thing - what I deduce is the styloid bone sticking into my throat cavity below right tonsil. Apart from that direct evidence, I have a range of other debiliating symptoms that logically are caused by the styloid pressing on blood & nerve vessels, though I dont have that level of pain you must be having! Was dismissed by Maxillo-facial surgeon (before I’d managed to find out about ES & ask questions & read comments in this brilliant group) and waiting for another appointment, though thankfully have a neuroogist appt in December & hoping he can pursue things. Definitely worsening symptoms for me. Really sorry to hear about your obvious pain. My dentist & 3 GPs plus the MF spect. failed to identify it. I kept telling them it’s so obvious it’s bone sticking in my throat! - not a cyst or nodule etc. When you say yours is at the base of the tongue - is it coming in from the side by the tonsil? I’ve not managed to find any other person online, or report of one, with this happening - you are the first! Wishing you all the best for pain relief - and relief hopefully from your 18 years+ suffering with it. Go well :slight_smile:

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Hi! So the styloid process is coming in on the left side of my throat and it feels like it is just in front of where my tonsil once was located and to the left of the skin near where the tongue begins. I think this may be why my tongue is crooked when I stick it out.

Surprisingly I wouldn’t describe my throat as being in pain. It’s always felt a bit swollen and tight on the left side when I swallow. But I thought this was just something to do with my ear pain.

When I met with Dr Chan-Leveno in 2016 she asked if my throat hurt or if I felt a foreign object in my throat. I told her no. I had stabbing ear pain and burning in my trigeminal nerve along with myoclunus tinnitus and those were my concerns. Funny to think if she would have felt in my throat back in 2016 she may have actually felt the Styloid process.

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Thanks Laluloh, that’s interesting and helpful. Yes! makes you wonder why doctors don’t always look beyond things to check all options, experienced that myself. Does sound that your styloid pushing into the throat cavity is similar to mine. I do feel something there & get quite frequent irritation of the throat soft tissue/palate & gums & jaw bone aches. The worst for me is having what feels like a constricted throat the whole time and doing the slightest mild exertion makes it much worse, the head pressure balloons, heart rate shoots up (even when sitting quietly this happens), breathlessness & very funny head and headaches. Also can’t talk for long as uncomfortable & although I can swallow, sometimes quite an effort. My lungs are clear, but feels like I have to force myself to breath often. Also when I turn my head at certain angles I feel something dig in the side of the neck, must be the styloid. Also get once in a while (not very often) some numbness in same side of tongue, some ear ache & also some nerve tenderness on end of tongue.
Anyway, sorry for rambling on. All the best to you, hope things look up for you.

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Thank you for sharing! Wishing you the best as well.

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My left styloid (at least I think that’s what it is!) is pushing into the left side of my throat in front of my tonsils and pushes on the base of my tongue a bit so that my tongue is pushed aside a bit. It doesn’t actually poke through the tissue and doesn’t cause me any pain. I do seem to bite my tongue more often than I used to which could be the reason.

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Wow! Thank you for commenting. That is true of my tongue as well. Possibly due to the shift of the base of the tongue, the tip is crooked and veers toward the styloid process in my throat. Is the tip of your tongue crooked when extended?

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No it is not.

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