Many people often experience such an unpleasant feeling as a lump in the throat. Depending on the cause, this symptom may be accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms from the body (for example, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing), and may occur periodically or constantly.
Typically, a lump in the throat refers to a condition in which a person has difficulty breathing and swallowing. At the same time, he may experience increased salivation and increased heart rate. There are many reasons for a lump in the throat. These can be both psychological experiences that are not related to the presence of diseases, as well as some pathologies that are sometimes dangerous to health and life.
Etiology
In medicine, it is customary to divide all the factors that provoke the sensation of a lump in the throat into two large groups. The first includes:
- inflammation of a chronic or acute nature in diseases such as tonsillitis, pharyngitis or laryngitis. Such ailments can be complicated by an abscess or edema, which can completely block the access of oxygen to the body;
- malignant, less often benign, neoplasms in organs such as the larynx, trachea or nasopharynx. They lead to a feeling of a lump in the throat and difficulty breathing. It is best to get rid of such neoplasms in the early stages, because they can be complicated by the spread of metastases;
- disorders of the thyroid gland, as well as cases of its complete or partial removal;
- problems with the cervical spine are the most common cause of a lump in the throat;
- reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus;
- sedentary and sedentary work or lifestyle;
- addiction to alcohol and smoking;
- metabolic disease;
- vegetative-vascular dystonia;
- complications after medical intervention.
Very often, people feel a lump in their throat when swallowing or after eating - in such cases, the cause of such an unpleasant feeling is problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
The second group of reasons are:
- stressful situations;
- emotional swings;
- neuroses;
- an irrational daily routine in which a person does not have enough time to rest.
Esophageal hernia
In addition, there are a number of factors that have a beneficial effect on the appearance of a lump in the throat:
- excessively high body weight;
- various injuries that caused displacement of the vertebrae;
- presence of a foreign body in the throat;
- taking certain medications;
- consequences of a strong and prolonged cough;
- pregnancy;
- hernia in the esophagus or diaphragm.
Oddly enough, the most common causes of a lump in the throat are nervous disorders. But this can only be said in cases where no problems were found with the gastrointestinal tract, thyroid gland and respiratory organs.
The appearance of a lump in the throat during pregnancy should not cause fear in a woman, since this does not pose a threat either to the fetus or to the course of pregnancy as a whole.
Lump in throat - what could it be?
When there is a feeling of a lump in the throat, there are a variety of reasons. But the two main provocateurs are somatic problems (diseases and pathological conditions) and nervous tension. The most common illness that causes this symptom is a problem with the thyroid gland, but there are others. In the throat area there are vital vessels, the esophagus, nerve plexuses, parathyroid gland, etc. Disorders of any of these structures may cause discomfort.
Neck discomfort can vary in symptoms. In order for the doctor to make a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to accurately formulate your complaints. Is the lump accompanied by muscle spasms, tickling and coughing, or pain when swallowing? Is the lump in your throat that doesn’t go away over time and interferes with eating? If a problem is noticed, you need to carefully monitor your well-being and identify the accompanying factors.
Belching with air and a lump in the throat - reasons
When inconvenient phenomena such as a lump in the throat and belching of air occur periodically, it is important to find out whether they are related. Both may relate to the same pathology (then appear simultaneously) or arise for different reasons. Belching air - not sour, without an unpleasant odor - as a rule, is not associated with gastrointestinal problems. But together with a lump in the larynx, it may indicate some dangerous factors, for example:
- aneurysm or inflammation of the esophageal mucosa;
- hernia;
- neurosis and consequences of stressful situations;
- vegetative-vascular dystonia;
- changes in hormonal levels (for example, during pregnancy);
- reaction to taking certain medications.
Lump in throat and heartburn
Often a lump in the throat is accompanied by heartburn, especially after eating. Occasionally, these phenomena can bother even a healthy person and do not require treatment. For natural reasons they occur during pregnancy against the background of toxicosis. But if a lump and heartburn formed at the same time, accompanied by heaviness in the stomach, unpleasant odor and pain, the reason may lie in gastritis and other gastrointestinal pathologies. These are diseases such as:
- Hernia
formed in the esophageal opening of the diaphragm. Aggressive stomach contents, entering the esophagus, cause burns, inflammation, and heartburn. - Esophagitis
, sometimes caused by cravings such as eating very hot or hard foods. - Gastroesophageal reflux
- GERD. Mixed with acidic gastric juice, food returns from the stomach to the esophagus.
Lump in throat after eating
Sometimes after a meal the food seems to come back, like a lump in the throat. There is an unpleasant feeling of pressure, burning, suffocation. When examining the patient, the doctor excludes or confirms the presence of gastroenterological pathologies. It is extremely rare that the disease is caused by muscle spasms or the formation of tumors. If a lump forms in your throat after eating, the reasons may be the following:
- dysphagia;
- myasthenia gravis;
- aortic aneurysm;
- hernia;
- esophageal diverticulum;
- GERD;
- infectious inflammation, etc.
Lump in throat after vomiting
After an unpleasant event - vomiting - another misfortune often occurs: it’s as if a lump appears in the throat, making it difficult to breathe. The nausea has passed, the spasms have stopped, but the feeling of suffocation and foreign body does not go away. The fact is that during vomiting, the half-digested, acidic contents of the stomach enter the larynx. A burn to the mucous membrane may occur due to damage from solid foods and acid. The unpleasant sensations go away on their own after some time. Sometimes it takes up to 10 days for burns to heal.
Lump in throat - painful to swallow
In certain cases, a lump that forms in the throat causes pain. It is extremely rare that such symptoms indicate the appearance of a serious pathology: a tumor in the neck. Much more often, a lump in the throat when swallowing and pain are signs of damage and diseases of the throat or allergic reactions. The patient may complain of dry mouth, sore throat, and cough. These symptoms provoke:
- infectious diseases of the larynx (influenza, ARVI, measles, pharyngitis);
- allergies, the symptoms of which are similar to ARVI;
- damage to mucous membranes (mechanical injuries, burns).
Lump in throat and chest
When discomfort occurs along with the neck and chest area, a person begins to worry, because important organs are concentrated there. Spasms of the esophagus can be confused with cardiac spasms, because they are located nearby. Pathologies of the digestive tract are sometimes characterized by the occurrence of such symptoms. Breathing difficulties are caused by inflammatory diseases:
- bronchitis;
- tracheitis;
- pneumonia.
In addition, a lump occurs in the throat with VSD, a disease caused by malfunctions of the autonomic nervous system. It is responsible for the functioning of all blood vessels, internal organs and glands. The pathology can cause a lot of unpleasant phenomena, including pain in the heart area, suffocation, and discomfort when swallowing. Symptoms occur suddenly, for example after a nervous strain, and do not last long, usually a few minutes. VSD causes a lump in the throat as often as other symptoms.
Dry mouth and lump in throat
Manifestations of serious illnesses can be combined symptoms: a feeling of a lump in the throat and dryness. At the same time, the person does not feel thirsty. It is difficult to make swallowing movements, the voice is lost. Dryness and a lump in the throat occur after smoking, experiencing anxiety, or taking medications. Symptoms may indicate other pathologies:
- Thyroid problems.
Salivation decreases, and as a result, the throat becomes sore and it’s hard to breathe. - Thinning of the mucous membranes.
Typical for older people. - Allergy to food or some irritant.
Then a cough joins the symptoms. - Swelling of the tonsils and inflammation
, also accompanied by decreased saliva production. - Throat cancer.
It hurts to swallow and there is pain.
Symptoms
In addition to the pronounced signs of a lump in the throat, in which it is difficult to breathe and it is painful to swallow not only food, but also saliva, there are other symptoms, such as:
- tightness;
- soreness;
- sore throat after eating;
- difficulty eating solid foods;
- constant anxiety;
- change of mood;
- increased blood pressure;
- increase in heart rate;
- oxygen deficiency and, as a result, attacks of suffocation;
- nausea;
- stomach upsets;
- pain in the chest and heart, often moving to the lower back and back;
- muscle weakness;
- fever and increased sweating, and in some cases, on the contrary, chills;
- headaches of varying intensity;
- feeling of heaviness in the limbs.
In addition, the person is constantly nervous because he believes that the lump in the throat is an oncological tumor. Thus, it turns out that the person himself worsens the condition, since the nervous state only increases the intensity of the symptoms.
During pregnancy, signs of a lump in the throat can occur at any stage and accompany the woman until childbirth. Most often, it is those representatives of the fairer sex who turn to doctors who are carrying a child. This is due to the fact that during pregnancy all a woman’s senses are heightened, and what she would not pay attention to in everyday life causes anxiety at such a time. Therefore, she tries to identify the cause of this feeling and get rid of it.
Psychological problems
The feeling of a lump in the throat can very often be a manifestation of stressful situations or simply an unfavorable psychological discomfort.
It is common for many people, in a state of anxiety or unpleasant anticipation of problematic situations, to experience a sensation of a lump in the throat against the background of a vegetative-vascular spasm, a panic attack, or simply a strong fear of unpleasant things. A visit to the dentist, an unpleasant conversation, fear of the dark, reluctance to enter into conflict, or strong anxiety before an interview or exam can lead not only to a lump in the throat, but also to a general deterioration in the condition of the body. In simpler cases, you can try sedatives of the most neutral order. In complex cases, such as vegetative-vascular spasm or chronic depression, consult a psychologist, and in severe cases, consult a psychiatrist or neurologist.
In such situations, lifestyle changes, a healthy diet, exercise and breathing exercises can help. As well as eliminating the causes of habitual stress and turning to your favorite types of art (music, drawing, modeling or embroidery). Particularly severe cases of psychological dissonance may require medication intervention.
Diagnostics
To determine the causes of a lump in the throat, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis, which consists of:
Examination of the larynx using a mirror
- collecting detailed information about daily routine, nutrition, and working conditions. Familiarization of the attending physician with the clinical record of the patient (the presence of certain diseases is often the cause of the manifestation of this unpleasant sensation);
- finding out how pregnancy is progressing;
- determining when the first symptoms of a lump in the throat were identified and which of them bother the patient. Finding out whether there were independent attempts to get rid of the coma and the presence of unpleasant sensations after eating;
- general examination of the patient, oral cavity and neck palpation;
- conducting general and biochemical blood and urine tests;
- MRI and CT of the cervical vertebrae;
- radiography;
- determination of hormone levels;
- Ultrasound;
- thorough examination using a laryngeal speculum;
- additional consultation with an obstetrician-gynecologist if a lump in the throat bothers a woman during pregnancy.
After obtaining a complete picture of the course of this disorder and establishing the causes of its origin, the doctor prescribes the most effective treatment.
Seasonal and periodic diseases
During the cold season, colds are very common, which without proper attention can lead to serious complications.
Sore throat turning purulent, pharyngitis, dry cough, laryngitis, sore throat caused by serious inflammation requiring ENT intervention, pleurisy and pneumonia - all this can cause the feeling that there is a lump in the throat. If your general health indicates the presence of colds or infectious diseases associated with the respiratory system, you should immediately seek advice from an ENT specialist. You need to undergo a thorough examination, do the necessary tests, follow the recommendations received and do everything from inhalations and rinses, right up to treatment with medications. Even if the painful sensations have stopped, and there is an unpleasant feeling that something is stuck in the throat, causes associated with a general unfavorable psychological state should be excluded.
Treatment
In some cases, people try to get rid of a lump in their throat on their own, using unnecessary medications that can only worsen the situation. In addition, they have great hope that the lump will resolve on its own - some specifically eat solid food and a lot of liquid, hoping to push it through. This is why patients turn to doctors, feeling severe pain, lack of oxygen, and some begin to feel as if the lump is moving. Regardless of the reasons, it is best to start treatment when the first symptoms appear, especially if the patient is a woman preparing to become a mother.
Depending on what caused the lump in the throat, different treatments are prescribed, individual for each patient. If the cause is improper functioning of the thyroid gland, drugs with a high iodine content are prescribed. In case of hormonal disorder - appropriate hormones. In cases where the manifestation factor is problems with the cervical vertebrae, special therapeutic exercises, laser and manual therapy are prescribed. Patients are advised to move more and eat a balanced diet.
Based on the results of diagnostic examinations, the patient is prescribed antibiotics and other medications. In cases where nervous disorders are the cause of the manifestation, antidepressants and tranquilizers are prescribed. If the problems lie in disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, a special diet is prepared individually for each patient.
It is extremely rare that an oncological tumor presses on the throat. When it is diagnosed, appropriate treatment methods are immediately prescribed - surgery or chemotherapy.
Treatment for women during pregnancy consists of:
- special cold medicines that expectant mothers are allowed to take;
- herbal sedatives;
- healthy sleep and spending plenty of time outdoors.
If the cause of the coma is a goiter, the woman is prescribed medications that improve health but are not harmful to the fetus. Surgery to remove a goiter can only be performed after the baby is born.
Diagnostics and tactics of determination
In order to correctly determine the cause, which may result in a feeling of a lump in the throat, it is necessary to carefully carry out a set of both diagnostic and verbal-analytical measures that can help in choosing the right tactics for elimination.
You should definitely undergo a full medical examination, if one has not taken place for a long time. It is imperative to do clinical tests of vital organs that may have undetected chronic processes and diseases.
It is recommended to exclude diseases of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, spine (especially the cervical spine), thyroid gland, and to exclude oncological diseases. The tests should definitely include general studies (blood, urine and feces) and specialized ones, including oropharyngoscopy. You will need to have your pancreas analyzed for hormone levels.
A verbal examination (medical interview) often makes it possible to determine the direction of searching for the causes that may give an unpleasant sensation of a lump in the throat. Since most people complaining of a lump in the throat already have diagnosed chronic diseases of the upper or lower respiratory organs, throat or larynx, gastrointestinal tract and digestive organs, osteochondrosis, obesity and other unpleasant painful conditions.
Treating a lump in the throat at home
If a lump in the larynx occurs due to nervousness, you can use traditional methods to eliminate this symptom.
To eliminate unpleasant sensations in the larynx, the following folk remedies are used:
- Male fern root compress. To do this, you need to collect the cones of the plant, pour vinegar over them and leave to infuse for two to three weeks. Then the linen cloth is soaked in this tincture and applied to the neck overnight. This procedure should be applied for 10 days.
- Celandine herb compress. The grass should be crushed, poured with vodka and stored in a dark and dry place for a week. Then a cloth moistened with this infusion is applied to the neck and wrapped with a scarf on top. The procedure should be carried out every other day for a month.
- An effective remedy is a tincture of chamomile (2 tsp), mint (2 tsp), motherwort (3 tsp) and hawthorn (3 tsp). These ingredients should be mixed and poured with 500 ml of boiled water. This decoction should infuse for several hours, then it should be filtered. It is recommended to use the tincture 3 times a day.
Treatment, its methods and methods
In the search for a universal method of treating a lump in the throat, you need to learn one simple truth. There is no tablet or capsule that, if swallowed, will make it disappear without a trace. The lump in the throat disappears when the disease that caused it is treated. It is necessary to first find out what caused the lump in the throat, what specific disorder, what pathology or dysfunction, imbalance or disruption of the normal rhythm of work.
If a hormonal imbalance or iodine deficiency is to blame, the pancreas is treated, iodine-containing medications are taken or a course of hormonal treatment is carried out, and the general condition is stabilized.
For problems with the spine, various types of therapy are used - manual, reflex, laser, vacuum, sets of exercises and massage, lifestyle changes, bed changes and even sometimes wearing special devices.
The gastroenterological cause of a lump in the throat means that the disease is in a serious stage. Or the chronic course has passed into the acute stage due to the lack of proper control on the part of the doctor, or the patient has stopped taking special medications necessary to stabilize the process.
Oncological diseases deserve special attention. In any case, serious treatment measures cannot be avoided, including chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
Treatment of psychogenic disorders
What to do if a lump in the throat arises due to nervousness?
Treatment in this case consists of using not only medications, but also psychotherapeutic procedures and drugs. If depression has been diagnosed, the doctor prescribes tranquilizers and antidepressants. In the event that a patient has difficulty breathing due to panic attacks, a number of measures are taken to correct the symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia. At home, it is recommended to perform breathing exercises to promote relaxation.
If a lump suddenly appears in your throat, it is recommended to do several breathing exercises, trying not to focus on your condition. In this case, you need to control swallowing movements , preventing them from becoming more frequent. You can drink tea or herbal infusion.
Further treatment measures include relaxing exercises for the muscles of the larynx and neck. Thus, a lump in the throat can occur due to psychogenic and somatic reasons. This condition cannot be started, much less treated on its own.
Only a doctor will be able to find out the exact cause of the disease and prescribe appropriate treatment, helping to get rid of it. But it is easier to prevent such a disease than to eliminate its consequences later, so it is recommended to follow preventive measures .
