Spasms in the throat - causes and assistance

Description of the disease

When unexpected muscle tension occurs in a person’s throat, in medicine this condition is called laryngospasm, and popularly it is customary to say spasm of the larynx. The spasmodic reaction is accompanied by pain and appears unexpectedly. In some cases, if immediate help is not provided, a person may suffocate and die.

The laryngeal ring consists of three autonomic branches:

Spasms in the throat

nerve innervation
parasympathetic branch
sympathetic branch

The sympathetic part has cervical ganglion processes, which are part of the structure of the spinal cord, namely its trunk. The branch is responsible for mobilizing energy reserves in order to respond to unexpected situations in a timely manner.

The parasympathetic branch is one of the parts of the trigeminal nerve - the maxillary. This compartment is responsible for the access of nutrients.

Nerve innervation controls vascular tone, thereby providing nutrition to the laryngeal cells. This process in the human body is one of the main ones; the nervous system is responsible for it.

If several branches close together, this causes pharyngeal spasm, and problems arise with the access of food and inhalation of air. Sometimes breathing becomes completely impossible.

Treatment

If a throat spasm suddenly occurs, what should you do? First of all, you should not give in to panic.

Provide fresh air by opening a window. Give some water at room temperature. Hot or too cold liquid can make the condition worse. Loosen tight clothing, remove your tie, unbutton your shirt collar. If a spasm of smooth muscles in the throat is caused by inhalation of irritating substances, immediately stop their intake or take the patient to a safe place. Conveniently position the patient.

In some cases, artificially inducing vomiting helps. For example, this is effective when swallowing a piece of food that is too large to move normally further down the esophagus. If there is a bone stuck in your throat, you may need a surgeon to remove it.

Basic treatment depends on the factor that caused the throat spasm. Therefore, there are many ways to combat the symptom.

An allergic attack can be stopped with the help of antihistamines, for example, Suprastin. If the causes of asthma attacks lie in asthma, bronchodilators are prescribed. Berodual has a quick effect in the form of inhalation. For endocrine pathology, hormonal drugs are prescribed. Resection of the overgrown thyroid gland is possible. Psychosomatic disorders can be corrected with antidepressants and tranquilizers. There are many drugs from these groups, they all differ in their mechanism of action. The psychiatrist himself decides how to relieve a spasm in the throat due to neurosis and depression. Tumors compressing the organs of the neck have to be removed surgically. For malignant neoplasms, treatment is supplemented with radiation and chemotherapy. Drugs for infectious pathologies are selected according to the pathogen. These can be antibiotics, antiviral agents. Esophageal spasm during reflux esophagitis is helped by drugs that reduce the acidity of gastric juice. Proton pump inhibitors are used (Omeprazole, Pariet).

Characteristic symptoms

The symptoms of the pathology may differ from person to person, it all depends on the age category of the patient and the reasons that caused the disease. If the spasmodic condition is caused by a disease of the respiratory system, then the characteristic symptoms are:

high body temperature, can rise to forty degrees
there is a soreness in the larynx
runny nose
general weakness and malaise
painful syndrome
poor appetite or complete absence of it
hoarseness and shortness of breath
throat swelling
severe lacrimation
weakness and muscle pain
in rare cases, a cough may occur
wheezing

In some cases, a gray or white coating forms on the tongue and larynx.

If muscle tension is caused by osteochondrosis, then the signs will be symptomatic. Patients with cervical osteochondrosis often feel pain in the back, neck, and chest. General health deteriorates and it is difficult for a person to move. Symptoms may increase depending on the type of disease and the degree of its development.

Sudden cough

The psychological reasons that caused the spasm are accompanied by the following symptoms:

increased blood pressure
a foreign body or lump will be felt inside the larynx
heart rate increases
cold sweat appears on the arms and legs, severe weakness
an unreasonable attack of fear and panic occurs
in rare cases, chest pain, fainting and dizziness occur

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Diseases associated with gastroenterology can also cause throat spasms. In this case, the symptoms will be the following:

nausea
disturbance and disorder of stool
flatulence
heartburn
sharp and cutting pain in the abdominal area

When the symptoms are psychotropic in nature, the spasms will go away on their own within a few minutes. If suddenly this does not happen, then you need to call the hospital so that an ambulance can come. Choking and loss of consciousness most often occurs if swelling occurs at night during sleep.

Suddenly lost my breath - what is the reason?

Sometimes the symptoms of VSD seem absurd and even unfair.

If we cannot control the work of the heart muscle or liver, then breathing is an activity that the body cannot perform without our direct participation and desire.

Then why does dystonia affect even this organized process? Moreover, as a rule, there are no organic pathologies in the respiratory system of a VSD patient.

The root cause is in the nerves

Dystonics are by no means special people when it comes to nervous situations and stress. Even the most “ordinary” individuals with healthy nerves sometimes feel short of breath when talking with a strict boss, or how their lungs feel constricted in the dentist’s chair.

There is nothing unnatural about this - the body only reacts to stress and tries to “escape from danger.” If stress becomes chronic, as happens with VSD, the respiratory system will begin to regularly adjust to anxiety and worry. Especially if the VSD sufferer himself anticipates breathing problems, remembering “how scary and unpleasant it was last time.”

The constant expectation of suffocation or inadequate inhalation/exhalation over time develops into a real respiratory neurosis. Signs of “nervous breathing failure” are as follows:

A medical examination does not reveal pathologies.
Performance is impaired, constant fatigue is felt even after minor tasks.
The patient suffers from insomnia associated with panic attacks.
The head often hurts or feels dizzy.
The gastrointestinal tract behaves strangely, giving rise to heartburn, indigestion, and stool disorders.
The heart rate is increased, or extrasystoles occur frequently.
Thoughts in my head are confused.
The patient is tired of himself, feels helpless and angry in front of everything that surrounds him.
There is an obsession with the symptom: the VSD person constantly rummages through medical forums, looking for information about diseases of the respiratory system; listens to his breathing; constantly evaluates the depth and rhythm of inhalations/exhalations.

Respiratory neurosis is very similar to all other neuroses with VSD, but the patient is focused specifically on his respiratory organs and their work. No matter what a person does, he “checks” every minute how he can breathe.

Even when the VSD student forgets from his revisions, his subconscious continues to actively assess the respiratory process.

Therefore, it is not surprising that such a person constantly loses his breath from excitement, laughter, physical activity, and even while calmly browsing the web.

Neurological spasm - factors of occurrence

The cause of the spasmodic condition may be neuralgia. The muscles in the larynx begin to actively contract, causing convulsions that injure the peripheral nervous system. Severe emotional tension and stress can cause such a spasm.

The parasympathetic branch is greatly inhibited in stressful situations, the process of salivation is disrupted, which is why the throat dries out. Some people, during or after a strong hysteria, feel a ball in the larynx that becomes a closing valve. The valve blocks the airway and esophagus, causing obstruction.

In this situation, you need to try to immediately calm down, drink some water, if possible, and go out into the fresh air.

If the emotional state is not restored over a long period, deep depression develops, in which case it is worth visiting a psychotherapist.

Treatment of throat spasms and choking

How to quickly get rid of painful spasms in the pharynx that accompany the pathological condition?

The following tips are most effective in this case:

The first step is to ensure peace and quiet for the patient.
Open the window to allow fresh air into the room.
To bring a person to consciousness, you can use ammonia.
Give the patient a little water (about 100 ml) at room temperature to drink.
If a person’s condition does not return to normal, you should pat him on the back without making too much effort.
To relieve severe spasm in the larynx, you can artificially induce vomiting or place the patient in a warm bath.
If the pathological process occurs against the background of a stuck bone in the throat, then the patient should be urgently sent to the surgical department of the nearest hospital.
The periodic occurrence of convulsions in the upper respiratory tract should be a reason to immediately call an ambulance. Sometimes this indicates the presence of a serious illness.

If you are confident that asphyxia will develop due to nervous tension, then you should use the most effective treatment methods:

psychotherapy;
treatment with medication (an antidepressant and a tranquilizer will quite quickly remove a person from a pathological condition).

If the cause of convulsive spasms is allergic edema, then specialists usually prescribe effective drugs such as:

Diphenhydramine;
Suprastina;
Tavegila.

When spasms appear against the background of pronounced bronchial asthma, it is most advisable to use drugs that help normalize the functioning of the bronchi.

Medicines of the following type will cope perfectly with this task:

Ephedrine;
Theophedrine;
Antasman.

Inflammatory processes

Laryngospasm of the larynx can be caused by inflammatory processes caused by the following pathologies:

A sore throat

pharyngitis
angina
laryngitis
tracheitis
bronchitis

The diseases cause severe swelling of the throat and tonsils. It is difficult for children to tolerate these diseases. Characteristic symptoms of viral and bacterial infectious diseases are:

increase in body temperature
lethargy and weakness
pain when swallowing
loss of voice, hoarseness, soreness
During bronchitis there will still be a cough

If seizures have already occurred with such pathologies, then if the disease reoccurs, you need to be on guard, as spasms may recur. The danger of repeated laryngospasm is that it can be stronger and longer lasting, causing complete cessation of breathing. An ambulance should be called immediately, otherwise the patient will die.

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Prevention

To avoid symptoms such as throat spasms, pain and choking, it is recommended:

Compliance with the work and rest regime. Avoiding stressful situations. Proper nutrition, eating sufficiently crushed foods, chewing thoroughly. No contact with already known allergens. Timely treatment of concomitant diseases.

If the patient has studied many information sources and theoretically knows how to get rid of a spasm in the throat, this does not eliminate the need for qualified medical care. At best, illiterate self-medication will lead to a loss of time, at worst, it will cause death. Only a doctor will correctly determine how to treat a patient’s throat spasm. Treatment depends on the cause of the condition, of which there are many.

Author: Kristina Mishchenko, doctor, especially for Moylor.ru

What causes spasms in a child?

Children under five years of age are susceptible to this phenomenon. The reasons may be the same factors as in an adult, but there are also special reasons that are typical only for a child.

These reasons are:

Great fear, shock.
Baby's spasm
Positive or negative strong emotions.
Lack of vitamin D and calcium in the body.

In children, the innervation of the larynx is arranged a little differently, so muscle contraction at their age is a fairly common phenomenon. Over time, it may go away, or it may get worse. Without providing timely assistance, the child will develop stenosis and suffocation.

Children's laryngospasm is expressed by the following symptoms:

pressing and tearing cough
presence of whistles and extraneous noises during breathing
pale skin

If parents discover these symptoms, then do not hesitate, immediately call a qualified doctor.

Medical examination

If convulsive contractions of the pharynx or throat occur quite often and are not associated with the action of mechanical, chemical, sensory stimuli, or overwork, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination to identify the cause of this alarming and unsafe symptom.

Due to the contrast of diseases accompanied by a spasm in the throat, making a correct diagnosis on your own is unlikely, and among these diseases there may be fatally unsafe ones that require immediate treatment.

It is necessary to contact a therapist or otolaryngologist with such a problem; after the initial examination, tests and hardware studies, the patient can be referred to an endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, oncologist and other specialized specialists.

For infectious diseases, pharyngoscopy is performed (visual examination of the pharynx using a spatula), a smear is taken from the throat, and a blood test can confirm the presence of an inflammatory process.

If gastroesophageal reflux is suspected, endoscopy and fibroesophagogastroduodenoscopy (FEGDS) are performed. Pathologies of the thyroid gland can be detected by palpation; ultrasound and hormonal studies are prescribed to confirm the diagnosis. In the diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGDS) is more informative. If gastrointestinal cancer and other tumors are suspected, ultrasound, CT, biopsy, blood tests for markers and other examinations are performed.

If you experience frequent attacks of spasm, you should consult a doctor for a full medical examination. Diagnostics helps to identify any pathological changes in the body in a timely manner. The main methods in this case are:

Pharyngoscopy. Involves a visual inspection of the throat using a spatula. During the process, the doctor takes a swab from the throat. Additionally, biochemical and general blood tests may be required. In combination with a visual examination, they will confirm or refute the presence of an inflammatory process in the larynx. If the doctor suspects a tumor, tumor markers are checked.
Laryngoscopy. Allows you to assess the condition of the mucous membrane of the pharynx and vocal passage.
Fibroesophagogastroduodenoscopy. With its help, you can determine the causes of sudden contraction of the muscles of the larynx along the food tube.

Additionally, doctors recommend undergoing an ultrasound examination, which will rule out or confirm thyroid diseases.

Throat spasm while eating - causes

A laryngeal spasm can begin right during a meal; this is facilitated by the obstruction of any food. Immediately the person feels pain and a convulsive reflex, then the respiratory passage is blocked.

This is especially true for fish dishes, where there are a lot of bones. If you cannot remove a piece of food from the larynx on your own, the doctor performs a minor operation.

To avoid this, you need to eat slowly, chewing your food thoroughly. Children also need to be taught to eat calmly; they should not sit in front of the TV at this moment.

You should contact an otolaryngologist for help.

Preventing throat spasms and choking

To prevent the development of severe forms of throat spasms, you should use the following recommendations from these medical experts:

Organize your workday in such a way that you have the opportunity to rest a little 2-3 times a day.
Set aside one day a week for quiet time with family and friends. There should be no fuss or rush on this day.
The total duration of sleep should not be less than 7 hours a day.
Organize proper nutrition, the basis of which will be fresh vegetables and fruits, cereals, meat and herbs. In addition, you should avoid drinking alcohol.
Leading a healthy lifestyle will only strengthen the body. Regular jogging, cycling and swimming will not only help you get rid of excess weight, but also avoid nervous tension.
Relaxed communication with children, playing with pets, watching your favorite movies will be much more effective than any antidepressant and will help get rid of accumulated unpleasant memories.

Spasmodic sensations in the larynx are not only unpleasant, but also truly dangerous for humans, as they can be fatal.

It is very important to call an ambulance when the first symptoms appear and provide the person with qualified treatment that will relieve serious consequences.

Secondary reasons

In addition to the reasons listed, there are additional factors that are less common. Throat spasm can occur during diseases of the nasal cavity, stomach, intestines and esophagus. A spasmodic attack will not completely go away on its own until the cause is eliminated. The doctor is obliged to prescribe medications that will quickly relieve the inflammatory process and remove the spasm.

Spasms in the throat and chest

If muscle tension and convulsions are accompanied by severe pain in the larynx, chest, and the pain only increases when bending the body, this indicates the development of a diaphragmatic hernia. Such a hernia is formed due to excess weight, so you should normalize your diet and choose an appropriate diet for weight loss. You can consult a nutritionist. If you have back problems, you should avoid wearing clothes with tight, tightened belts or corsets.

How to make a compress on the throat: various methods of application

Another reason is an adverse reaction due to taking any medications. Swelling may be caused by an allergic reaction to one of the components.

Inhaling poisonous or chemical air can cause an attack of throat spasms, in which case you need to get out into fresh air as soon as possible.

Spasm in the goal: causes and symptoms

Choking during sleep and a feeling of spasm in the throat often indicate pathological growth of the thyroid gland structures and the formation of a tumor.
In addition to the feeling of compression, a large knot forms in the neck area; in advanced situations, there is pain and discomfort when swallowing and breathing. Spasms of the esophagus and respiratory organs indicate the progression of another endocrine disease called hyperparateriosis. A long-lasting disease leads to the body producing calcium in small quantities. This imbalance affects the condition of the muscles not only in the throat and chest, but throughout the entire body. Strong spasms of muscle structures are observed on the back, upper and lower extremities, and dull pain appears in the heart.

Against the background of this state, a person begins to panic.

chest pain;
breathing problems;
sensation of a foreign object in the throat;
convulsions;
paleness of the skin;
increased sweating;
panic, fear, feeling of hopelessness;
headaches, dizziness;
fainting.

The most dangerous condition occurs upon contact with cold (below 20 ° C) water, this is the so-called “dry drowning”. The upper parts of the respiratory tract, when liquid enters them, are accompanied by strong, extreme irritation of the trunk of the sympathetic system. As a result, a lightning-fast reaction of the upper laryngeal nerve occurs, which leads to spasm of the vocal cords.

Generally, less dangerous spasms in the throat are observed, the causes of which can be various diseases and pathological conditions of an organic nature:

Abscess of the tonsils of the Pirogov-Waldeer pharyngeal ring, as an acute purulent inflammation, is accompanied by violent impulses of the nerve pathways, resulting in unpleasant sensations in the throat, accompanied by acute pain;
Trismus of masticatory muscles. Their innervation is also provided by the trigeminal nerve, therefore, when it becomes inflamed (neuritis), convulsive contraction occurs not only of the pharyngeal ring, but also of the jaws. A spasm in the throat is accompanied by a strong contraction of the oral cavity;
Damage to the glossopharyngeal nerve leads to choking not only with saliva, but also with air due to irritation of the epiglottis. Similar conditions, when spasms in the throat develop, are accompanied by a cough and are noted with lesions of the central nervous system: dimelinating diseases, residual effects after a stroke;
Diseases of the endocrine system. The mechanical cause of a spasm in the throat when swallowing is pressure on the larynx from the enlarged thyroid gland. And with tumors of the adrenal glands (pheochromocytoma), there is an increased production of adrenaline, which prevents the formation of saliva. In such cases, spasms in the throat when swallowing are caused by a “dry throat,” that is, active irritation of the nerve endings by food products, including liquids;
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract accompanied by reflux esophagitis (reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus). The mucous membrane of the esophagus is unadapted to the action of hydrochloric acid, therefore, when irritated, a spasm occurs in the throat, which is a protective reaction.

In addition to the causes caused by damage to muscle, nerve, and vascular cells, there are functional factors that can cause spasms in the throat, which are of a variable nature, but they cannot always go away without active medical intervention. The simplest example of a functional pathology is the entry of a foreign body into the pharynx.

The fishbone irritates intact nerve fibers, causing contraction of the pharyngeal muscles, which increases with swallowing. Or, conversely, after swallowing a solid lump of food or a tablet, a person experiences a feeling of prolonged spasm in the throat, as if the swallowed object “does not fall through, but stands in the throat” for a long time.

In almost all cases, a spasm in the throat occurs unexpectedly and will be accompanied by the following symptoms:

cold sweat appears;
worries about severe tension in the neck muscles;
the skin becomes pale and blue;
breathing is difficult and noisy.

When a spasm appears in the throat, an attack of suffocation will occur and breathing will stop. Quite often the attack goes away on its own after some time, ending with an extended breath.

The following reasons can provoke the appearance of a spasm in the throat:

the presence of inflammatory diseases of the throat (for example, laryngitis, pharyngitis, sore throat, etc.);
lubricating the laryngeal cavity with certain medicinal substances;
severe irritation of the recurrent or vagus nerve, which may be associated with the presence of goiter, the presence of a tumor of the esophagus, neck, severe stress, hysteria, tetanus, aortic aneurysm, etc.;
inhalation of air that is saturated with a large number of irritating substances (for example, various harmful gases, dust, etc.).

Quite often, a feeling of spasm in the throat appears during a meal when swallowing. This phenomenon may be directly related to the fact that pieces of food get stuck in the throat. If a spasm occurs during swallowing saliva, and other symptoms also appear (sore throat, feeling of a lump, difficulty breathing, hoarseness), then there is a possibility of a throat tumor or infection.

Certain psycho-emotional factors can also provoke the appearance of a spasm in the throat, for example, frequent exposure to stressful situations, emotional and mental stress. In this case, a nervous spasm in the throat will appear.

The causes of spasm are not always associated with pathologies of the larynx. A similar phenomenon can be caused by psychoneurology or problems in the gastrointestinal tract.

One of the reasons for a spasm in the throat while swallowing food can be the stuck pieces of food, most often dry and rough. Disturbances in the patency of the esophagus are also possible due to hasty swallowing of food or when talking while eating. In this case, a muscle spasm occurs, which in most cases passes quickly. It may be painful for a person to swallow after this due to damage to the mucous membrane, but no treatment will be required.

The reasons may also be related to pathologies in the intestines. Other symptoms indicate this:

heartburn;
feeling of a lump in the throat.

If contraction of the pharyngeal muscles and pain appear not only during eating, but also when swallowing saliva, then this may indicate the presence of an inflammatory process.

Frequent attacks indicate the presence of endocrine pathology. Thyroid diseases can lead to spasms. Most often, muscle contraction is facilitated by its increase. Due to excessive growth of organ tissue, the throat muscles are compressed. In the early stages, the patient may have other symptoms:

sweating;
hand tremors;
asthenia;
irritability;
cardiopalmus.

Pathologies of the parathyroid gland can also lead to throat spasms. Due to a deficiency of parathyroid hormone, a lack of calcium is formed in the body in combination with a large amount of phosphates in the blood. This imbalance leads to muscle contractions of the larynx. Moreover, pain is present in all muscles of the body, including the esophagus.

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Psychoneurology

To confirm or refute the psychoneurological causes of contraction of the pharyngeal muscles, diagnosis is required. The reason for contacting may be a spasm that appears during neurosis after the following situations:

conflicts;
long-term emotional circumstances that can harm a person’s psyche.

A nervous spasm occurs when a person is simultaneously affected by several mental disorders. There are also other symptoms:

difficulty breathing;
lump in the throat;
trembling of the limbs and whole body.

Any pain takes on an emotional coloring. The patient may complain of discomfort in the abdomen and heart. In this case, there is a strong fear of death and the inability to swallow food. A nervous breakdown is possible even after a minor irritant.

This phenomenon may be the result of a stroke due to poor circulation in the brain.

Laryngospasm

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inhalation of polluted air, which is especially noticeable in industrial cities and megalopolises;
taking medications;
lack of vitamins and minerals in the body.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSxr9mLJ9JE

If you experience a feeling of suffocation and a sore throat, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor to relieve the spasm and determine the causes.

A spasm of the throat muscles occurs suddenly, it is always sharp, so there are no previous signs. But there are accompanying symptoms that have external manifestations:

cold sweat;
visible muscle tension:
pallor of the skin, which over time develops into cyanosis;
a person is suffocated by a lump not only when swallowing, but also when inhaling, while the breathing becomes loud, others can hear it;
Often an attack of suffocation is accompanied by the appearance of inspiratory dyspnea (difficulty in inhaling is felt).

Most often, the spasm goes away on its own, ending with a long breath. With longer and more dangerous attacks, the following are possible: