Associate Professor of Orthopedic expert,Brigham Hostpital
Do not worry if you have a sore throat or if you have recently had a sore throat while swallowing food.
Tightness in the throat will not be a serious problem, in the following our doctors will say that why your throat feel like it’s closing up.
Various factors can make your throat feel like we will introduce them more in the following.
Symptoms
If infectious agents are causing your problem, you are likely to experience the following symptoms:
- Your throat is burning
- Your throat appears to be sore
- Swallowing food even your saliva is painful
On examination:
- Your throat is inflamed and swollen
What are Factors that cause closing up in throat?
Some foods, medications, and even insect bites can cause allergic reactions in your body. These reactions may be accompanied by inflammation of the throat and airways, which can very quickly block your airway. These reactions usually occur minutes to hours after your exposure to the allergen. Obstruction of the airway can be life-threatening if it progresses
Other signs of an allergic reaction can usually be accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Itching of the mouth, throat and eyes
- Paleness
- Low blood pressure
- Lightness of the head
- Fainting
- Urticaria
- Skin rashes
- Shortness of breath
- Stomach pain and vomiting
Fatal allergic reactions are associated with anaphylactic shock, in which the arteries dilate and blood flow to vital organs is disrupted, resulting in death if left untreated.
If you see the above symptoms around you, you should take him to the emergency room without wasting time.
Tonsillitis can cause closing up in the throat. In this case, your other symptoms are:
- Fever
- Hoarseness
- Redness of the tonsils
- White or gray discharge on the tonsils
Inflammation of the tonsils is usually caused by a viral infection, which can be relieved by resting, gargling with salt water, drinking warm liquids and taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
In cases where the cause of these inflammations is bacteria, the use of appropriate antibiotics is necessary.
Avoid taking antibiotics arbitrarily without a doctor's prescription. Sometimes the amount of inflammation and swelling is so great that it makes breathing difficult, in which case surgery is usually necessary.
- Gastric acid reflux into the esophagus:
Heartburn or stomach acid recurrence are common causes that can cause closing up in your throat.
The following people are more prone to gastro esophageal reflux disease:
- Smokers
- fat people
- People who eat food fast
- High fat diets
- People with anxiety disorders
You may also experience the following symptoms with gastric acid reflux:
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Feeling of food stuck in the throat
- Burning in the back of the chest
- Worsening symptoms by lying down
People with stress and anxiety can experience a condition called globus pharyngis. In this case, the person feels that a ball-like body is stuck in his throat, This condition, which is caused by anxiety, is almost like a lump in throat after vomiting.
Stress causes the throat muscles to spasm and causes you to close up in the throat.
Studies show that anxiety disorders can be associated with difficulty swallowing or dysphagia.
Swelling of the thyroid gland is caused by a lack of access to iodine in the body
Thyroid disorders that are associated with an increase in the size of the thyroid gland can be the cause of closing up in your throat
- Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD):
Following high pressure on the vocal cords, a stretch is applied to the larynx, which causes the muscles in this area to tighten and stretch.
You get hoarseness, you can't speak like you used to, or you have pain in that area when you speak.
Other causes of this complication include the following:
- Being a passive smoker
- Gastric acid reflux into the larynx
- Existence of respiratory tract infections
- Excessive use of vocal cords
- Stress and anxiety
The final words
If you feel tightness and stiffness in your throat, especially if your shortness of breath is getting worse, you should either call the emergency room or go to the nearest equipped emergency center without wasting time.