If you are one of the people who suffer from a feeling of tightness and obstruction in the throat due to stress and anxiety, we recommend that you read more. In the following, we will say why some people feel that they have a stuffy throat due to stress and anxiety. These people have so-called globus sensation or globus hystericus.
In this article we are going to talk more about this disorder. It is interesting to know that the first person to mention this feeling of tight throat in history was Hippocrates.
what you will read next :
What is Globus Hystericus?
Feeling of a lump in the throat when a person has an anxiety attack or is under stress or is anxious. In these cases, the person feels cramps and pressure and a lump in the throat while there is nothing in the throat. Some people It expresses this feeling as a feeling of suffocation and obstruction.
The important point is that the feeling of a lump in the throat should not be confused with swallowing or difficulty swallowing disorders or dysphagia. The causes of globus sensation will be completely different from the causes of dysphagia. Another important point is that the causes of globus sensation will not be life threatening, but a symptom called dysphagia or swallowing disorders can be tumors that have become life-threatening if not treated and diagnosed early.
Epidemiology
The sensation of a lump in the throat or the presence of a foreign body in the throat, sometimes referred to as obstruction and suffocation in the throat, is common among the adult population worldwide. An authoritative study states that the prevalence of lumps and cramps in the throat was about 22% in the adult population. It is also said that four percent of people who go to otolaryngologist clinics with a complaint of a feeling of lump in the throat are diagnosed with globus sensation after a complete examination in which there are no physical problems in the throat.
What are the signs and symptoms in a person suffering from a tight throat due to stress?
People who feel something is stuck in their throat due to stress and anxiety or under stress or fatigue, or people who have a sore throat or, in other words, a Globus hystericus (GH) due to stress, may usually complain of the following manifestations:
- A feeling of a lump in the throat
- These people usually need to clear their throat frequently.
- These people may have a burning sensation in the throat. Discharge from the back of the nose, or so-called PND, is very common in these people. PND in medicine means the feeling of thick and sticky sputum that sticks to a person’s throat and the person feels that in order to clear it, he needs to clear his throat regularly.
Interestingly, in addition to saying that a circular object is stuck in their throat, people may also express the feeling of a lump in the following ways:
For example, to say that there is a pressing body in their throat and it presses on their throat, or they feel itchy in the throat, or they feel uncomfortable. Sometimes people say that they feel something like a chewing gum stuck in their throat in times of anxiety and stress that does not go down even with frequent swallowing of saliva.
The important point is that this feeling of a lump or suffocation in a person with anxiety should not be painful. If a person feels pain, we should go to other diagnoses like dysphagia and odynophagia.
What can stimulate the feeling of a lump in the throat?
It is not yet known why globus sensation occurs, but it has been shown that anxiety and stress play a very important role in causing it. also, in addition to the anxiety and stress that lead to sensation of globus, gastroesophageal reflux can be accompanied by a feeling of a lump in the throat. The most common manifestation and classic symptom of gastric reflux is heartburn. However, in some cases, reflux can extend to the throat and larynx, causing non-classical symptoms such as sore throat and voice changes.
During times of stress, the muscles of the body contract and spasm, and the muscles of the throat and larynx are no exception.
It is said that spasms of the muscles of the throat, larynx and neck are more likely to cause a feeling of pressure and tightness in the throat during anxiety.
Diagnosis
Doctors believe that in order to diagnose Globus hystericus, one must rule out physical problems. In other words, there is no special laboratory test or examination that can be performed to diagnose Globus hystericus directly. In other words, the diagnosis of hysteric throat depends on the rejection of other factors that can be associated with compression and cramping and a feeling of mass in the throat, and a person who sees a doctor with a lump in the throat will be examined extensively after presenting a history, so that the doctor can rule out causes such as tumors on the back of the nose, base of the tongue, upper esophagus and larynx.
- Some of these include endoscopies of the esophagus and stomach
- Nasal endoscopy
- Direct examination of the larynx with a variety of laryngoscopes.
in addition to these cases a CT scan or MRI ,may also be required.
treatment
If you experience cramps and suffocation during stress and anxiety and feel that you are feeling a lump in your throat under stress and you are looking for a way to treat it, it is better to pay attention to the following points:
The first principle of treatment in people with Globus hystericus is reassuring the person with the disease. These people should make sure that they do not have any dangerous physical disorders.
The next point is that these people should be supported by those around them. As friends and relatives of this infected person, you should recognize his / her feelings and accept that these people really understand such feelings. Avoid making fun of, mocking, and devaluing the sufferer. Among the treatments offered by a doctor, the following can be mentioned:
Reduce PND with nasal sprays prescribed by a doctor.
Reduction, treatment and control of gastric reflux in to the esophagus in which the doctor uses one of the following drugs according to the condition and severity of your symptoms:
Antacid syrups or medications such as histamine type 2 beta blockers such as famotidine, ranitidine
Or a class of proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole and pantoprazole.
The important point and the last point It is better for these people to see a doctor for medication and psychotherapy if necessary to control anxiety disorder and calm the mental condition. One of the most common drugs prescribed by doctors to relax these people is a drug called chlordiazepoxide, which is classified as benzodiazepines.