The unpleasant sensation of the presence of a lump in the throat can occur at any time. With a similar symptom, patients often turn to doctors. Patients complain of a foreign object in the throat, which makes it difficult not only to swallow, but also to breathe, causing burning and pressure. What is the reason for the occurrence of such sensations and what are the causes of a lump in the throat?
Causes of occurrence
The feeling of a lump in the throat can be caused by a variety of reasons, among which the most common are:
- acute respiratory diseases;
- neuroses and stress transferred;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- pathology of the thyroid gland.
Often, the feeling of being in a lump comes on suddenly. The cause may be an inflammatory process in the nasopharynx, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis. Having made one of these diagnoses, the specialist will prescribe adequate treatment. If not, the disease is fraught with dangerous complications. So, untimely or incorrect treatment of a feeling of tightness in the throat, which is caused by an infectious disease, can cause a large number of serious diseases. Among which are paratonsillar abscess, damage to the root of the tongue and other inflammatory processes of the oral cavity. Due to the peculiarities of the location, the epiglottis abscess is considered the most serious complication. Indeed, in this situation, any edema is dangerous by the complete overlap of the space necessary for the passage of oxygen.
Stress and neuroses also cause the feeling that something is in the throat. This feeling is constant, or it can appear for a short time after suffering stress. The cause of exacerbation and the occurrence of unpleasant sensations is often frivolous excitement and minor troubles that provoke spasms and muscle strain.
A lump in the throat can also appear for other reasons that are associated with various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, esophagus, and also become a consequence of abnormalities in the thyroid gland. In such situations, after contacting an otolaryngologist, namely this specialist, more often come with complaints of a feeling of tightness in the throat, the patient is redirected for further examination to an endocrinologist or neurologist. It would also be useful to consult an oncologist, who will exclude the presence of a tumor.
It turns out that many factors can cause an unpleasant symptom, so only a qualified specialist will help to understand the reasons for the feeling of a lump in the throat.
Underestimating the severity of the symptom, hence the lack of timely treatment, increases the risk of complications.
Despite the complexity and danger of possible complications, patients often underestimate the severity of the disease and begin to self-medicate using the most common methods for throat diseases, such as gargling, sprays, and lozenges. All this can only aggravate the situation, postpone the establishment of the cause and the beginning of the correct treatment, transferring the disease into a chronic form that is no longer amenable to traditional treatment.
Other reasons
A buildup of mucus in the throat is also one of the causes of a lump in the throat.
This symptom can be caused by acute respiratory illness, but it often occurs without the presence of a cold. The persistent mucus in the throat cannot be called an isolated problem. After all, the accumulation of mucus in the throat is often accompanied by tickling and coughing. The most common diagnosis in this situation is laryngopharyngeal reflux (LFR). The pain syndrome is localized on the neck in the region of the Adam's apple, where you show a feeling of tightness in the throat, as if a lump is present. The patient seeks help from a therapist, after which he is often redirected to an otolaryngologist. However, in this situation, the disease requires an integrated approach, since the problem concerns not only the pharyngeal region, but also the gastrointestinal tract.
In the presence of LFR, stomach contents often reverse and are thrown down the throat. An acidic environment causes heartburn. The alkaline medium turns out to be less aggressive for the throat, but it still irritates the mucous membranes. This is what causes mucus in the throat, coughing, muscle spasm, causing a feeling of a coma.
Diagnostics
In order to establish a diagnosis, a thorough examination is necessary, after which the doctor, on the basis of examination and analysis of the present symptoms, will be able to determine the reason why a sensation of a lump in the throat has arisen. To simplify diagnosis, complaints can be divided into two main categories of symptoms: somatic and mental.
Somatic include:
- various disorders in the work of the esophagus;
- an increase in the size of the thyroid gland, which can become so large that there is a feeling of tightness in the neck;
- complications after taking medication;
- damage to the body by infectious diseases;
- building up a foreign object in the throat;
- neuralgic diseases;
- overweight.
If the cause that caused a lump in the throat is a psychogenic symptom, then this includes pathologies associated with mental disorders. They often manifest themselves with various neurological disorders, overwork, depression, stress, psychoemotional overload. Vegetovascular dystonia can also cause coma, like other psychogenic symptoms. If the cause that caused the unpleasant symptom is psychogenic, a psychotherapist should deal with it.
Diagnosis is based on the examination of the patient and the analysis of his complaints. A qualified and experienced doctor can quickly figure out the underlying cause of the coma.
When contacting a specialist doctor with a similar symptom, patients complain about:
- pressure in the pharynx;
- Difficulty swallowing saliva;
- a lump of mucus in the throat;
- difficulty swallowing food;
- tickling and soreness in the throat.
Based on the analysis of these symptoms, one can assume the cause of the unpleasant feeling in the throat. Additional procedures will help the doctor make more specific assumptions and make a correct diagnosis. The most common diagnostic methods are:
- collection of material for clinical analyzes;
- blood sampling for biochemical and hormonal diagnostics;
- ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland;
- a thorough examination of the lymph nodes of the cervical region;
- detailed examination of the oral cavity, larynx area;
- computed and magnetic resonance imaging, radiography of the cervical vertebrae.
The correct diagnosis in the case of LFR will stand only after the doctor conducts a full examination, listens to complaints, does an endoscopy of the stomach, x-rays of the esophagus and measures its acidity.
Treatment
Treatment for a feeling of a lump in the throat is based on an analysis of the causes of the symptom. If the pathology is caused by bodily (somatic) reasons, then usually the treatment program consists of the following procedures:
- drug therapy aimed at reducing the size of the thyroid gland;
- removing a foreign object from the pharynx;
- surgical removal of large nodes in the thyroid gland;
- treatment or surgical removal of tumor neoplasms.
Important! Self-medication with a feeling of a lump in the throat is unacceptable and dangerously unpleasant consequences.
If the disease is accompanied by psychogenic symptoms, then in this case, the treatment tactics are determined by the psychotherapist.The complex of procedures for eliminating the feeling of a coma in the throat includes the use of various medications and psychotherapeutic techniques. If the symptom arose against the background of a depressive state, the doctor works on an analysis of the patient's mental state, using drugs such as tranquilizers and antidepressants.
Often, in order to remove the neurotic syndrome and at the same time the sensation of a lump in the throat that it causes, doctors use special preparations for vegetative correction. Respiratory gymnastics also has a good therapeutic effect in the treatment of this pathology.
LPR therapy involves the long-term use of proton pump inhibitor drugs. Also, in the early stages of the disease, a lifestyle revision can help:
- lack of food intake before bedtime;
- the presence of a high pillow, a special mattress or bed that allows the head to be raised by 20-30 degrees;
- exclusion from the diet of alcoholic and caffeine-containing products;
- lack of fatty, fried and spicy foods in the diet.
The main mistake of many patients faced with this pathology is self-medication. After all, a symptom can be a sign of the initial stage of a more serious disease, the timely treatment of which will be the key to a speedy recovery, significantly reducing the likelihood of complications. If you can't stand it at all, you can try using distracting procedures such as gargling, sprays, and warm drinks.
