Lump in throat: causes and should you worry? Lump in throat. Causes, diagnosis, treatment of causes, traditional methods of treatment
Lump in throat. Many people are familiar with this feeling. Most often, this is not a disease, but a symptom of it. To get rid of a lump in the throat, you need to cure the underlying disease.
A lump in the throat may be the only indicator of some kind of ailment, or it may appear in combination with others. painful symptoms. What worries a person is not so much the feeling of a lump in the throat as the fear of missing something terrible. You can try to find the roots of unpleasant manifestations yourself. But since there are reasons similar condition a lot, it is not difficult to get confused in your research and draw false conclusions.
What is meant by the term “lump in throat”?
Some patients describe their sensations exactly this way: it feels like a lump in the throat. But you can hear other interpretations of this manifestation:
- The throat feels as if something is squeezing;
- There was a feeling foreign body preventing you from taking even a small sip of liquid;
- There was a heaviness in the throat area, radiating to the sternum;
- There is scratching and burning in the esophagus;
- Difficulty in breathing is felt due to the apparent blockage of air supply;
- A lump of air stuck in my throat;
- Discomfort and sore throat appeared;
- There may be pain when swallowing;
- Sometimes there is general malaise.
Usually, after a patient complains about a single symptom, the doctor is interested in other signs of deterioration. And it turns out that there are problems not only with the throat. Stomach, muscle, and chest pain may be observed. Often there are chills and fever, dizziness, headache, nausea, cough, feeling of heaviness in the legs, aching in the lower back. The person feels tired and empty.
A complete description of all symptoms can help in making a correct diagnosis.
Why does a lump appear in the throat?
All causes of a lump in the throat are divided into:
- Psychogenic;
- Somatic.
Somatic causes
Usually this group of reasons is confirmed or excluded first.
Inflammatory processes in the throat
Any inflammation is accompanied by tissue swelling, which is felt like a lump. The inflammatory process can be both acute and chronic. He accompanies. Sometimes it happens that the condition worsens and paratonsillitis develops, of the root of the tongue or epiglottis, or parapharyngeal abscess. The danger lies in strong which can prevent oxygen from entering the airways.
Tumor
Both benign and malignant tumor. And if in the first case the treatment can be limited to conservative methods, and the outcome is always favorable, then with the development malignant formation this cannot be said. Therefore, the sooner the problem is identified, the faster and, most importantly, the more successfully it will be resolved. Sometimes, with an asymptomatic course of the disease, the feeling of a lump in the throat may be the only sign that is simply unacceptable to miss. But even in case benign education breathing becomes difficult, and as the tumor grows, it becomes completely blocked. Typically, the location of the tumor is the trachea, oropharynx or larynx.
Thyroid dysfunction
The first to respond to iodine deficiency in the body is thyroid. It increases in size and compresses the throat. This disease is called goiter or Graves' disease. The doctor can determine correct diagnosis at initial examination. In addition, the enlargement of the gland by late stages accompanied by decreased appetite, weight loss, protrusion eyeballs. But more accurate diagnosis is determined based on the results of tests and ultrasound.
To other diseases thyroid gland This may include inflammation, as well as an increase in the secretion of thyroid hormones. These diseases are also characterized by sensations foreign object in the throat.
A timely correct diagnosis will prevent possible dangerous complications.
Osteochondrosis
Often there is a lump in the throat if problems appear in the cervical spine spinal column. This usually occurs with osteochondrosis. The reasons for this condition are overeating, physical inactivity and other bad habits. With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, pain appears in the back, neck, and head. Sometimes the disease is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and pressure fluctuations. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis. Treatment is long and depends on the patient’s perseverance and discipline. Gymnastics and special massage are useful. Great importance It has correct posture. To sleep, you need to purchase an orthopedic mattress and pillow. In severe cases, to remove pain symptoms medications are prescribed.
Problems with the gastrointestinal tract
There is a lump in the throat that does not go away for one or another gastroenterological reason. If such a symptom occurs immediately after eating, then the likelihood of gastrointestinal diseases is high. Usually the patient has previously noted other symptoms: heartburn, belching, sour taste in the mouth. oral cavity, stomach ache.
Reflux
The cause of a lump in the throat can be reflux or gastroesophageal disease. As a result chronic disease The acidic contents of the stomach are thrown into the esophagus. A person suffers from bloating, belching, and nausea. Usually, first of all, the doctor recommends changing your diet: eliminating chocolate, coffee, soda and other irritating foods. It is important to lose weight and follow a meal schedule (dinner should be no later than 2 hours before bedtime).
It still doesn’t hurt everyone to know that in different time days, the absorption of certain products takes place with varying intensity. In general, gastric motility slows down in the evening. Medicines are also prescribed to reduce acidity.
Esophageal hernia
Reflux, and therefore a lump in the throat, can be caused by a hiatal hernia. This discomfort is caused by overweight bodies, constipation, coughing, lifting weights. Sometimes the cause of a hernia can be stress, which causes muscle spasm. In this case, you can simply drink a glass of warmed milk with a teaspoon of honey.
With a hernia, they may also appear chest pain. Therefore, the doctor orders an electrocardiogram to rule out heart damage. Sometimes hiccups appear along with a lump in the throat.
Injuries
The cause of the sensation of a foreign object in the throat may be injury to the esophagus or larynx. The esophagus is damaged by rough food or during gastroendoscopy. Typically, with these types of injuries, symptoms resolve within about a week without special treatment.
Allergic reactions
A lump in the throat is dangerous if it is caused by Quincke's edema. There is a rapid increase in swelling, which can lead to suffocation. In this case time is running for seconds. Emergency administration only antihistamines can save the patient.
Other reasons
It should be noted that the sensation of a lump in the throat can be caused by unlikely, but still possible reasons:
The most probable reasons the appearance of a lump in the throat - nervous. Of course, before making such a diagnosis, the doctor must conduct thorough examination patient to exclude somatic causes. If everything is in order with the ENT organs, gastrointestinal tract, and thyroid gland, then the psychogenic nature of the malaise is assumed.
Usually in this case, the patient has difficulty swallowing saliva; the throat feels tight, sore, and scratching. The person has difficulty breathing and it is difficult to take solid food. At first, the symptoms are mild, but over time they increase. This condition can last for quite a long time. The patient experiences horror at the thought of possible cancer or other serious illnesses, the feeling of anxiety increases, the mood decreases. This leads to worsening symptoms. Formed vicious circle: how more people worries about his condition, the worse this condition becomes. As soon as the patient calms down, his thoughts switch to something more pleasant (wedding, birth of a child, success at work, etc.), the tightness in the throat becomes less and, in the end, goes away.
The lump in throat symptom may appear suddenly at times. A person has a panic attack, blood pressure rises, heart rate increases, and the fear of death increases. The feeling of suffocation and lack of oxygen only intensifies this fear. With this development there appear depressive symptoms which are expressed by depression, tearfulness, isolation, pessimistic mood, and a desire to be alone.
To install exact reason heaviness in the throat, the doctor is interested in the presence of psycho-emotional factors: whether the patient has been exposed to stress, a long-term psychologically traumatic situation at work or at home. Only then can we make an assumption about the nervous origin of the symptoms.
What to do?
Since there are many reasons for the appearance of a lump in the throat (nervous, somatic), You should first contact a therapist. Based on the existing symptoms, the doctor will refer the patient for a consultation with an ENT specialist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, or vertebrologist.
Sometimes people try to cope with the problem on their own. Some prescribe unnecessary medications to themselves, others go to the other extreme: they let the matter take its course - maybe it will resolve itself. Someone tries to get rid of the lump by swallowing rough food or drinking great amount water. Unfortunately, the result of such self-medication is lost time. Of course, it is possible that the condition will normalize on its own, especially if it was caused nervous reasons. But for such confidence it is necessary to exclude somatic ailments.
Important! A timely contact with a specialist will solve the problem as quickly as possible. short time and will help prevent possible complications.
How is a lump in the throat treated?
If you feel a lump in your throat, you need to figure out the causes and treat the underlying disease. The measures taken depend on the diagnosis.
For example, in case of hypofunction of the thyroid gland, iodine preparations are prescribed. And upon detection autoimmune thyroiditis treatment is more complex, sometimes the patient is forced to take appropriate hormones all his life.
If the cause is a problem with the cervical spine, Special gymnastics may be prescribed. This condition is also treated using manual, vacuum, reflex and laser therapy. The vertebrologist recommends that the patient reconsider his lifestyle, move more, and follow the principles of proper nutrition.
The worst thing is if a malignant tumor presses on the throat(although this is relatively rare). In this case, treatment consists of radiation, chemotherapy, or surgical intervention. Sometimes one of these measures is required, and sometimes a combination. Treatment is determined by the current situation.
If the problem is gastroenterological, then treatment is limited to compliance special diet and taking appropriate medications. However, for a hiatal hernia, surgery is sometimes indicated.
The nature of therapeutic measures for inflammatory ENT diseases
depends on their nature - bacterial or viral. Depending on the results of the examination, antibiotics and other medications are prescribed. In addition to the main treatment, gargling with solutions of iodine-containing drugs, soda, herbal infusions, furatsilin, which have excellent anti-inflammatory and healing properties, is prescribed. For some forms of ENT diseases drug therapy strengthen .
Treatment of psychogenic disorders
Separately, it is necessary to dwell on the treatment of a lump in the throat that appeared on nervous soil. Therapy in this case consists of the use of both medications and psychotherapeutic drugs and procedures. If a patient is diagnosed with depression, to eliminate external and internal conflicts Antidepressants and tranquilizers are prescribed.
In the case when the patient finds it difficult to breathe against the background panic attacks, then a number of corrective measures are carried out VSD symptoms. You can do breathing exercises at home to help you relax. It is useful to breathe with your stomach, as well as into a bag and hold your breath for a while. More accurate complex breathing exercises the doctor will recommend.
If a lump appears suddenly and for the first time, you can do several breathing exercises without focusing on your condition. In this case, you should exercise control over swallowing movements, preventing them from becoming more frequent. As aid You can drink some herbal infusion or tea. Further therapeutic measures supplemented with relaxing exercises for the muscles of the neck and larynx.
If the actions carried out at home do not have the expected effect, you should go to the doctor.
How to prevent a lump in the throat?
It is always easier to prevent a disease than to eliminate its consequences. Since a feeling of constriction in the throat is felt in many diseases, there will be many recommendations for prevention. The main measures that will help prevent an unpleasant symptom are:
Video: lump in throat - why it appears, program “Live Healthy!”
Many people at least sometimes felt a lump in their throat. If this phenomenon occurs frequently and begins to cause terrible discomfort, then it is necessary to find out its causes. It can occur as a result of certain diseases.
The lump in the larynx itself does not pose a health hazard and can easily go away. However, its appearance causes a lot of inconvenience and discomfort.
And ignorance of the reasons for its occurrence often leads to terrible assumptions about why it appears. Therefore, you should undergo an examination by a specialist to find out the causes of its occurrence and prevent cases of relapse.
In order not to wind yourself up in vain, first you need to determine whether you have symptoms of this problem or not.
- Feeling of a lump in the throat after eating food or a stressful situation. However, the lump cannot be physically felt. It is only felt.
- If a symptom occurs, there may be a problem with breathing. The lump seems to block access to oxygen, and breathing becomes problematic.
- Sore throat.
- Sometimes there is a burning sensation in the throat.
- Feeling in the throat or chest there is an unpleasant aftertaste.
If you notice one or more symptoms, you should think about possible reasons their appearance.
This problem occurs for two reasons: as a result nervous overstrain or in the presence of somatic problems.
Nervous tension is the most common cause of this symptom. It appears as a result of stress strong fear, excitement, overexcitement.
However, these are not the only reasons for this problem.
Somatic Disorders that cause a lump in the throat:
First of all, you need to see a therapist. He will conduct a full examination and ask several leading questions regarding the problem that will help determine the cause of the disease.
- take blood and urine tests;
- conduct thyroid examinations;
- examine the esophagus;
- take an x-ray of the spine in the neck area;
- pass the full examination from an ENT doctor.
In this case, the patient is prescribed medication and consultation with a psychologist.
The patient can have an appointment the following medications:
- motherwort;
- Paleriana;
- herbal teas with a relaxing effect;
- St. John's wort-P;
- Nervo-Vit. This drug includes the herb blue cyanosis, which relaxes and calms the body;
- Apitonus-P. This is a complex of vitamins to increase stress resistance.
If it is difficult to breathe while squeezing the throat, then it is recommended to use breathing techniques that lead to relaxation.
It is advised to breathe with your stomach or inhale and exhale into the bag. This type of breathing leads to relaxation and calm.
Depending on the identified causes, measures are prescribed to eliminate the disease. If the cause of heaviness in the trachea is problems with the thyroid gland, then the patient is prescribed medications containing iodine.
If there are problems with the neck, then they prescribe special gymnastics which will develop the neck. They also perform manual laser treatment and reflexology.
To treat the esophagus, the patient is prescribed a special dietary food and appropriate medications. However, for a hiatal hernia, surgery is possible.
For inflammation respiratory tract antibiotics or other medications are prescribed, depending on the cause of the inflammation. It is also recommended to gargle with soda, herbal infusions, preparations containing iodine. IN in rare cases Warm compresses are prescribed.
For malignant or benign tumors The throat is treated with radiation or chemotherapy, and surgery is also possible. Depending on the situation, the events may be carried out all together, or only one will be selected.
Until you find out the reasons for the occurrence unpleasant symptom and it causes you terrible discomfort, it is recommended to use people's councils that will help relieve symptoms:
- drink soothing tea;
- give great attention to your sleep. Try to get good sleep;
- do relaxing activities. This could be a relaxing bath, massage, breathing technique for relaxation;
- add foods with high content Yoda.
How to avoid a lump in your throat?
Always spends better preventive actions than to treat the disease later. To prevent the appearance of a feeling of constriction in the larynx, it is recommended certain events.
- Treat the appearance of any ENT diseases in a timely manner.
- If there are pathologies with the thyroid gland, then eliminate them in a timely manner.
- Treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Rinse the nasopharynx with a salt solution.
- Do not inhale toxic substances.
- Do not overstrain your vocal cords.
- Balance your diet. Add to it more vegetables and fruits.
- Regularly humidify the air in the apartment.
- Take walks in the fresh air.
- Use occasionally herbal teas with a relaxing effect.
- Exercise.
- Try to allocate 8 hours a day for your sleep for complete rest and relaxation.
- Pay attention to your workplace. Often, an uncomfortable workspace can lead to upper body muscle strain. And this can lead to nervous tension and the appearance of a lump in the throat. Therefore, it is necessary to make your workplace as comfortable as possible.
As you can see, a lump in the throat is not a serious pathology in the body and can go away on its own. However, it can cause a lot of discomfort. Also this problem may signal hidden diseases in organism. Therefore, you should not ignore it if it occurs regularly.
The main thing is that you don’t know yet the real reason illness, do not frighten yourself by the fact that a heaviness in the throat is a symptom of serious pathological changes in organism. Conditions such as laryngeal tumors cause throat compression in rare cases. Therefore, any other cause of discomfort can be eliminated, and along with it, the feeling of a lump in the throat will go away.
Mother of two children. I'm leading household for more than 7 years - this is my main job. I like to experiment, I try all the time various means, methods, techniques that can make our lives easier, more modern, more fulfilling. I love my family.
There are many reasons that cause the sensation of a foreign body in the throat. This may be due to either fragments of food or other objects getting stuck, or to the occurrence of certain diseases that give similar symptoms.
Causes of foreign body sensation in the throat
In order to understand in detail the causes of a lump in the throat, it is worth noting that they are divided into two main groups:
- In the first place are reasons that are medical in nature, namely, they are considered symptoms of certain diseases.
- The second includes domestic reasons.
Household causes of a feeling of a lump in the throat
The causes of a lump in the throat, which are of a domestic nature, are not considered particularly dangerous if they are recognized in time, and timely measures have been taken to eliminate them. Mostly, such problems are faced by parents of small children who love to put various objects into their mouths that can get stuck in the throat.
Another common cause of this unpleasant sensation is excessive overeating. Also, very often, when you carelessly eat fish or meat, where there are bones that can get stuck in the throat, sometimes a similar sensation occurs. In this case, in addition to the unpleasant sensation of a lump in the throat, there also appears sharp pain, caused by the fact that a foreign body irritates and even injures the mucous membrane of the throat, which sometimes leads to infection.
As we mentioned earlier, the appearance of symptoms of a lump in the throat can be associated with overeating. In other words, when there is a feeling that food is already “under the throat.” In these cases, you should not worry too much, since such unpleasant sensations disappear within literally half an hour.
Another reason is incorrect body position during sleep, since in this case the neck for a long time is in incorrect position, which leads to the sensation of a lump in the throat. As a rule, there is nothing wrong with this, it is enough to do a few simple exercises by warming up the cervical spine so that these sensations go away.
What diseases can cause the sensation of a foreign body in the throat?
The sensation of a foreign body in the throat associated with the occurrence of any diseases is considered more serious reason for concern, as it requires detailed medical examination to identify the disease that provokes such unpleasant feeling.
Now let’s take a closer look at the diseases that cause such symptoms, these include:
- One of the most common causes of a foreign body sensation in the throat is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. In order to diagnose this disease, you need to contact a specialist, namely a neurologist. As a rule, people who live in conditions that are susceptible to this disease are constant stress or suffered a severe breakdown, associated with some kind of life shocks. As with any other disease, the effect of treatment depends on how quickly the disease is recognized and treatment is started. It is worth noting that the effect of treatment directly depends on compliance with the complexity, namely, in addition to taking the prescribed medical supplies, you need to put your psychological state in order, which is a good idea to do with the help of a psychotherapist.
- If the sensation of a lump in the throat is accompanied by difficulty swallowing food, as well as difficulty breathing and general weakness of the body, then this may be associated with a disease such as pharyngitis. In order to establish an accurate diagnosis for such symptoms, you need to contact an otolaryngologist. The doctor will conduct an examination and prescribe necessary treatment, so if all procedures are performed correctly, the discomfort in the throat will gradually go away.
- The feeling of a lump in the throat sometimes becomes the reason for visiting an endocrinologist, as this may be a symptom of thyroid disease. There are many types of thyroid diseases - from a banal lack of iodine to the occurrence of formations that are both benign and malignant. In this case, it is especially important to start timely treatment to avoid complications.
- Also, one of the reasons for this feeling of a coma in the throat may be the appearance allergic reactions. As a rule, in parallel with this symptom there is a feeling of itching in the eyes and nose, as well as general weakness body. In such cases, it is necessary to take immediate measures to eliminate the causes of the allergy, so as not to severely impair breathing.
- Very often, such sensations can be caused by gastritis, in its initial stage, while people feel as if there is a hair at the very base of the tongue, and this has nothing to do with the absorption of food. Although it is worth noting that after eating food these sensations intensify.
- One of the most dangerous reasons the presence of formations in the throat is considered. At the very beginning, patients begin to experience the sensation of the same hair in the throat, which gradually turns into the inability to fully breathe and eat food.
How to deal with the sensation of a foreign body in the throat
For many who are faced with this problem, it is important to know how to deal with this unpleasant feeling.
First, the sensation of a lump in the throat, which occurs as a symptom specific disease, can only go away after completing a course of treatment. If the reasons for this are of a different nature, then it is quite possible to eliminate them yourself.
It is very important for every person to know how to get rid of a foreign body in the throat, since no one is immune from such a problem. As a rule, such a foreign body becomes a bone stuck in the throat. In this situation, your actions must be extremely careful so as not to damage the mucous membrane with sharp edges.
First, you should drink something viscous, for example, kefir, yogurt, or regular puree with a liquid consistency. This is necessary in order to push through the stuck bone with minimal trauma to the throat. Another way is the well-known crust of bread, which it is advisable to wash down after eating. copious amounts warm water. Do not forget that pushing a stuck bone with hard food can cause injury to the mucous membrane, so this can be done if the stuck foreign body does not have sharp edges.
Regardless of the method used to push through the stuck bone, you still need to carry out a disinfection procedure. For this, a decoction made on the basis of any medicinal herb, for example, chamomile, nettle or St. John's wort, as they are considered a good antiseptic.
If all the methods do not bring the desired result, then you should immediately seek help from a specialist. If the bone could not penetrate too deeply, the doctor will be able to remove it with tweezers without much difficulty. Just don't try to do this yourself.
When a foreign body sensation occurs in the throat, decoctions of medicinal herbs have proven to be very effective.
In cases where the foreign body is not a bone, but something else that your child could swallow, then he should be immediately sent to a specialist.
If you have this feeling of a lump in your throat due to any exciting situations, then we advise you to always have a bottle of plain water with you, which will prevent the further occurrence of such an unpleasant sensation. It is worth noting that you should start drinking water immediately when nervous conditions arise, and not wait until you feel a lump in your throat. They help very well in such cases natural preparations on herbs, which must be washed down generously.
If the sensation of a foreign body in the throat is associated with an infection or with ordinary colds throat, then simultaneously with usual treatment It is recommended to use drugs such as:
- Stopangin;
- Strepsils.
Lollipops that need to be slowly dissolved will also relieve discomfort in the throat.
Rinsing with chamomile decoctions or a solution of iodine or sea salt helps very well in such cases.
To summarize: any reasons that cause the feeling of a lump in the throat can be both domestic and medical in nature. But despite this, the reasons for this should be immediately identified and appropriate measures taken to eliminate them.
This article will discuss a fairly common complaint from patients – the sensation of a lump in the throat. What kind of specialist is required, and what can cause such symptoms.
Each patient describes the concept of “a lump in the throat when swallowing” somewhat differently. One implies that in order to swallow saliva, he needs to make some effort, the other understands the presence of a foreign solid object in the neck, which he feels when swallowing.
Some patients cannot describe their sensations in detail, so they come to the doctor with the words “I have a lump in my throat - I can’t swallow.” A carefully collected medical history sometimes provides up to 80% of all the information necessary to make a diagnosis. The main thing is the ability to listen to the patient.
Attention! A large number of patients hypochondriacally exaggerate their complaints in order to be taken more seriously, or in fear of some dangerous diagnosis.
The feeling of a lump in the throat when swallowing is subjective, which means that the doctor cannot assess the severity of the symptom. The patient may exaggerate the severity of his condition, demanding more attention to himself.
Of course, obvious pathologies will convince the doctor of the opposite – that the patient’s problem is true. So how can you avoid delaying a possible illness?
First, let's try to determine what a lump might be:
- true or somatic lump in the throat– implies the presence organic pathology in the patient, which is a mechanical barrier to saliva and food in the throat, thereby causing a feeling of a lump in the throat when swallowing;
- false com– the absence of an organically modified organ capable of causing similar symptoms.
Causes of a lump in the throat
For convenience, it is important to systematize all possible reasons:
- Endocrine cause. The first task of a doctor when a patient comes in with a complaint of difficulty swallowing a lump in the throat is to exclude the common problem– pathology of the thyroid gland. Hypertrophy or hyperplasia of this body causes compression of the trachea, which is anatomically located somewhat deeper than the gland. The degree of enlargement of the thyroid gland determines discomfort when swallowing.
- Otolaryngology. Lack of therapy or incorrect treatment acute inflammation pharynx is the main factor in the transition of the disease to chronic pharyngitis. In this case, the patient complains of dryness in the oropharynx, rawness and a feeling of a foreign body in the throat, sometimes it hurts to swallow and there is a lump in the throat.
- Digestive system. Functional, due to certain diseases, or anatomical changes esophagus.
- Oncology(cm. ) . Neoplasms in organs localized in the neck, regardless of whether they are malignant or benign, cause a feeling of a lump in the throat when swallowing.
- Neurological cause - previously described as a false lump. Stressful situation, prolonged experiences in the absence somatic pathology may be the cause of a person’s complaint of a lump in the throat and difficulty swallowing. This situation created with your own hands, so it is important to learn to control yourself.
- Medications. Sometimes the side effects of drugs can cause the patient to have a lump in the throat when swallowing. These include some antidepressants, antihistamines and antihypertensive medications.
Thyroid problems
An enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) is one of the most common reasons(after neurasthenia) sensation of a lump in the throat.
Sometimes the enlargement of this organ is accompanied by other symptoms caused by the release large quantity thyroid hormones:
- tachycardia;
- weight loss with increased appetite;
- frequent loose stools;
- tremor of hands, anxiety;
- bulging eyes (exophthalmos).
Problems with the gastrointestinal tract
Gastroesophageal reflux can cause an unpleasant symptom in the throat. The reflux of acidic contents from the stomach into the esophagus due to insufficiency of the lower esophageal sphincter leads to the patient complaining of a lump in the throat when swallowing saliva and belching.
The same symptoms may also occur with anatomical feature walls of the esophagus - diverticulum. A diverticulum is understood as a saccular protrusion of all layers, which leads not only to the retention of food in it, but also to a violation of its swallowing (dysphagia). Symptoms intensify when changing body position.
How to differentiate all the main causes of this symptom
If there is a lump in the throat when swallowing, sooner or later it will force the patient to see a doctor. The main thing is not to delay this, since all of the above etiologies have their own complications that can arise in the absence of treatment.
You should not contact specialists directly, but rather family doctor. He is the first-line doctor who will decide from which area this problem comes from, and whether it requires consultation at all narrow specialist(more details in the video in this article).
Table 1: Differential diagnosis when a lump appears in the throat:
| Sign | Goiter (enlarged thyroid gland) | Neurosthenic lump | GERD |
| What else might bother the patient? | Feeling of increased and rapid heartbeat, sudden change in weight, diarrhea, increased sweating | May be an isolated complaint | Sour belching, nausea, burning behind the sternum, bad taste in the mouth |
| Objective changes | Depending on the degree of growth of the organ, there may be either a thickening of the neck or an enlargement of the gland, determined only by palpation | There are no objective changes | When examining the patient there are no signs of disease |
| How can I confirm | Ultrasound of the thyroid gland, level of thyroid hormones in the blood (for hyperthyroidism) | Only by exclusion, with detailed questioning of the patient | Fibrogastroduodenoscopy – hyperemia of the esophageal wall, pH-metry of gastric juice |
What is the pathogenesis of the neurasthenic lump
The muscles of the pharynx, like all others, are controlled by the nervous system. Strong experience stressful situation lead to an excited state nerve fibers, innervated this area.
An increase in the tone of this muscle leads to the patient coming with the complaint “I have a lump in my throat that I can’t swallow.” It is important to note that this diagnosis is an exception, so it is very important to be sure that there is no physical cause this symptom.
It is important to ask the patient about overwork, exams or problems at work, since no one comes to the doctor with the words “I was stressed, and now there is a lump in my throat that is difficult to swallow.”
Important! If this symptom appears, before going to the doctor, you should review the medications you are already taking. The instructions for them will inform you about possible side effects, one of which may be the feeling of a lump in the throat.
Tumor formations of the neck organs lead to a person’s complaints that he has a lump in his throat and it hurts to swallow. It is important to consider that this is more rare reason appearance of this symptom, while more often painful sensations along with a lump in the throat accompany chronic pharyngitis.
In conclusion, it should be noted that you need to take care of your health, and, what is extremely important, be less nervous over trifles and learn to control yourself. Nervous system- a very fragile thing, and when frequently “bombarded” by lack of sleep and stress, it causes malfunctions, the price of which is a significant decrease in the quality of life.
Lump in the throat. Causes, symptoms and treatment
An unpleasant lump in the throat can appear at the most various reasons. In this article you will find symptoms and methods to get rid of this problem.
A lump in the throat is a very common complaint with which patients consult a doctor. There are many reasons for this painful sensation.
Symptoms of a lump in the throat
Most often, patients describe a lump in the throat as follows:
- Something hard is squeezing my throat.
- Difficulty swallowing saliva.
- Feeling foreign object in the throat.
- A tickling sensation in the throat.
- Difficulty eating solid foods due to a lump in the throat.
- Feeling as if something is moving in the throat.
To treat this nosology, the patient should contact an ENT specialist, vertebrologist and endocrinologist to rule out other diseases. After this, you can make an appointment with a neurologist.
The ENT specialist must exclude the development of inflammatory processes. A lump in the throat can be caused by diseases such as chronic pharyngitis, purulent sore throat and laryngitis. To exclude more serious adverse consequences, it is imperative to exclude these diseases. After all, they can act as harbingers of diseases such as abscess of the root of the tongue, parapharyngeal abscess or epiglottis.The latter disease is the most dangerous and rapidly progressing. The fact is that the epiglottis is located immediately in front of the entrance to the larynx and the slightest swelling of it can lead to blockage of breathing. It is for this reason that it is important, first of all, to be examined by an ENT doctor.
In addition, the feeling of a lump in the throat occurs as a result of the appearance of a tumor in the trachea, larynx and oropharynx. As the tumor enlarges, it begins to put pressure on the entrance space to the larynx, resulting in a feeling of a lump in the throat. In the later stages of the disease, the feeling of a lump in the throat is replaced by a feeling of lack of oxygen. If such a disease is detected on early stages the outcome may be favorable for the patient.
Causes of a lump in the throat
Feeling of a lump in the throat, causes:
- Various malfunctions of the thyroid gland.
- Disorders in the cervical spine. Typically, such symptoms are accompanied by painful sensations in the neck, back and head.
- Various violations gastrointestinal tract. In such situations, a feeling of a lump in the throat accompanies high level acidity in the mouth or discomfort in the stomach area. Very often the throat is damaged when swallowing a probe.
- Hernia.
- Colds.
- Side effect from taking any drug.
- Excess weight.
Which doctor should you contact first?
If you feel a lump in your throat, it is recommended that you first consult a general practitioner. After visual inspection he will decide where to send you next. It could be , , or . You may need help from other specialists, for example.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor conducts the following studies:
You shouldn’t torment yourself with guesses about where the feeling of a lump in your throat came from. The reasons can be very different and only experienced doctor can determine an accurate diagnosis. The more accurate and faster doctor makes a diagnosis, the more effective the treatment will be.Treatment for a feeling of a lump in the throat
How to get rid of a lump in the throat? If you are interested in this question, I would like to clarify that it is not the lump itself that is being treated, but the disease that led to the feeling of a lump. Treatment for a lump in the throat is prescribed depending on the existing disease. So, if the sensation of a lump in the throat arises as a result malfunction thyroid gland, then treatment is selected depending on the causes of these disorders. If the problem arose due to hypofunction of the thyroid gland, the disease is treated with iodine preparations. And in case of development of autoimmune thyroiditis, more complex treatment, perhaps taking hormonal drugs.
In order to cure a persistent lump in the throat that appears as a result of problems with the spine, you can resort to vacuum and manual therapy. Acupuncture and laser reflexotherapy may also help. But, most often, the implementation of a whole complex is prescribed special exercises and changing your lifestyle to a more active one.
If the patient experiences belching of air and a lump in the throat, the reasons for this may be diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Then the doctor must conduct comprehensive diagnostics to make an accurate diagnosis. But if it is observed inflammatory process in the throat, the doctor prescribes a course of antibiotics. The patient may also have to regularly gargle with special solutions. Sometimes your doctor may prescribe warm compresses.
If the lump appears as a result of stress, the doctor can prescribe relaxing and sedative medications, it all depends on psychological state sick. It was then that the most excellent medicine is sleep and rest.
Lump in throat during pregnancy
A lump in the throat during pregnancy most often occurs as a result of the experiences a woman experiences in her new position. During this time, a lot happens in a woman’s body. various changes, she feels that her life will soon change for the sake of the child who was born in her body. On early stages A woman is experiencing pregnancy, during this period of time she is subject to hysterics and wants attention. A lump in the throat during pregnancy is a consequence of worries. Get rid of this feeling This is only possible if you remove all the irritants that make the woman worry.
But if a pregnant woman is tormented by constant food in her throat, it is recommended to seek help from a specialist. If the therapist does not find any abnormalities, then the lump in the throat appeared as a result of numerous experiences. Then the therapist will write out a referral to a neurologist. If the feeling of a lump in your throat appears due to nerves, then you can cope with it yourself, relax enough and unwind a little.
A lump in the throat after depression may go away after taking relaxers. For pregnant women there is special drugs based on valerian, which do not harm the fetus.
Excellent prophylactic from a lump in the throat after depression is deep sleep. Pregnant women are advised to take more walks fresh air and sleep. It is also necessary to surround yourself with calmness and peace of mind..
Treatment of a lump in the throat with cervical osteochondrosis
Lump in throat cervical osteochondrosis accompanied by sore throat, as well as numbness, decreased sensitivity, limited range of motion in upper limbs. If you have already been diagnosed with this, then treatment of a lump in the throat can proceed in several ways:
- Medication.
- Surgical.
A lump in the throat with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can be cured with massage. It allows you to remove painful sensations from osteochondrosis and from a lump in the throat. The massage is done on the collar area - the back of the neck and shoulder girdle. Movements should be smooth and pressing from the paravertebral areas to the periphery.
Throat chronic tonsillitis
A feeling of a lump in the throat can also occur in the presence of chronic tonsillitis. With this disease, the patient complains of a sensation of a foreign body in the throat. With a sore throat, you may notice white lumps with unpleasant smell, which sometimes come out of the throat on their own.Signs of chronic tonsillitis:
- The throat with chronic tonsillitis should be inflamed.
- Attacks of sore throat occur very often.
- The body temperature reaches 37.5 degrees and cannot be brought down for several weeks.
- A cheesy mass with an unpleasant odor accumulates in the tonsils.
But such treatment does not always help get rid of the feeling of a lump in the throat. The tonsils do not always restore their protective function. Unfortunately, to achieve full recovery protective function tonsils is very difficult. It is for this reason that the first goal of treatment is to improve systemic immunity.
Preventing a lump in the throat
- Timely treatment of ear, nose and throat diseases.
- Maintaining healthy image life, which includes sound sleep, refusal bad habits, proper nutrition, sports and walks in the fresh air.
- Indoor air humidification.
- Treatment of thyroid diseases.
- Regular rinsing palatine tonsils for chronic tonsillitis.
- Treatment of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Treatment of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine.
- Rinse the nose with saline solution.
- Maintaining voice mode.
- Avoid inhaling harmful and caustic fumes.
- Timely contact a doctor when the first symptoms are detected.
Where to go if you feel a lump in your throat
If you have such an unpleasant sensation as a lump in your throat, then you can seek help from our clinic. We employ doctors with extensive experience and the highest qualifications. Our clinic is equipped with the most modern equipment, which helps doctors make an accurate diagnosis and choose the most effective method treatment.
- Cozy conditions and polite staff.
- Individual approach to each client, which allows us to make the diagnosis as accurately as possible.
- Treatment is carried out using the most modern equipment, which allows us to achieve the most favorable effect for patients.
- Our clinic contains all the most the best specialists from our country who have great experience work and are well versed in their field.
- We also employ pediatricians who will help your child get rid of the fear of doctors.
- And most importantly, our services are available to all segments of the population.
