The sensation of a throat hair is probably familiar to every person. This unpleasant symptom can appear in a certain position of the body or it can torment a person constantly. Since hair in the throat is a non-specific symptom, the nature of its appearance can be very diverse. Perhaps this is real hair, but it is likely that this is a manifestation of the current disease. Throat hair is felt both in mild illnesses and in insidious pathologies.
Why may this sensation occur ?
It is worth repeating and noting that it’s impossible to say exactly why it feels like a throat of hair. There is a certain list of diseases that is accompanied by a similar symptom:
- bacterial infections;
- various viruses;
- respiratory diseases, especially in the upper part;
- allergy;
- reaction to irritants (including cigarette smoke);
- lack of humidity;
- smoking;
- stuck real hair;
- tumors;
- thyroid disease.
As you can see, some reasons for the sensation of hair in the mouth can be absolutely safe for the human body, and some vice versa. Particular caution should be given to the possibility of a neoplasm. It can be either benign tumors or oncology.
Other symptoms that accompany a sensation in the throat of the hair
As already discussed above, the feeling that the hair is stuck in the throat is not a disease, but a symptom. It can occur singly, and may be accompanied by other symptoms, for example:
- irritation of the laryngeal mucosa;
- nausea and vomiting;
- constant perspiration.
Similar symptoms are observed with colds, but their appearance can be well recognized by elevated body temperature, redness of the throat, and swelling of the mucous membrane. If the picture is not typical for simple colds, then the patient must seek help from a medical specialist. Moreover, you should not postpone the visit to the doctor for a long time, because the disease is much easier to prevent or cure in the early stages.
It is important! A sensation of a foreign body in the throat, including the hair, can be a symptom of a deadly disease.
Possible serious pathologies
In addition to tumor formations, a sensation of a lump of hair in the throat can occur due to progressive osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. If the reason is really in the spine, then the patient must seek advice from a neurologist.
Also, a similar syndrome can occur with a disorder of the thyroid gland, as well as with neuralgic pathologies.
In any case, if the cause cannot be established independently, it is recommended to consult a doctor who will prescribe the necessary tests (blood and other) and other studies, such as ultrasound.
Vegetative dysfunction and hair sensation
Vegetative dysfunction, or, as it is also called, VVD, can also cause a sensation of hair in the throat and cough. This symptom may periodically appear and disappear, and may not leave a person for many months.
If this disease was nevertheless diagnosed, then the patient needs urgent consultation of a psychotherapist.
In addition to hair in the throat, a person may experience headache, palpitations, nausea, rapid urination or bowel movements, heart pain, high or low blood pressure. Therefore, vegetative dysfunction does not appear with one sensation of a lump in the throat, because, as a rule, this ailment is diagnosed in a combination of tests, the indicators of which should not differ from the norm, and symptoms.
Other causes of discomfort
Sometimes a person does not leave a sensation of hair in the throat. The reasons can be varied.
Sometimes it also happens that this symptom is manifested due to injury to the esophagus. Such a violation of the integrity of the tissues sometimes occurs during ingestion of coarse and hard foods.
Throat hair is also felt due to inflamed lymph nodes. Inflamed nodes squeeze the throat, and a person feels a foreign body. Enlarged lymph nodes can easily be felt not only by the doctor, but also by the patient, but there can be a lot of reasons for their inflammation.
And finally, the most unusual reason for the sensation of a lump of hair in the throat may be hiding in the presence of parasites in the body. Surprisingly, helminths can be present not only in the human intestine. It also happens that they lay eggs in the larynx, so the patient begins to feel a foreign body in his mouth.
What to do if hair is illusory?
When there is a sensation of hair in the throat and the cause is not mechanical damage, you must consult a doctor. Initially, it is recommended to go for a consultation with the ENT specialist. He will be able to establish the cause of this symptom, and if necessary, prescribe a study of the body.
Most likely, the patient will need to take blood and urine tests. If an ENT suspects a thyroid disease or a tumor, then he will write a referral to an endocrinologist or oncologist.
If the indicators of all tests do not go beyond the norm and mechanical damage is also not detected, then, most likely, a sensation of a lump in the throat occurs due to mental disorders. In this case, the doctor will refer the patient to a psychotherapist, who will already prescribe the necessary therapy. Sometimes a therapist's appointment can be combined with a visit to a neurologist who will prescribe certain medications to the patient.
And if the hair is real?
Despite the fact that the sensation of hair in the throat is a fairly common symptom of various pathologies, it most often appears due to the fact that a person does indeed have a small hair on the wall of the larynx. As a rule, hair gets into the throat of a person when visiting a hairdresser or contact with animals.
If you could make out the hair, then you can try to swallow more saliva. A foreign body will slip through the esophagus and enter the stomach. After that, it will leave the body in a natural way.
It happens when neither swallowing, nor drinking helps a person, then you need to carefully examine the throat in the mirror. Sometimes you may even need a flashlight. There is another way to extract hair.
How to get real hair?
So, a sensation of hair in the throat can occur due to its getting stuck on the wall of the larynx. If you can’t get rid of it in any way, then it’s better to consult a doctor who in sterile conditions will get it, but if you can’t visit the medical institution, you can try to remove it yourself.
First you need to take the tweezers and sterilize it. It is best to boil it, but can be treated with ordinary alcohol. After this, it is advisable to treat the throat with an antiseptic in order to temporarily get rid of the gag reflex. After that, in front of the mirror, you need to gently pick up the hair so as not to injure the mucous membrane of the throat.
Once the hair has been removed from the wall of the larynx, it is best to rinse your mouth with herbal infusion, a solution of furatsilina or ordinary soda. This is necessary in order to minimize the risk of infection, and with a violation of the integrity of the mucosa, this is likely.
In any case, the conduct of this manipulation is best entrusted to a medical professional and only in a hospital where there are all the necessary conditions.