Every day, a huge number of people with various problems turn to the clinics of our country. A feeling of tightness in the throat can occur with various diseases. This symptom causes a lot of problems and interferes with the usual course of life. At the same time, some patients experience a burning sensation, while others have a similar symptom accompanied by numbness of the limbs and breathing problems. How to understand why the throat is strangling? The causes of this condition can only be determined by a qualified doctor. The patient will need to undergo an examination, according to the results of which the doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis.
In this review, we will consider why the throat is choking, the reasons, the treatment of this condition, as well as the recommendations of specialists. A feeling of constriction in the throat can appear under the influence of many factors. They can be divided into two large groups: psychogenic and somatic. Consider the most common.
Sore throat
So what do you need to know about this manifestation? Any inflammatory process leads to swelling of the tissues. As a result, a person can feel as if something is strangling him, crushing his throat. Many call this condition "lump in the throat." The process can be both chronic and acute. Inflammation can subsequently lead to the development of pharyngitis or laryngitis. The cause may also be follicular tonsillitis. In the absence of proper treatment, this condition worsens and becomes an abscess or paratonsillitis. These diseases pose a serious danger, since there is a risk of edema. This can cause problems with the access of oxygen to the body.
Tumors
What to expect in this state? What to do if for a long time the sensation does not pass, as if it were strangling the throat? Causes may include malignant or benign tumors. In the first case, the problem is quite serious, and the sooner you start treating it, the better.
The feeling of suffocation is usually not the only symptom of a dangerous ailment.
With an oncological disease, patients usually complain of:
- fatigue of ligaments: the patient cannot speak for a long time;
- difficulty swallowing;
- hoarseness in the voice;
- bad breath;
- the appearance in the sputum of bloody veins;
- shooting pains in the ear;
- respiratory failure.
These problems are usually localized in the trachea, larynx and oropharynx. If you have the slightest suspicion of the development of tumor formations, you should immediately consult a profile doctor.
Thyroid disorders
Why does throat strangle? In some cases, the cause of the appearance of such symptoms is damage to the thyroid gland. As a result, this organ changes in size and puts pressure on the surrounding tissue. In medical terminology, this pathology is called goiter. It is also known as Bazedova’s disease.
To identify an ailment, you must consult a doctor. A specialist can make a preliminary diagnosis based on the results of a visual examination. Significant weight loss, bulging eyes, and loss of appetite are also observed with Basedow disease. Ultrasound examination and laboratory tests will help to make an accurate diagnosis.
Sometimes the patient does not have goiter, but he still feels as if he is choking in the throat. What could it be? Choking occurs also due to other thyroid lesions, for example, with inflammation or increased production of thyroid hormones. With these pathologies, sensations of a foreign body in the throat often appear.
Osteochondrosis
What effect does it have on the body? Strongly chokes the throat and with osteochondrosis. These violations can occur with a lack of movement. Causes can also be unhealthy diets and bad habits.
Cervical osteochondrosis, as a rule, is accompanied by pain in the head, neck and back. It seems to the patient that someone is strangling him in the throat. Pathologies in some cases can provoke vomiting, nausea, and sudden changes in blood pressure. Only a doctor can diagnose the disease.
To eliminate these symptoms, complex treatment is usually required. Good effectiveness is demonstrated by massage and gymnastics. Also try to monitor your posture. Try changing the mattress and pillow on the bed. In severe cases, taking special medications will not work.
Digestive tract diseases
Some complain that when eating, there is an unpleasant sensation - it suffocates the throat. Most likely, in this case we are talking about pathologies of the digestive system. Such violations can be accompanied by symptoms such as heartburn, belching, sour taste in the mouth, a feeling of discomfort in the stomach.
Why is it choking in the throat? The causes may be a chronic disorder such as reflux. Due to this pathology, acid content from the stomach is found in the esophagus. The result is belching, flatulence and nausea. To eliminate this violation, doctors recommend changing the diet. Refuse should be from the use of coffee, carbonated drinks, chocolate and other dishes that irritate the stomach.
If the throat strangles, the cause may be due to a hernia of the esophagus. This violation can occur due to severe coughing, lifting heavy loads, constipation or excess weight. A muscle spasm can be caused by a stressful situation. A glass of warm milk with honey will help ease the condition. Often with a hernia, chest pain also appears. In this situation, a cardiogram of the heart is usually prescribed to exclude the presence of diseases of the cardiovascular system. In some cases, in addition to asphyxiation, hiccups can also be observed.
If the larynx or esophagus is damaged , a lump in the throat also appears. Often the cause of injury to the esophagus is coarse food. Damage to the digestive tract can occur in the case of improperly performed gastroendoscopy. Symptoms go away by themselves about a week later.
Allergic reactions
Why is it choking in the throat? Causes may be related to allergies. Of particular danger to life is Quincke's edema. It can cause choking. In this case, the count goes for seconds. Only the urgent use of antihistamines can save a patient's life.
Diphtheria
What to fear? Choking can be a sign of such a serious and dangerous infectious disease as diphtheria. This disease should be mentioned separately, since it is very difficult to diagnose, especially among young children.
Once in the throat, the causative agent of diphtheria or diphtheria bacillus causes suffocation. The appearance of a cough may be accompanied by fever, swelling in the neck and other symptoms. According to the clinical picture, diphtheria is similar to many other diseases, which complicates the diagnosis. It is impossible to establish precisely the disease under discussion until the results of a throat swab are obtained. Treatment can only be started after the doctor can detect diphtheria bacillus in the results of the analysis.
Therapy is based on the introduction of a special antitoxic serum. This medication is good against diphtheria. Of course, they use it only in a medical hospital. Only in this case can a person be helped if he suddenly develops an allergic reaction to serum. In severe cases, when breathing is too difficult, the doctor may decide on the need for a tracheotomy. This procedure will help provide oxygen access to bypass affected areas.
Other reasons
Let's dwell on this in more detail. Why does throat strangle? If none of the reasons described above has been identified, the problem may be as follows:
- Helminthic invasion. Most often, the habitat of helminths is the intestine, but they can lay eggs in other places, even in the throat. As a result, a person has a feeling of an alien object in this place.
- Pathology of the cardiovascular system. This factor rarely leads to sore throat. However, it should not be immediately ruled out, especially if the patient complains of pain in the chest area.
- Excess weight. A lump in the throat can occur if an impressive fat layer appears under the skin in the neck.
- Ingestion in the throat of a foreign body. Most often these are pills or bones.
- Psychogenic factors.
The above causes often cause a feeling of constriction in the throat. To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor must conduct a full examination of the patient. This will eliminate somatic factors. If there are no disturbances in the functioning of the internal organs, the problem may be psychogenic in nature. In this case, the patient, when swallowing, may have a sore throat (choking), soreness and scratching. As a rule, at the initial stage, these manifestations are weakly expressed, but can increase with time. This condition is usually observed for a long time. A person may even suspect a dangerous disease. This only enhances anxiety and exacerbates the clinical picture.
Pain caused by psychogenic factors can be periodic. As a rule, the condition worsens with panic attacks. Along with sore throat and a feeling of suffocation, palpitations may increase and pressure may increase. In this situation, there are bouts of depression, expressed in excessive isolation, depression and lacrimation. A sore throat increases with a panic attack. Usually such attacks last about 30 minutes. To determine the exact cause of this condition, the doctor will have to study the effect on the patient’s health of psychoemotional factors.
Toddlers can feel choking as a result of a foreign body entering the respiratory tract. The child will begin to choke and cough. This situation is extremely dangerous for the life and health of the baby. A foreign structure may interfere with breathing, resulting in death. The only way to help your child in this condition is to clear the airways.
Cramped clothing tight to the neck can lead to a feeling of tightness in the throat. In this case, it is recommended to refuse to wear such things. Most likely, the person simply has a too sensitive neck area. This is not considered a pathology.
Diagnostics
What is she like? What is throat strangling for? The thyroid gland can cause similar symptoms, but osteochondrosis, digestive system diseases, and respiratory tract injury should not be ruled out. To correctly determine the cause of this condition, you need to contact a therapist. After the examination, the doctor will most likely prescribe an additional examination. Consultation with other specialists may also be required - an endocrinologist, an otolaryngologist, a surgeon. In some cases, the help of a neurologist and gastroenterologist is needed.
To accurately determine the discomfort in the throat, the following types of diagnostic tests are usually prescribed:
- blood and urine tests;
- examination of the thyroid gland (ultrasound);
- blood chemistry;
- determination of the state of lymph nodes in the neck;
- CT scan;
- MRI
- visual examination of the oral cavity and pharynx.
Treatment methods
This issue should be given special importance. Many are interested in what to do if they strangle the throat. What to do in this case? To eliminate the feeling of tightness in the throat, you need to get rid of the cause that caused it. Treatment will depend on the diagnosis.
If the diagnosis revealed abnormalities in the thyroid gland, then the doctor will prescribe iodine preparations. With autoimmune thyroiditis, more complex therapy is prescribed. In some cases, the patient has to drink hormonal drugs throughout his life.
If osteochondrosis suffocates the throat, treatment must necessarily include special gymnastics. A physiotherapy course may also be required. As a rule, it includes laser exposure, reflexology, manual techniques and vacuum treatment. In addition, it will be necessary to normalize the lifestyle, get rid of bad habits and revise the diet.
The most dangerous cause of throat constriction is a malignant tumor. In this case, the patient will need radiation and chemotherapy. Surgery may also be required.
If sore throat is associated with gastroenterological diseases, treatment may consist in observing a diet, as well as the use of special drugs. If the problem lies in the hernia of the esophagus, then most likely you will have to do the operation.
What else is choking in the throat? What could it be? With the development of the inflammatory process in otolaryngological organs, it is necessary to first assess the nature of the disease. It may be viral or bacterial in nature. After conducting the necessary studies, the patient is prescribed antibacterial agents and other drugs. Together with the main therapy, rinses with herbal infusions, as well as with salt and iodine preparations can be recommended. These funds have excellent healing and anti-inflammatory properties. Strengthen drug therapy with the help of warming compresses.
A feeling of constriction in the throat can also cause psychogenic factors. In this case, therapy involves the use of psychotherapeutic agents. If the patient is diagnosed with depression, he will be prescribed antidepressants and tranquilizers. If you experience breathing problems associated with panic attacks, you must undergo treatment to help eliminate the signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia. The patient is recommended to do relaxing breathing exercises. For this purpose, you can just breathe in your stomach. The attending physician will help you choose the right set of exercises.
If you feel constricted in your throat, try a few breathing exercises. Do not focus on this condition. Try to control swallowing movements. They should not become more often. Tea or an infusion of herbs will help improve the condition. After some time after the attack, it is recommended to do a few more exercises for the neck muscles.
Prevention
Some regularly encounter unpleasant oppressive sensations - suffocates the throat. The reasons for this condition may be different. However, there are a number of recommendations, observing which, you can easily avoid such problems.
Preventive measures include:
- Elimination of pathologies of the nasopharynx.
- Compliance with the regime of work and rest.
- Active lifestyle.
- Long stay in the fresh air.
- Rejection of bad habits.
- Regular examinations by an endocrinologist.
- Therapy of thyroid pathologies.
- Maintaining the optimum level of humidity in the room. This will help relieve dry throat.
- Timely treatment of tonsillitis. Regular rinsing of tonsils.
- Treatment of pathologies of the digestive tract.
- Nasopharyngeal rinse with saline.
- Therapy of pathologies of the cervical spine.
- Reducing stressful situations.
Conclusion
What if throat strangles? The causes, treatment, and methods of preventing this condition were discussed in detail in this review. Pressing sensations in the throat may indicate the presence of various diseases. To successfully deal with this condition, you must first correctly determine the cause of this problem. To do this, you should definitely consult a doctor. He will help you choose the appropriate therapy.
Never spare time on your health. At the first manifestations of any ailment, seek professional medical help.