Have you ever felt like your throat is suddenly tight as if something is clogging or restricting it? Throat tightness can be unsettling and even a little scary, but it’s important to remember that there are many potential reasons it could be happening. It isn’t always a serious condition. Let’s take a look at a few common causes of throat tightness and when it’s time to seek professional help.
Anxiety or Stress
Anxiety or stress can manifest with physical symptoms. While the most well-known symptoms include sweating and rapid heart rate, severe anxiety symptoms like panic attacks can lead to shortness of breath or tightness in your throat.
It’s essential to remember that anxiety is a health condition, not a matter of will or attitude. For people with severe anxiety, treatment options like cognitive behavioral therapy or medication can help manage the condition. If you’re feeling especially anxious or stressed, try taking a day for yourself. Take a class at Performance Power Yoga, read a book or catch a movie. These small activities, combined with professional help, will help bring you peace of mind and help prevent panic attack-induced throat tightness.
Acid Reflux
Acid reflux refers to the phenomenon of stomach acid rising into the esophagus, causing heartburn, backwash, nausea and the feeling of a lump in the throat, occasionally described as a tightness or soreness.
To help minimize acid reflux symptoms, try taking antacids, eating smaller meals, eating earlier, sleeping on your left side, wearing loose-fitting clothing and taking small sips of water when reflux is bad. If your acid reflux is severe or long-lasting, seek professional help from one of our ENT specialists.
Allergies
Allergies are the physical manifestation of an immune system’s overreaction to normally harmless substances like pollen, dust and certain foods or medications. Common symptoms include itching, sneezing, runny nose, red or watery eyes, hives and throat tightness or shortness of breath. Also known as anaphylaxis, throat tightness and shortness of breath are severe allergy symptoms. Approximately 0.05% to 2% of people have a lifetime chance of experiencing anaphylaxis.
While rare, anaphylaxis is serious and requires immediate medical attention. If you or a loved one starts exhibiting light-headedness, increased heart rate, sudden weakness, unconsciousness, shortness of breath or throat tightness, use an epinephrine shot (EpiPen®) immediately. After the EpiPen, get emergency medical help.
Laryngospasm
A laryngospasm is a sudden, scary condition where your vocal cords tighten up, making your throat feel tight and causing trouble breathing. Though laryngospasms are uncommon, they can indicate an underlying issue. If you have these spasms, contact your ENT specialist for diagnosis and treatment.
Throat tightness is scary, but you can manage this unsettling condition with the right treatment. Contact ENT of Georgia North today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists for a diagnosis and treatment consultation.
