Each of us has experienced unpleasant tickling and tightness in the throat. But when such a feeling appears quite often and begins to disturb a person, it is necessary to seek qualified help. Lump in throat - this is not a disease. This feeling is most often a sign of a disease. Sometimes an indicator of the disease can only be discomfort in the throat. And sometimes the feeling of itching and tightness is accompanied by a number of other painful symptoms.
Causes of symptoms
Most often, along with an unpleasant sore throat, a person feels other inconveniences, which he compares with a lump that prevents normal breathing and swallowing. This sensation may be accompanied by other symptoms: pain in the stomach, heart, nausea, cough, dizziness, etc. The patient may experience general fatigue and apathy. Experts divide all the causes of a coma in the throat into 2 large groups:
- Somatic.
- Psychological.
Somatic causes
If a patient complains of discomfort and sore throat, the doctor will first check the somatic group of causes of this symptom. These include:
- Tumours. Tightness, heaviness, and a lump in the throat can be felt by people who develop a tumor. It may be benign or not. As the tumor grows, discomfort may increase, breathing becomes harder. Ultimately, the resulting pathology can completely block breathing.
- Various inflammatory processes. Pharyngitis, laryngitis and sore throat with angina may be accompanied by complications such as swelling or abscess. They can cause a feeling of coma.
- Thyroid disorder. If the gland does not work properly, it begins its uncontrolled growth. An enlarged thyroid gland compresses the throat and makes it difficult to breathe. In severe thyroid disorders, associated symptoms such as weight loss, loss of appetite, etc. are observed.
- Osteochondrosis. This ailment can cause symptoms such as a lump in the throat, headaches and discomfort in the back. Osteochondrosis requires long-term and properly selected treatment.
- Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. If a person feels discomfort in the throat after eating, then most likely he has problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
- Reflux disease is a disease in which a person suffers from frequent heartburn, belching and nausea. Most often this happens due toovereating and eating junk food. At the same time, a person is accompanied by constant discomfort in the throat.
- Injury or burn of the esophagus. Gastroendoscopy, roughage, or chemicals can injure the walls of the esophagus. And as a result, there may be a feeling of coma. In this case, the sore throat stops 7-10 days after the injury.
- Quincke's edema. With such an allergic reaction, severe swelling of the upper respiratory tract occurs, which makes it difficult to breathe. If the patient is not treated in time, he can be fatal.
- Alcoholism and smoking cause discomfort and sore throat.
- In rare cases, the sensation of a coma occurs due to factors such as: parasites, heart disease and blood vessels, overweight.
Psychological reasons
In our time, a person is subject to frequent stress and depression, so the psychological cause of a lump in the throat is considered quite common.
Throat tightness and difficulty in breathing can be disturbing during stressful situations. When such sensations appear during a strong excitement and immediately disappear, you should not sound the alarm. But if the feeling of a lump in the throat is constantly present and is accompanied by tinnitus, heart palpitations and panic attacks, you need to contact a qualified specialist. Walking outdoors and exercising can help relieve symptoms. In severe cases, a psychotherapist prescribes sedatives andantidepressants.
Diagnosis
- At the first stage of diagnosis, the doctor makes a survey of the patient. He finds out how long the feeling of a coma lasts, and at what moment the first unpleasant sensations appeared.
- Then the specialist conducts a general examination. Checks the condition of the spine, lymph nodes and the symmetry of the neck.
- After carrying out all of the above actions, pharyngoscopy, laryngoscopy are prescribed. An endoscope is used to examine the upper respiratory tract.
- When sinus pathology is suspected, computed tomography and radiography are performed.
- At the last stage, a consultation with a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist and neurologist is scheduled.
Treatment
Depending on the reasons for the feeling of coma, there are various methods of treating the throat. A set of procedures aimed at eliminating this symptom, the specialist prescribes depending on the diagnosis.
If the symptom appeared due to a disorder of the thyroid gland, the patient is prescribed a course of taking hormones and iodine-containing drugs. When osteochondrosis has become the root cause of discomfort in the throat, therapy is carried out with the help of physiotherapy exercises, massages and laser therapy. If a tumor is found in a patient, the specialist must determine its nature and prescribe appropriate therapy. Radiation and chemotherapy are the most common ways to eliminate it. In severe cases, it is necessary to resort to the operating method.
When discomfort in the throat occurs due to problems withgastrointestinal tract, then in order to cure the patient, it is necessary to establish a diet, eat dietary products. In severe cases, the specialist prescribes drugs that improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. When the cause of tightness in the throat is a hernia of the esophagus, the patient is shown surgical intervention.
In the event that a lump in the throat is a consequence of a viral or bacterial infection, a specialist will prescribe a whole range of measures to combat inflammation.
Treatment for viral and bacterial infections
Before you start treating a sore throat (you can see the photo in the article), you need to find out if a bacterial or viral infection caused the disease.
Bacterial throat infections
Half of sore throats are caused by bacterial infections. These include various tonsillitis (tonsillitis) and pharyngitis. The hallmarks of such infections are:
- The rapid development of pain and sore throat.
- The body temperature rises.
- The general condition of the body is deteriorating.
- Swollen lymph nodes may occur.
How to treat a bacterial throat infection
At the first signs of infection, you should consult a doctor. He must examine the patient, prescribe the appropriate tests and, on their basis, prescribe the necessary drugs. If the patient has a sore throat, rinsing with solutions of soda and s alt helps well,furatsilin and chamomile decoction.
Pharmaceutical companies produce a large number of throat lozenges that make it easier to swallow and have an antibacterial effect. Doctors often recommend the following: Strepsils, Decatilene, Septolete, and others.
Also eliminate the symptoms of infection throat sprays with an antiseptic ("Oracept", "Strepsils-plus", etc.) If the body temperature is high, take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ("Ibuklin", "Ibuprofen", etc.) The patient, who suffers from a bacterial infection, you need to consume a large amount of warm liquid. It can be various teas, fruit drinks and compotes. In no case should it be soda water, as it can cause even more irritation.
How to treat a viral throat infection
Viral infections can also cause pain and a lumpy sensation in the throat. The main signs of their development are:
- Fatigue, loss of strength.
- Throat first itches, then the pain intensifies.
- Head starts to hurt.
- There is a feeling of "ache" in the bones.
- A sore throat is usually accompanied by a runny nose.
When the first signs of a viral infection appear, you should consult a doctor. He prescribes a complex of antiviral drugs. For a viral infection, use the same sprays, lozenges and gargles.
Laryngitis
When the mucous membrane of the larynx becomes inflamed, it candevelop laryngitis. There are several reasons that provoke the onset of the disease:
- Strong cooling.
- Tobacco smoking.
- Alcoholism.
- Polluted air.
- Heavy strain on the vocal cords.
- Allergic reactions.
Laryngitis often starts unexpectedly. A person almost does not feel unwell, the temperature remains normal or rises slightly. The first sign of laryngitis is dryness, burning and barking cough in the throat. At the next stage, a dry barking cough is replaced by a wet one, with the release of a large amount of sputum.
For children under four years of age, laryngitis is dangerous because a severe swelling of the throat is formed, which can make it difficult to breathe. At the first symptoms of the disease, it is urgent to contact a pediatrician.
To eliminate the symptoms of laryngitis, the patient should first of all exclude the factors that provoke its development. It is necessary not to strain the vocal cords, give up smoking, alcoholic beverages and exclude spicy, hot or cold foods from your diet. Drinks should be warm and plentiful.
It is necessary to try to get rid of a runny nose in order to free nasal breathing. The patient should breathe fresh moist air. Therefore, the room where it is located must be ventilated and wet cleaned twice a day. If the air in the room is too dry, you need to humidify it (for example, leave a bucket of water near the battery). It is necessary to exclude the patient from staying in a smoky room or oncold air. In order to get rid of the symptoms of laryngitis, you should, if possible, not speak or do it very quietly. In order to reduce dryness in the throat, you need to drink warm alkaline mineral water or milk with the addition of honey. A good effect is brought by inhalation with a nebulizer or steam inhalation.
In acute forms of laryngitis, the use of a local antibiotic in the form of a spray or aerosol is prescribed. In combination with the above measures, physiotherapy and cough medicines are used. As with all infections, the patient needs to consume large amounts of warm fluids.
If the treatment is chosen correctly and the patient follows all the recommendations of the doctor, the disease disappears in about a week. When the healing process is delayed or worsens, antibiotics are usually prescribed. Sometimes voice problems persist after recovery, in which case the patient needs vocal cord rehabilitation training.
Folk remedies
In folk medicine, there are hundreds of methods for treating a lump in the throat. And how to treat an ailment at home depends on the reasons that caused a feeling of constriction and discomfort. Therefore, before starting to self-medicate, it is necessary to consult a doctor. And only after the approval of a specialist, you can start therapy at home.
- Rinse and lubricate the throat. To relieve unpleasant symptoms, it is necessary to rinse and lubricate the throat. There are many recipes for this. The rinse solution should bewarm. The procedure should be carried out 3-4 times a day. Rinse is carried out with a decoction of chamomile, sage with the addition of eucalyptus and sea s alt. Lubricate the throat with purified kerosene, a solution of vodka with pepper or a solution of soda.
- Inhalations. Steam inhalations also have a good effect. For them, decoctions of medicinal herbs, natural essential oil are used. A remedy prepared according to this recipe relieves a sore throat well: potatoes are boiled with the addition of soda, after which they are kneaded and breathed over a saucepan.
- Compresses. The throat is rubbed with warming oils and wrapped up overnight. Well helps a compress of boiled potatoes. The vegetable is boiled, kneaded, wrapped in gauze and wrapped around the throat.
- Warm foot baths. Exposing the feet to warm temperatures is good for sore throats. The most popular is a warm foot bath with mustard powder.
- Means that strengthen the immune system. Any treatment should be accompanied by the use of drugs that strengthen the immune system. Therefore, for diseases of the throat, it is recommended to use tea with the addition of lemon, honey and ginger. In addition, special vitamin mixtures are prepared from dried fruits and nuts. These products will not only strengthen the weakened immune system, but also saturate the body with essential vitamins.
If you decide to treat your throat with folk remedies, remember that they will be effective only in combination with medications that a doctor can prescribe to you after diagnosing the disease. Remember that self-medication can only aggravate the situation and cause serious harm to yourhe alth!
If the feeling of a lump in the throat appeared against the background of nervous tension, you can also resort to traditional medicine recipes. One of the easiest ways to relax is to get a full sleep and rest regimen. You need to go to bed and get up at the same time. The room in which you rest should have fresh air, the bed should be hard and comfortable. You need to watch your diet, eat more fruits and vegetables. Daily walks in the fresh air and moderate physical activity will help get rid of nervous disorders. Herbal teas with the addition of mint, lemon balm, valerian and motherwort will help calm the nerves. Baths with the addition of essential oils or massages with lavender oil are a good way to relax.
Conclusion
When there is a sensation of a lump in the throat, the first thing to do is seek medical advice. Remember, this is not a disease, but a symptom that can lead to a serious illness. And only a timely diagnosis and proper treatment will help to avoid serious complications.
