Anguish is one of the worst feelings that can occur. It causes all kinds of symptoms, and can, in turn, be caused by any everyday problem, even if you don’t really know what it is.
Sometimes, we live stressed without realizing it, so much so that we reach the point of not being able to even swallow saliva, which It makes us wonder why we get a lump in our throat.
This sensation, called hysterical bolus, is common if you suffer from an anxiety disorder, although sometimes it is difficult to relate this symptom to a psychological problem and it is confused with a medical condition. Let’s take a closer look at how this feeling can occur and what to do to combat it.
Why do we get a lump in our throat? Causes and symptoms
The sensation of having a lump in the throat is called hysterical bolus or pharyngeal globus and is one of the main symptoms of the manifestation of an anxiety disorder. It consists of the throat muscles contracting, despite there being no organic factor or cause for it, making it difficult to speak, swallow food, or even swallow saliva.
The reason for the appearance of this sensation is that, When you are anxious, the body prepares for a possible danger or threat. To ensure that the ability to flee or attack is fulfilled in the most efficient way, some physiological processes are inhibited, especially those related to the digestive system, with swallowing and digestion being the most affected.
For this reason, not only does the sensation of drowning occur, the mouth also dries out because the production of saliva, used in the digestion process, is paralyzed.
Many people who have high levels of stress can experience a sensation similar to choking or a blockage in the throat, despite there being no object or physical cause for it. So, despite the sensation, which is very unpleasant, there is no real threat to the person drowning. In fact, if you try to drink water and try to stay calm, you will most likely manage to swallow it.
However, although it is a sensation, it does not mean that it cannot get worse. If the person who is suffering begins to really believe that he or she is going to drown, the hysterical bolus will persist, in addition to contributing to the person beginning to behave in a desperate manner to get rid of it.
Even if you have had this feeling before and you know, objectively speaking, that it will be overcome after a few minutes, it does. the feeling of suffocation ends up producing some emotional reaction in the person like crying or losing calm.
Many people can suffer from pharyngeal ballooning for multiple reasons, but if the sensation persists over time, it is very necessary to consult a professional. Not only to avoid or try to reduce its appearance, but to understand the anxiety problem that causes it.
Characteristics of this annoying sensation
As we were already commenting, hysterical bolus basically manifests itself in the form of very annoying choking, popularly compared to a lump blocking the throat. However, the following two characteristics are worth highlighting.
1. It appears in unexpected situations
Unlike panic attacks, a lump in the throat is a situation that can occur without a prior signal indicating that it is going to happen. The hysterical bolus appears when everything is going well, without warning.
This sensation appears because of all the anxiety that one has been suffering, which, unconsciously, progressively orchestrates and triggers a series of physiological responses drowning being one of them.
Because it occurs without attracting attention or in a high-stress situation, it is more difficult to identify the cause that generates this sensation.
2. It makes it difficult to speak fluently
Although the sensation of drowning is indeed that, a sensation, it causes tension in the throat, which makes it difficult to speak comfortably.
Exactly the same thing happens that would happen if there was a rope around the neck or someone was suffocating the person and, therefore, normal speech cannot be done. Sometimes, the affected person may babble or speak in a way that is not understandable.
What can be done?
On more than one occasion, especially when one does not know what to do or has not experienced this sensation before, the person responds in a very alarmed manner. This contributes to the feeling of drowning getting worse, making the person even more nervous, entering a loop that only helps the negative feeling get worse.
Thus, faced with the notable sensation of not being able to breathe correctly, one ends up going to the emergency room, where, after carrying out the appropriate tests, it is seen that there is no object obstructing the throat. It may be the case that some type of drug is prescribed to calm the feeling of discomfort, without considering that we are really dealing with a symptom caused by a psychological problem.
The fact of ignoring or ignoring this signal and, therefore, Not delving into the possible anxiety disorder that must be behind it, is very detrimental to the person’s well-being. Not delving into what makes the person suffer from anxiety can make their symptoms chronic. Anxiety, anguish, stress and crying are warnings that something is not going well in our lives, and we should pay attention to them. Ignoring these warning signs will not cause them to disconnect or magically make the underlying problem disappear.
The lump in the throat, as a symptom of anxiety, can be a sign that you need to urgently go to a professional to treat the problem that causes it, which is certainly not an infection in the pharynx or an obstruction in the neck. . Taking medication that all it does is ‘cover’ the symptom Instead of working on the cause, the only thing you will achieve is that you will suffer this unpleasant sensation again in the future and, to make matters worse, you may develop some type of addiction to the drugs that are consumed to treat this discomfort.
Hysterical bolus may be the first of many psychosomatic symptoms caused by anxiety. Then others may come, perhaps much worse, such as chest pain, which can be confused with a heart attack, depersonalization, facial paralysis, gastrointestinal pain, tics…
The lump in the throat is a symptom that, although simple, is disabling, especially due to the fact that can appear at any time, without warning. It happens suddenly, as if it were a summer storm. Since it is not possible to prevent it on your own, the best option is to seek specialized help.
