There are people who, when faced with a difficult situation, may experience a lump in their throat. When is this feeling of suffocation due to anxiety? Discover the causes and how to solve it.
At some point or another, people can experience some of the symptoms of anxiety. When we feel anxious we tend to feel tense, experience nausea, and even feel more nervous than normal. But anxiety can also cause a lump in throat, that is, the sensation of having something on your neck. Why it happens?
Typically, people who experience this sore throat due to anxiety They usually describe it in different ways. Among the most common, those who feel the sensation of a lump in their throat usually indicate the following conditions.
Feeling of having something in your throat
Throat pressure
Throat palpitations
Ball in the throat
All these ‘symptoms’ are usually due to the anxiety that we can suffer when there is nothing physically that can induce a lump in the throat. This condition is called hysterical balloon or bolus, also called pharyngeal globus when it is a symptom of anxiety.
Hysterical balloon: sore throat due to anxiety
In cases where the feeling of having something in the throat is due to anxiety, this is not constant. That is, this tightness in the throat can occur frequently, but it does so when the person is faced with a situation that generates stress or anxiety.
You can also identify it as a symptom of anxiety when pressure in the throat It occurs together in a panic attack or other symptoms of this psychological disorder.
Why does the sensation of a lump in the throat occur?
Both anxiety and stress can have a very profound effect on our bodies. One of them is the inflammation of certain areas due to the activation of the autonomic nervous system. When experiencing a very intense anxious state, people can become suffer from a lump in the throat or a dry throat due to anxiety
This occurs since anxiety causes our heart rate to increase, as well as our breathing and body tension. This last symptom is the one that is closely related to the globus hysterico or pharyngeal
When anxiety causes this feeling of lump in the throat People experience terror because it is similar to drowning or feeling like they are at risk of not being able to breathe at some point. Despite these sensations, the reality is that hysterical bolus is not a dangerous symptom.
How to calm the feeling of having something in your throat due to anxiety?
The only way to stop the feeling of lump in throat is working to reduce your anxiety. That is, you will only be able to get rid of this pressure in your throat if you eliminate the anxious states to which you are exposed. To calm anxiety and a lump in your throat when it appears, you can do the following.
Drinking water: By drinking water you can reduce the feeling of having a lump in your throat through two ways. First, when we drink water we feel it running down our throat, something that can calm concerns about choking. Second, there is some research that indicates that hydration can reduce this tight feeling in the throat.
Perform physical exercise: Although it is difficult to find the strength to combat anxiety when experiencing these palpitations in the throat, one of the best decisions you can make right now is to try physical activity. Jumping, running, jogging, among others, can help calm anxiety states.
Herbal solutions: Taking herbs that calm the nervous system may be helpful in trying soothe the sensation of a lump in the throat because of anxiety. Among the most recommended, valerian can be a good option.
Breath deeply: One of the most effective methods to try to calm the feeling of lump in throat is to relieve the nervousness that produces it. Taking a deep breath at these moments will help you alleviate this discomfort.
In many cases, people do not know that they are suffering from anxiety even though they perceive a strange feeling in the throat due to this disorder. People are capable of experiencing some of the physical symptoms of anxiety even when they do not feel anxious or are not exposed to a situation that generates these emotions.
Therefore, you can have the sore throat due to anxiety even when you are relaxed. In these cases, it is important to take measures to calm the anxiety you suffer, such as going to a professional psychologist. There is no quick cure to end the feeling of having something in your throat due to anxiety. It is through inner work that a person will be able to get rid of this feeling of choking in the throat.
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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team at PsychologyFor to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to evidence-based research. The content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
