A lump in the throat during neurosis is the first signal that malfunctions are occurring in the functioning of the nervous system. Patients who have problems with swallowing and sore throat seek help from many specialists, but few of them associate these symptoms with psychosomatics. “Pharynx neurosis” refers to a pathology that affects the funnel-shaped canal - the link between the mouth and the esophagus.
Symptoms that something is wrong with your throat
The feeling of a lump in the throat may be accompanied by a “soreness” in the throat, a feeling of incomplete inhalation, difficulty swallowing, discomfort in the neck and chest, a burning sensation or a sensation of a foreign body, although there are no changes when palpated (nothing is enlarged, not deformed, not inflamed).
A “lump” that appears once should not cause concern, since it is most likely a one-time reaction of the body to stress, overwork, or excitement of the nervous system.
If this phenomenon recurs, you should consult a doctor, as this feeling can become a painful symptom, “overgrown” with other manifestations: a feeling of a foreign body in the oropharynx, sleep disturbances, anxiety, loss of appetite and disruption of normal swallowing, surges in blood pressure and sensations of heart failure , diarrhea or constipation.
As a rule, timely and adequate treatment completely eliminates the unpleasant symptom.
Causes of the disease
The occurrence of any nervous disease is not one reason, but a combination of them. And throat neurosis is no exception. There are three forms of neurosis: anesthesia, hyperesthesia and paresthesia. All three species have different factors that contribute to the development of the disease.
1. Anesthesia.
Anesthesia of the pharynx is characterized by complete or partial loss of sensitivity and disruption of the swallowing process. The following factors lie at the root of this disease:
- hysteria or severe stress;
- brain tumors;
- all types of paralysis;
- syphilis;
- infections. For example, influenza, measles, diphtheria or typhus;
- problems with the spine. Another reason for the development of pharyngeal neurosis is incorrect posture and osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
2. Hyperesthesia.
This increases the sensitivity of the throat. Its appearance can be caused by the following reasons:
- throat diseases. This includes tonsillitis, laryngitis and pharyngitis, as well as other inflammatory processes in the trachea, larynx and pharynx;
- bad habits. An unhealthy lifestyle, namely drinking alcohol and smoking, can lead to throat neurosis;
- neurasthenia. A person who is under the influence of severe stress often complains of pain, soreness, scratching and spasm in the throat. These listed symptoms are the main ones in the diagnosis of pharyngeal neurosis.
3. Paresthesia.
It can cause a wide variety of sensations, as in hyperesthesia and anesthesia, but numbness and tingling are added to the clinical picture. The causes are considered to be:
- menopause is the main factor in females;
- suspiciousness. Very often the disease manifests itself in people who are unbalanced and irritable. Based on the form of throat neurosis, the symptoms of the disease are also distinguished.
Causes of an unpleasant lump in the throat
- Overwork.
- Severe or long-term stress. Nervous tension.
- Neuroses and neurotic reactions.
- Depression.
- Anxiety disorder (phobias, panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder, etc.)
- Psychosomatic diseases.
- Schizotypal disorder, schizophrenia.
- Consequences of organic damage to the nervous system after trauma. infections, strokes, heart attacks, etc.
- Diseases of internal organs (hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis, tonsillitis, spinal osteochondrosis, hiatal hernia, obesity or cachexia).
- Allergic reactions.
- Poisoning.
About vegetative-vascular dystonia
Vegetovascular dystonia (in other words, autonomic dysfunction) is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system is part of the nervous system that regulates many processes in the internal organs. It is sometimes called the autonomic nervous system because... regulation occurs autonomously, i.e. without the participation of human consciousness. The autonomic nervous system conventionally has two divisions: sympathetic and parasympathetic, which are responsible for oppositely directed actions: for example, the parasympathetic division stimulates digestion, and the sympathetic one slows it down. Normally, the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems are in balance without predominance of one over the other.
Vegetovascular dystonia is an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system, the consequence of which is disruption of the functioning of internal organs. Vegetative-vascular dystonia affects up to 70% of the adult population and 15-25% of children.
Who to contact if you have a lump in your throat
The feeling of a lump in the throat is treated by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. During the consultation, the doctor will assess the condition and determine the amount of assistance needed.
Help can be obtained in any clinic where there is a license to provide assistance in psychotherapy, psychiatry and neurology and where a psychiatrist or psychotherapist conducts an appointment.
ROSA Clinic
is a specialized and licensed clinic that provides assistance for all types of disorders accompanied by a feeling of a lump in the throat.
Our specialists
are ready to come to your home for consultation; you can also see a doctor in our clinic.
Treatment is most often carried out at home. If necessary, it is possible to be hospitalized in our own hospital, equipped with modern diagnostic equipment and where it is possible to carry out active treatment.
Lack of air with VSD
One of the common manifestations of VSD is a feeling of lack of air or hyperventilation of the lungs. At the same time, you may feel a “lump in your throat,” increased breathing, and you experience a feeling of lack of oxygen. It is actually a condition in which there is not enough carbon dioxide in the blood. The body begins to give a command to slow down your breathing, and if you are prone to anxiety, you instinctively begin to breathe more often.
Along with the lack of air, accompanying symptoms may appear - rapid heartbeat, ringing in the ears, tingling in the limbs.
Attacks are especially active during stressful conditions.
How is the feeling of a lump in the throat treated?
Treatment is determined by the causes and mechanism of development of the disease and is selected individually for each patient.
For a recent and non-severe condition
treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis: the doctor conducts a psychotherapeutic session, prescribes medications that the patient takes at home and periodically comes for follow-up consultations.
For moderate severity
- treatment in a day hospital is recommended: daily treatment procedures are carried out (drug infusions, physiotherapy, etc.), which take an hour and a half, but the patient lives at home and goes about his usual business. The average course of a day hospital is about 10 days.
In severe condition
hospitalization in a hospital is recommended. Due to intensive treatment, the condition can be stabilized already in the first hours of stay. The average length of hospital stay is 10 days (from 5 to 30 days depending on the severity of the condition and the body’s recovery abilities).
Main methods of treatment:
- Psychotherapy.
- Drug treatment (pharmacotherapy).
- Physiotherapy.
- Massage and manual therapy.
- Diet therapy.
- Biofeedback therapy.
Causes of occurrence and development
The etiology of VSD, as well as its symptoms, is extremely diverse. Among the main reasons, doctors name:
- pathological changes that occurred during pregnancy or childbirth (intrauterine hypoxia, infectious process, birth injuries, etc.);
- changes in hormonal levels (during puberty or during hormonal therapy);
- hereditary tendency (presence of autonomic disorders in close relatives);
- traumatic brain injuries of any severity;
- traumatic stressful situation, frequent psycho-emotional stress;
- high mental stress;
- excessive, or conversely, insufficient physical activity;
- toxic effects of certain substances;
- unbalanced, irregular nutrition;
- long-term course of chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary heart disease, bronchial asthma, hypo- and hyperthyroidism, gastric ulcer, etc.);
- chronic lack of sleep, sleep disorder;
- sudden changes in weather conditions or prolonged stay in a place with severe climatic conditions;
- the presence of foci of infectious agents (chronic sinusitis, rhinitis, otitis, tonsillitis, etc.);
- bad habits (smoking, alcoholism, drug addiction).
There are certain risk groups, people from whom are more likely than others to develop VSD: people who are underweight or overweight, have low resistance to stress, and occupy responsible positions; girls during puberty, women during pregnancy and menopause.
Symptoms of VSD in the acute stage
The cardiovascular symptom complex in VSD is manifested by the following symptoms:
- changes in heart rate;
- lability of blood pressure;
- pathological vasomotor reactions (redness, cyanosis, pallor of the skin, hot flashes, chilliness of the feet and hands).
In the acute stage, burning, stabbing, pressing, throbbing pain or discomfort in the heart area is observed.
The respiratory symptom complex is manifested by increased ventilation (rapid deep breathing), psychogenic shortness of breath (sniffling, yawning, coughing, periodic deep breaths). Hyperventilation always accompanies anxiety. Shortness of breath is accompanied by dissatisfaction with inhalation, a feeling of lack of air, intermittent breathing, and a feeling of stopping breathing. In the acute stage, muscle spasms and a crawling sensation around the mouth and in the distal limbs occur. Neurologists define Chvostek's symptom - contraction of the muscle that raises the corner of the mouth when tapped in the projection of the facial nerve. Hyperventilation may cause the following symptoms:
- headache;
- fainting state;
- pain in the heart area;
- heart rhythm disturbance;
- abdominal pain, combined with increased peristalsis, nausea, and belching of air.
The gastrointestinal symptom complex is characterized by a disorder of the functions of the digestive organs. May exhibit the following symptoms:
- disturbances of appetite, motility of the esophagus, stomach or intestines;
- psychogenic dysphagia (difficulty, discomfort during the act of swallowing or the inability to take a sip);
- vomiting;
- feeling of heaviness in the epigastrium;
- transient flatulence (bloating);
- diarrhea;
- pain in the abdominal cavity.
The thermoregulatory symptom complex is manifested by an increase or decrease in temperature, chill syndrome. The vasomotor symptom complex consists of several symptoms:
- pallor, cyanosis of the skin;
- chilliness of hands, feet;
- sensations of hot or cold flashes;
- changes in dermographism (weak mechanical irritation of the skin when carried out with a blunt object causes a trace in the form of inflamed swelling);
- increased sweating of the palms and feet.
The genitourinary complex is characterized by cystalgia (frequent, painful, imperative urination in the absence of pathology of the urinary system or changes in urine) and sexual dysfunction (impaired erection or ejaculation in men, vaginismus or anorgasmia in women with preserved or reduced libido, painful menstruation). Hormonal fluctuations, including endocrine changes in the body after childbirth, and postpartum stress provoke an exacerbation of VSD symptoms.
The neurotic symptom complex is manifested by the following symptoms:
- fatigue;
- asthenia;
- low threshold of pain sensitivity;
- sleep disorders;
- irritability;
- senestopathies (pain in the heart, a feeling of dissatisfaction with inhalation, a burning sensation in different parts of the body).
VSD occurs with a wave-like increase and decrease in the manifestations of symptom complexes. This is due to changes in etiological factors and living conditions of the patient. An exacerbation of VSD may occur in the fall. Symptoms of the disease are most pronounced during a “vegetative storm” or crisis.
When and how do signs of dystonia appear?
The tendency to autonomic dysfunction manifests itself in childhood. Children with hereditary dystonia sleep poorly, are often anxious and suffer from night terrors, they find it more difficult to adapt to new conditions and quickly get tired of physical and psychological stress. If such a child is created with favorable conditions in the family, hardened, and regularly added to the diet with vitamins and amino acids, ensure that he gets enough rest and walks in the fresh air every day, then autonomic regulation will be normalized as all systems develop and grow, and the symptoms of VSD in an adult age may not appear at all.
You can be convinced that poor health is a consequence of autonomic dysfunction after a full examination. Many symptoms of VSD are similar to disorders in other pathologies, and it is important not to miss a condition that can be life-threatening.
Manifestations of dystonia are not dangerous, even if you feel very unwell. But if you do nothing for a long time to return autonomic regulation to normal, then you risk losing your health in the future.
The first episodes of crises in VSD are usually associated with severe stress or an age-related crisis. In the future, any minor reason can cause a storm of somatic symptoms, which will not be easy to cope with.
