Causes of nausea and a lump in the throat

People often experience a lump in the throat. Everyone has experienced this feeling at least once in their life. The feeling of a lump in the throat most often occurs without physical reasons, after experiencing stress. At some point, you notice that something is bothering your throat or starting to feel sore.

For some people, this feeling remains for a long time and even begins to cause discomfort when swallowing. In this case, other accompanying symptoms may occur, for example, sleep disturbances, increased levels of anxiety, decreased mood, etc. But there is no need to rush to conclusions and think about the presence of some complex, incurable disease or physical damage.

In the vast majority of cases, this feeling has psychological roots, and treating a lump in the throat is not difficult and responds well to therapy. However, in advanced cases, when it is not treated correctly or the process is prolonged or untreated for a long time, complications develop. Therefore, in order to undergo high-quality therapy and get rid of a lump in the throat, it is necessary to undergo a psychological differential diagnosis.

We carry out full differential diagnosis and treatment, which is completely successful in more than 90% of cases. There are many different options for disruption of higher nervous activity and the formation of sensations of a lump in the throat.

Our slogan is from quality diagnosis to complete recovery!

Find out what may be causing that lump in your throat! When is a complex disorder likely to occur? What to do when you feel a lump in your throat?

What can cause a lump in the throat?

The sensation of a lump in the throat occurs as a result of the occurrence of any disease. However, the most common cases are when a lump in the throat is felt after suffering stress or experiences. The feeling of having a lump in the larynx, if associated with psychological reasons, does not pose a health risk. It is not uncommon for this feeling to go away on its own within ten days or a week. However, when this sensation occurs, discomfort often occurs. Depending on individual characteristics, this inconvenience may be felt in different ways. Incorrect identification of the causes and ignorance of the factors that form this sensation often leads to serious consequences and speculation.

How does a lump in your throat feel?

• lump in throat while eating or after eating;
• sensation of a lump in the larynx throughout the day;
• sore throat and feeling that something is bothering you;
• a lump in the throat seems to interfere with breathing, which often leads to panic;
• a burning sensation or other unpleasant feeling appears in the throat area.

More than 90% of complaints about a lump in the throat are due to so-called psychogenic causes. This symptomatology is often associated with high psycho-emotional or psychophysical overload. In the modern world, we encounter such overloads every day, often several times a day. At work, in transport, in shops, at home. But this feeling does not appear for everyone. Why does this happen and why doesn’t it happen to everyone?

This phenomenon has been well studied, and a competent doctor will always be able to correctly understand and provide assistance, independently or refer you to a specialized specialist. Conditions in which this feeling may appear can occur in both men and women of any age. However, people of the most productive, working age are the most vulnerable. In people between 25 and 50 years of age, these complaints are most common.

Causes of dry mouth that are not pathological

In some cases, dry mouth is not associated with a medical condition. For example:

• Dry mouth can occur in the morning and at night due to intoxication. This is a typical situation after drinking too much the night before.
• When nasal breathing is impaired, a person breathes through his mouth during sleep. The mouth is slightly open, and the oral mucosa dries out faster. Nasal breathing can be impaired due to a runny nose, nasal polyps, or a deviated nasal septum. A similar situation occurs with snoring. The cause of snoring in most cases is a decrease in the tone of the soft palate. Muscle weakening develops with age. This is why older people snore more often, and their oral mucosa becomes dry. This reason explains dry mouth in the morning in the elderly in most cases.
• If you don't drink enough fluids in hot weather, you shouldn't be surprised by dry mouth. A similar effect can be caused by eating highly salted foods.
• Many medications can cause dry mouth.
• Smoking is another common cause of dry mouth.
• Dry mouth can be one of the symptoms of menopause.

When does a lump in the throat appear?

The modern world constantly requires high mental and energy costs from a person. However, our nervous system, just like other organs, requires various types of rest. But the intensity of life does not always and does not allow everyone to pause and give the necessary rest. We try to do everything everywhere and in time. We often eat incorrectly or insufficiently, disrupt our biological rhythm, and do not have enough time to sleep. It is not uncommon for all this to be aggravated by the consumption of alcohol, energy drinks, other psychoactive substances, and even smoking regular tobacco.

Due to all these factors that accumulate over a period of time, at some point the nervous system becomes especially vulnerable. At such moments, not even a high psychological load or some chemical factor (for example, not even a large dose of alcohol) can “break” the normal, biological metabolic process of the brain. This may coincide with a spasm of the throat muscles, which many times could pass without a trace or go unnoticed. But, at this moment of breakdown of the nervous system, this spasm is recorded and “remembered” by it as a “pathology”. It is from this moment that a person begins to fixate his attention on the sensation of a lump in the throat, and the nervous system creates a “ghost” of the lump. And since all this is associated with a violation of the metabolic processes of the brain and is recorded in disturbances in the transmission of information, the sensation of a lump in the throat is not only recorded by consciousness, but also begins to progress, causing a lot of inconvenience.

When to see a doctor

It is important to know that the psychogenic causes of a lump in the throat are not dangerous to the physical condition. However, this does not mean that no complications will occur and there is no need to consult a doctor. This feeling itself rarely goes away. If the feeling of a lump in the throat does not have real somatic reasons and does not go away within 2-5 days, then we recommend that you consult a psychotherapist after this period.

We recommend seeing your GP on the day this feeling starts, but no later than the next day. This is due to the fact that such symptoms can accompany some truly dangerous diseases.

The main reason for this is that emergency medical attention may be required. Situations are especially dangerous if swelling, some kind of tumor, pain in the throat or chest, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing appears within a short time. This may be a sign of a more serious problem. The doctor will refer you to a specialized specialist; additional hardware or laboratory tests may be needed.

However, if the studies do not show anything significant or acute, then this means that the cause is psychogenic and you need to go to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. It is necessary to exclude the possibility of somatic diseases.

Another, no less significant reason is that the sensation of a lump in the throat is only a signal from your body about the onset of a problem with the nervous system. If a person does not receive full medical care in a short time, the breakdown of the nervous system begins to progress. Complications begin to form and symptoms such as depression, anxiety, fears, obsessive thoughts and others may gradually begin to appear. To avoid complications, you need to contact a good psychotherapist or psychiatrist as soon as possible.

Dysphagia

Dysphagia: symptoms, treatment

Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder.
The patient cannot eat or drink normally. A bolus of food does not pass through the esophagus. One of the characteristic symptoms of dysphagia is that liquids and saliva are more difficult to swallow than solids. Esophageal dysphagia is not an independent disease - it is always a secondary condition caused by other pathologies. Difficulty swallowing occurs in patients of all age groups. In the absence of adequate treatment, the patient’s quality of life decreases sharply, and dangerous complications develop, including death.

Causes of dysphagia

• Mechanical compression of the pharynx or esophagus
  . The cause of dysphagia can be tonsillitis, enlargement of the thyroid gland, lymph nodes, the development of cervical osteophytes, cricopharyngeal adhesions. Narrowing is also observed with cancerous tumors of the oral cavity, larynx, muscle fibrosis and after surgery.
• Neuromuscular disorder
  . The act of swallowing is impaired in almost every second patient who has suffered a cerebral stroke. The severity of dysphagia depends on the extent of the process. Complaints of difficulty swallowing food are also observed in Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, pseudoparalytic myasthenia gravis, and achalasia cardia (chronic spasm of the esophagus).
• Esophageal pathologies
  . The cause of acute narrowing of the esophagus can be Quincke's edema, a foreign body entering the pharynx, or a chronic disease of the digestive system or mediastinum. Swallowing disorders are accompanied by achalasia, systemic scleroderma, and diabetes mellitus. Dysphagia may develop due to the intake of estrogens and nitrate-containing substances and drugs.

Forms of the disease

Based on anatomical location, there are two types of dysphagia:

• Oropharyngeal (oropharyngeal). The patency of the pharynx and throat - the upper sections - is impaired.
• Esophageal. The bolus of food cannot pass to the stomach.

Classification according to the severity of symptoms:

• I degree – difficulty swallowing solid pieces of food.
• Stage II – the patient can only consume liquid food.
• III degree – swallowing of food and saliva is impaired.
• IV degree – complete obstruction of the esophagus.

Symptoms of dysphagia

In the initial stage, patients complain of discomfort in the throat and esophagus. Mild symptoms of dysphagia are rarely paid attention to, which leads to progression of the disease.

A feeling of fullness in the chest gradually develops, and salivation increases. Complaints of dysphagia include a dry cough, change in voice, and sore throat. With prolonged disturbance, the patient loses weight, becomes weak, and may experience digestive problems.

If treatment of the underlying disease is not started in a timely manner, dysphagia can provoke degeneration of the mucosal epithelium with the formation of a tumor. Many patients develop aspiration pneumonia due to food particles entering the respiratory tract. With dysphagia caused by compression of the pharynx by a tumor, acute respiratory distress may develop, which requires emergency medical attention.

Diagnostics

The initial examination of the patient is carried out by a gastroenterologist, who may additionally recommend consultation with an otolaryngologist, dentist, or endocrinologist. The key task of diagnosis is to find the causes of the disorder.

The patient is prescribed a comprehensive examination:

• Pharyngoscopy. Examination of the patient's pharynx reveals pharyngitis, tonsillitis, neoplasms of the upper digestive system, and a stuck foreign body.
• X-ray of the esophagus. To diagnose dysphagia, images are taken with contrast. X-ray helps to establish the presence of diverticula and determine signs of changes in esophageal motility.
• Esophagogastroscopy (EGD). During the examination, the doctor examines the mucous membrane of the esophagus and cardiac parts of the stomach. The EGDS image allows you to detect erosion and microcracks.
• Clinical blood test. Changes in results are consistent with the underlying disease. An increase in ESR and a decrease in hemoglobin levels are possible.

Treatment of dysphagia

Therapy is prescribed taking into account the causes of the pathology and the severity of the symptom.

Treatment of acute dysphagia, which usually occurs with mechanical obstruction, consists of removing the foreign body or relieving Quincke's edema. Long-term swallowing disorder syndrome requires careful selection of medications.

The doctor may prescribe:

• Medicines to improve nervous regulation. Patients with parkinsonism are prescribed dopamine precursors and agonists, specific drugs. Stroke requires complex therapy with neuroprotectors and membrane stabilizers. For myasthenia gravis, anticholinesterase drugs are prescribed.
• Calcium channel blockers. A group of drugs reduces the concentration of ions in muscle fibers. As a result, spasticity of the esophageal muscles decreases and its patency improves.
• Antisecretory drugs. The drugs are used in cases where dysphagia is accompanied by eosinophilic esophagitis. The administration of local steroid drugs or proton pump inhibitors reduces irritation of the mucous membrane and promotes its healing.
• Antibacterial or antiviral agents. Indicated for confirmed infectious nature of dysphagia.

Diagnosis and treatment of esophageal dysphagia in Nizhny Novgorod

You can get diagnosed and treated for dysphagia at the Alpha Health Center clinic.
We employ specialized specialists, have the necessary equipment and a modern laboratory for a comprehensive examination of patients. You can make an appointment by calling the number listed on the website. Share:

Lump in throat treatment

Treatment for a lump in the throat is not always straightforward or typical. The form of nervous system breakdown and the individual characteristics of each person do not imply standards. Accordingly, treatment cannot have standards and typical techniques for different people.

Therefore, therapy in our clinic is selected only individually, and standard techniques are adapted to each individual. The general therapeutic regimen can be defined as complex therapy.

How to treat a feeling of a lump in the throat

• Neurometabolic therapy;
• Psychotherapy;
• Diet, depending on severity;
• Individual daily routine;
• Additional techniques are possible (individually).

Our individual therapy always ends in complete victory over the problem. We help you get rid of the lump in your throat forever. However, if a person does not follow our doctor’s recommendations and violates the regimen or has not completed the entire therapeutic course, the treatment will be less effective and the sensation may return.

Diagnostics

Otolaryngologists are most often involved in identifying the causes of symptom development. According to indications, patients are referred to dentists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, and other specialists. During the conversation, the doctor finds out how long ago the foreign body sensation appeared, what manifestations were accompanied, and how the symptom changed over time. Conducts a general inspection. Based on the preliminary examination, the following diagnostic procedures can be prescribed:

• Oropharyngoscopy.
  Basic research in otolaryngology. This is done using a spatula. Allows you to diagnose high-lying foreign bodies, inflammatory diseases of the tonsils and pharynx, peritonsillar abscess, and some neoplasms.
• Endoscopic ENT examinations
  . They are carried out using special mirrors, a rigid or flexible laryngoscope. Taking into account the localization of the pathological process, the patient may require pharyngoscopy, laryngoscopy, or endoscopy of the larynx.
• Dental examination
  . Aimed at detecting diseases of the tongue, neoplasms of the oral cavity, accompanied by a feeling of a foreign body.
• Ultrasound of the thyroid gland.
  Indicated for suspected endocrine pathology, to exclude organ hypertrophy in patients with pharyngeal neurosis. Reveals diffuse and focal pathological processes. If necessary, supplemented with TSH, T3, T4 studies.
• Esophageal studies
  . Fluoroscopy data are used in the diagnosis of dyskinesia and GERD. To confirm motility disorders with dyskinesia, esophageal manometry is performed. An esophagoscopy is performed to identify signs of gastroesophageal disease.
• Magnetic resonance imaging
  . MRI of the soft tissues of the neck is prescribed to exclude tumor processes that cause a foreign body sensation. MRI of the brain is informative in identifying pathologies of the central nervous system that provoke pharyngeal neurosis.
• Lab tests
  . Depending on the characteristics of the pathological process, microbiological, histological, and cytological studies of material from the larynx and pharynx (smears, biopsies) are performed.

Possible risks

Due to the fact that these sensations are formed as a result of a breakdown of higher nervous activity, this leads to more profound changes. The feeling of a lump in the throat is only the first symptom of the formation of the disease. It is at the onset of the disease that it is easiest to stop and completely cure. Remember that no disease, neither mental nor somatic, stands still. Any disease will continue to develop until it is stopped. Only a complete and correct therapeutic program can stop progress and cure a person. Self-help or self-medication, or incorrect treatment, are dangerous and cause complications. Complications related to the psychogenic causes of the formation of the sensation of a lump in the throat include the following mental states.

Complications of feeling a lump in the throat

• Depression;
• Anxiety disorders;
• Panic attacks;
• Intrusive thoughts;
• Neuroses;
• Phobias;
• Substance addiction;
• Psychosomatic disorders;
• Sexual dysfunctions;
• Aggression and personality disorders;
• Other mental states.

There is no need to endure or be afraid to see a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. We provide treatment on an anonymous basis. You can always contact us anonymously and your data will not be passed on to third parties or government medical institutions. We guarantee your safety.

However, do not forget that complaints about a lump in the throat in 10% of cases are associated with possible physical changes. Such as neck injuries or somatic diseases.

Physiological factors.

Physiological are so-called household, non-infectious causes that are associated with the impact of unfavorable external factors on the body or with a person’s lifestyle. In this case, there is no need to treat the throat: by eliminating the influence of such a factor, the discomfort in the throat disappears. Physiological reasons include:

• Too dry air in the room, which occurs at the height of the heating season or during prolonged use of the air conditioner. Buying a humidifier usually solves the problem.
• Polluted or dusty air. This problem is faced by people living in places with poor environmental conditions or working in “harmful” industries, who are forced to constantly inhale fumes, gases, dust, etc.). This also includes passive smoking.
• Overstrain of the vocal cords. If you regularly subject your vocal apparatus to excessive stress, a dry throat is a typical situation for you. Typically, this problem is faced by representatives of speech professions - artists, singers, teachers, announcers, tour guides, call center employees, etc. To learn how to safely use and not overstrain your vocal apparatus, it is recommended to visit a phoniatrist. A phoniatrist is an ENT doctor who specializes exclusively in the human vocal apparatus. The phoniatrist will show you effective exercises for the vocal cords and give the necessary prescriptions.
• Insufficient fluid intake. Eating foods that are too salty, sweet or spicy.
• Long-term use of certain medications (cough suppressants, antibacterials, antihistamines, diuretics, etc.).
• Uncontrolled use of vasoconstrictor nasal drops greatly dries out the nasopharyngeal mucosa.
• Difficulty in nasal breathing caused by structural features of the nasal cavity (deviated nasal septum, enlarged nasal turbinates, adenoids).
• Advanced age. In older people, the mucous membranes become thinner as they age, leading to a feeling of dry mouth.
• Nervous overstrain. Stressful situations provoke a decrease in saliva production, which causes discomfort. Dry mouth is not the only unpleasant consequence of stress. A person may also feel a lump in the throat and problems swallowing. This condition is temporary. After the person has calmed down or taken a sedative, the discomfort goes away.
• Tobacco smoking. The substances that make up cigarettes negatively affect the condition of the laryngopharyngeal mucosa. If you do not stop in time and do not say goodbye to the bad habit, chronic pharyngitis, chronic rhinitis, as well as malignant tumors of the larynx may develop.
• Pregnancy. During pregnancy, women's hormonal levels change, which can directly affect the appearance of an unpleasant symptom.

These conditions do not require specific treatment. In most cases, it is enough to eliminate or eliminate the irritating factor.

Physical causes of a lump in the throat

• Impact to the neck, injury;
• Entry of a foreign body;
• Diseases of the trachea or esophagus;
• Inflammatory processes in the larynx and oral cavity;
• Stomach diseases;
• Cardiovascular diseases;
• Infections;
• Thyroid disease;
• Other somatic disorders.

Where to begin

In this regard, we recommend that you first try to independently differentiate possible changes in your body. Think about whether you have chronic diseases or possible injuries. Go to a specialized specialist. If no acute life-threatening conditions are found, be sure to visit a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

This is due to the fact that very few doctors are able to determine the psychogenic cause of the feeling of a lump in the throat and will look for a somatic cause of the disorder. Incorrect therapy will create conditions for the further development of nervous system disorders and complications will begin to form. In this case, treating a lump in the throat will be significantly more difficult.

The faster you find the true cause of the lump in the throat, the faster, better and cheaper it will be to get rid of the problem. And most importantly, it will help improve the quality of your life.

Call and make an appointment with our specialists!

Diseases that may cause dry mouth

Dry mouth can be caused by high fever and intoxication due to various infectious diseases (flu, sore throat, etc.). Diseases associated with large loss of fluid as a result of vomiting or diarrhea (cholera, dysentery) can also cause dry mouth. In such cases, dry mouth is one of many symptoms and does not attract special attention.

If dry mouth is combined with diarrhea, flatulence, belching, nausea and pain in the left side of the abdomen, then this may indicate pancreatitis.

Dry mouth in combination with a bitter taste, heartburn, white or yellow coating on the tongue can indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract such as gastritis, duodenitis, cholecystitis.

Dry mouth can also occur with:

• diseases of the salivary glands;
• endocrine diseases (diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis);
• neoplasms of the oral cavity (benign and malignant);
• damage to nerve endings that contribute to the functioning of the salivary glands;
• anemia;
• vitamin A deficiency;
• systemic diseases (scleroderma, Sjogren's disease, cystic fibrosis).