Have you ever experienced tightness in throat and chest? It may make you worry that what is actually causing it. Tightness in throat can be caused by minor infections like strep throat or some serious type of allergies of respiratory tract.
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What is Tightness in Throat?
Throat tightness is mainly caused by some allergic reactions in the respiratory tract or some underlying throat infections like sore throat or strep throat. Tightness in throat and neck is troublesome condition if you experience difficulties in breathing and swallowing along with it. You need to consult your doctor if you are suffering from these conditions like tightness in throat, anxiety, depression etc. Tightness in throat and neck are generally experienced in the patients of anxiety and depression as they experience some breathing difficulties.
Forms of Tightness in Throat:
Throat tightness is generally seen in several forms depending on the health condition of people suffering from it. Throat tightness is common in the forms mentioned below:
- Throat feels tight and swollen.
- Lump inside the throat
- Neck band
- Tender and sore throat
- A feeling that something is blocking the throat and you feel swallowing and breathing difficulties.
- Tightness in throat, thyroid gland inflammation
- Tightness in throat after eating
What are the Possible Causes of Tightness in Throat?
There are several reasons of throat tightness and likewise there are several ways of dealing with this uncomfortable feeling. Throat tightness is caused as a result of following health conditions.
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GERD or acid reflux:
GERD is a medical condition during which muscles fails to tighten between stomach and esophagus. As the muscles remain open partially, the acid can make its way from stomach to the esophagus. The acid when travels up to the esophagus results in serious burning sensation which is medically known as heart burn. A person suffering from GERD experiences throat tightness and a feeling of either lump or food stuck inside the throat, this ultimately makes swallowing difficult. Other symptoms include sour mouth taste, hoarseness in voice, and throat feels tight and dry, tightness in throat after eating, sharp and stabbing chest pain which feels like heart attack, bad breath as well as dry cough.
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Infection:
There are several infections in upper respiratory tract which result in condition where throat feels tight. These infections include sore throat, strep throat, tonsillitis, swelling in the thyroid glands, pain and difficulty while swallowing the food, fever and chills, ear pain, stuffy nose, laryngitis (loss of voice), nausea and vomits in extreme cases. Don’t forget to consult your doctor if you experience such symptoms along with a condition where throat feels tight.
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Upper respiratory tract allergies:
Allergies are caused when the over active immune system of the body identifies something which is harmless generally as a dangerous invader and responds to it by releasing certain chemicals. As a result of all this reaction inside the body and the chemicals released a person experiences watery eyes, stuffy nose and persistent sneezing. Such allergies result in a condition where throat feels tight. Anaphylaxis is another serious form of allergy which is caused after eating a particular meal or a medicine or after an insect bit. The symptoms of anaphylaxis are seen only within few minutes. As a result of this allergic response in the body several chemicals are produced most of which result in the inflammation of throat and upper respiratory tract. As a result of this inflammation there is a swelling in the air passages along with tightness. The most common symptoms of anaphylaxis are the sound of whistle as you breath air in, hoarseness of voice, persistent coughing and pain in chest along, swelling in the receptor organs like lips, tongue or mouth, mild to intense itchiness of throat and mouth, fainting and dizziness in extreme cases, abdominal cramping which results in nausea and vomiting, fast rate of pulse. The allergic reactions like anaphylaxis are a serious medical condition and immediate consultancy with doctor is recommended.
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Anxiety:
One of the most common reasons of tightness in throat is anxiety. A person suffering from panic attacks and acute anxiety feels tightness in throat along with the pounding heart. The person suffering from anxiety suffers from profuse sweating and experiences the symptoms similar to heart attack. Some other symptoms of anxiety are trembling or shaking, difficulty in breathing and feeling tightness in throat and chest, headaches and dizziness, tingling sensation and numbness in certain body parts, a doom feeling, abdominal cramps and nausea etc. It is always important to consult doctor for the necessary medication.
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Goiter:
A gland which present near throat is butterfly like in shape and is known as thyroid gland. The thyroid gland produces an important hormone in the body known as thyroxin which controls our rate of growth and metabolism. Thyroid glands need iodine for their normal functioning, the deficiency of iodine in the body results in the abnormal enlargement of thyroid gland which makes the throat tight and as a result a person experiences difficulty in swallowing and breathing. Hoarseness in voice, throat swelling, coughing are initial symptoms of the disease which later on produces certain mental abnormalities in the body.
When to See your Doctor?
Tightness in throat is experienced as a person suffers from anxiety and this feeling clears up as they panic attack is over. On the other hand, there are few conditions where it is recommended to consult your doctor. For example, the allergic reactions like anaphylaxis you need to get to medical emergency for in time and immediate treatment. Schedule your appointment with doctor if you experience other symptoms along with a condition where throat feels tight, these symptoms include:
- Sharp and stabbing pain in chest
- High fever and chills
- Sore throat which has taken more than 2 days
- Stiffness in neck.
Bottom line:
Tightness in throat is caused by certain allergic reactions which takes place in the upper respiratory tract. Allergy is caused when the immune system of the body interprets some harmless substance as a dangerous invader and reacts on it by producing certain chemicals. It is advised to consult your doctor if you are experiencing such allergic reactions in the body along with throat tightness. Other conditions which cause tightness in throat include goiter, GERD, heart burn etc.
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