Lump in throat, trouble swallowing

[AlwaysScared81]

Hi everyone,

I found this site when googling "nervous swallowing", and I'm so glad I found it.

A few months ago I had a sore throat which wouldn't go away. The 3 doctors I saw said it was nothing, and kept asking me if I had trouble swallowing. I didn't at the time, but ever since the sore throat finally went I find I'm constantly swallowing, to the point that it feels as if I have a lump in my throat. I don't have trouble swallowing food though. I have been scared to death that I have throat or oesophagus cancer, or even lung cancer, because sometimes it feels hard to breathe.

I'm tired of going to doctors, only to be reassured for a tiny little while, before getting panic-stricken again.

I guess I'm just hoping someone here has had a similar experience and it turned out to be nothing.

Thanks a lot. Oh, and I guess I should mention that I am 29, and have never smoked.

[Vanilla Sky]

Hi and welcome to NMP :welcome:
Paige x

[Em.ma]

Hi for weeks on end I had a swollen tounge and a tight throat that felt like I couldn't breathe ( like someone had there hand round my neck) as soon as i forgot about it started easing. I still have times when I get a sore throat like today but I'm trying not to worry over it. Hope you feel better soon x:)

[oldtime]

When my anxiety's bad my throat dries up and I feel like I can't swallow.

[Greenman50]

Read this mate , pasted off this site . It sounds like globus hystericus , its harmless .......caused by anxiety and worry ...

Throat tightening/Choking/Swallowing problems

What you feel:

Often one of the first symptoms of anxiety. People complain of feeling as though they will choke or being strangled. In reality its not nearly so dramatic - the muscles in the throat contract and salivary glands produce thick mucus leading to a feeling of restriction around the throat, it can produce a feeling that you are having difficulty swallowing or breathing. In fact you are not having difficulty, it just feels as though you are. You also get a dry mouth and it can feel like you cannot drink but you can.
You feel as though there is something stuck in your throat or sometimes feel there is a lump in your throat. Other times you may feel that you can barely swallow or that there is a tightness in the throat, or that you have to really force yourself to swallow. Sometimes this feeling can lead you to think that you may suffocate or get something stuck in your throat.
What causes this:

When in danger, stress biology produces a tightening in the throat muscles which produces the choking or 'something stuck in the throat' feeling. When in a nervous or stressful situation, many people will experience this feeling. It is often referred to as 'a lump on your throat'.
There is minimal danger of choking or suffocating under normal conditions, however, some people are very sensitive to things in their throat and therefore caution should always be observed when eating. Chewing food thoroughly andslowly will prevent inadvertently swallowing something that may provoke someone to gag. This symptom can come and go, and may seem to intensify if one becomes focused on it.