If you’re wondering, yes, this weird feeling does have a name, and it is called the globus sensation. This is caused by a strain on your throat muscles which can be a rather lingering annoying feeling. External factors like climatic conditions and internal factors like underlying diseases could both be causes for this sensation. Throat anxiety can also lead to the globus sensation as constantly being nervous can cause your throat muscles to tense even more. To get rid of these feelings, you could first treat your anxiety through calming exercises or visiting a therapist. You can also expect relief by treating your underlying disease’s symptoms and preventing this sensation from happening again by simply staying hydrated and avoiding smoke.
One of the most annoying feelings is when you have something stuck somewhere you can’t reach, like your throat. The throat is a rather sensitive and vital part of your body. While microscopic hairs known as cilia do exist at the back of your throat, they play no part in the feeling of having hair stuck in your throat.
However, when your throat is dry, you may feel this way since mucus from your nose may drip down to the back of your throat and get stuck there. This throat congestion can always be an uncomfortable feeling but also one that can easily be fought off.
What is this feeling of something stuck in your throat? What can cause this sensation? What is throat anxiety, and how can you treat it? How to be rid of this uncomfortable feeling? What health tips can you follow to prevent this from happening again?
What is this weird feeling of something stuck in your throat?
A persistent sensation of hair lodged in your throat is called the globus sensation. This feeling doesn’t disturb the swallowing and breathing processes in your body but is simply very annoying.
You might even develop a level of anxiety by worrying that you are choking or about to choke as your throat might feel partially blocked.
It occurs when there is a strain on your throat muscles and mucous membranes when your throat is dry.
What causes this feeling of hair stuck in your throat?
This Globus feeling is not limited to external factors only but can also be a symptom of an underlying disease. Therefore, it’s better to understand all these possibilities through a table.
| External Causes | Causes by symptoms of Diseases |
| Cold or dry air | Gastroesophageal reflux disease, known as GERD. |
| Cigarette smoke (both first hand and second hand) | Pharyngitis, which is the medical term for a sore throat. |
| Air pollution by traffic or smokeSinusitis – Its other symptoms include nasal congestion, chronic cough, and pain in your face. | |
| Being around chemicals | Allergies – Its symptoms might vary greatly, but the Globus feeling in the throat is common for food allergies. |
It’s also important to note that being anxious about the globus sensation can make you swallow more often, which might even worsen your symptoms. So if the globus sensation is anxiety-related, it deserves more attention.
What is throat anxiety and can I prevent it?
Anxiety alone can give you a feeling of tightening in your throat as if something is stuck inside. To put it simply, there is a ring of muscle within your throat. It opens and closes when you eat something.
When you’re anxious about something, this ring of muscle can start tensing up and, in turn, cause the globus sensation.
When it comes to experiencing panic attacks, the intense tightening of your throat (even to the extent where it becomes tough to breathe) is linked with this hair-stuck-in-throat feeling.
So, if anxiety is the cause of this feeling, the best way to treat your condition would be medication according to a doctor, psychotherapy, or a mixture of both.
You can also follow healthy lifestyle changes to calm yourself down, such as following relaxation exercises and meditating. In an 8-week study, it has been revealed that mindful meditation practices have helped in a great reduction of anxiety among the patients.
How can I get rid of this uncomfortable feeling?
Home remedies that you can try would depend on the very cause of your sensation.
The Journal of Gastroenterology has revealed that 60% of people that go through globus sensation are already suffering from GERD.
If this is your underlying reason for the globus feeling, you can buy over-the-counter antacids or even prescription reflux medications so that you can relax the acid reflux. Once the cause is treated, the symptoms will also fade away.
If anxiety is the culprit of your sensation, the best way to treat this would be therapy. You can also try treatments with antidepressants which will get rid of the underlying problem.
There are several exercises that you can follow as well, which will help in soothing your discomfort.
The posture correction exercise relaxes the pressure in your neck, throat, and shoulders.
You need to gently align your neck, shoulders, and back in a straight position. Now you need to take a seat and drop your head slowly to your left shoulder and chin towards your chest. Then you have to switch to the right side and repeat this exercise several times.
You can also follow the yawning exercise, which intends to relax your jaw and throat. For this, you need to align your shoulders and neck, breathe in with your mouth by opening it up widely, as if you were yawning. Then you need to breathe out in a long sigh. These exercises will help in relaxing your throat area and also in relieving stress and throat anxiety.
Health tips to follow in preventing the globus sensation
You can follow quite simple health tips to make sure you never run the risk of feeling the globus sensation again.
- Do not smoke – Your sinuses, mouth, and throat are always impacted by cigarettes, and its smoke can cause a health condition that leads to a globus sensation or can make its symptoms far worse.
- Drink lots of water – Drinking water is not only a skin-refresher, but it also helps your body to keep its fluids and secretions moving smoothly. This will in turn lower the risk of phlegm which can lead to the feeling of something stuck in your throat.
- Don’t shout – When you constantly shout, your vocal cords might wear out. Voice straining by public speaking or shouting could lead to increased tension in the throat muscles and cause the globus sensation.
- Relax your voice when you’re ill – Especially when you’re going through a cold, you should know that your throat muscles are already sore and inflamed. So, if you voice yourself too much it can cause more damage to your throat, worsening your risk for the globus feeling.
Conclusion
If you’re a person with globus sensation, chances are that you may not need to visit your doctor since this condition is very likely to disappear on its own, and maybe even faster by following a few home remedies as mentioned above.
However, if this condition does progress into chronic globus sensation, it’s best to seek help from a healthcare professional to treat the underlying disease. While no proper diagnosis can be made for this symptom alone, you can always associate it with your other symptoms and identify the potential illness with the guidance of a doctor.
Mind you, this is only for the ‘feeling’ of something stuck in your throat and not for an actual object lodged in your throat, for which you would need immediate medical attention if your airways seem constricted.
