Neurosis of the larynx and pharynx does not exist as a nosological unit. This is what is usually called persistent sensations: a lump in the throat, convulsions. Doctors at the Yusupov Hospital conduct a comprehensive examination of patients who complain of tension in the throat muscles and establish the cause and type of neurosis.
Global or partial changes in sensitive receptors of the mucous membranes, which cause pharyngeal neurosis, occur as a result of impaired neurotransmitter communication and infectious diseases. The most common cause of laryngeal neurosis is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. A lump in the throat with neurosis can be felt due to the influence of the following factors:
- Inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs;
- Atrophy of cells of the laryngeal mucosa;
- Disorders of the central nervous system;
- Overwork.
Patients who have symptoms of throat neurosis are treated at the Yusupov Hospital with modern medications and methods of psychotherapy. Doctors individually select a treatment regimen. Medical staff respects the psychological problems of patients.
Types of pharyngeal neurosis
There are 3 forms of pharyngeal neurosis:
- Anesthesia;
- Hyperesthesia;
- Paresthesia.
Anesthesia of the pharynx is manifested by a decrease or absence of throat sensitivity and impaired swallowing. The disease develops in patients suffering from brain tumors, syphilis, and hysterical neurosis. The patient may aspirate food or saliva into the airway and develop aspiration pneumonia.
Pharyngeal hyperesthesia is accompanied by an increase in the pharyngeal and gag reflex. The patient has a cough and tries to cough up non-existent phlegm. This type of throat neurosis can develop after severe stress or a chronic disease of the pharynx or larynx. Patients experience a spasm, a sore throat, and a sore throat. He may feel a “scratching” sensation on the surface of the larynx.
Pharyngeal paresthesia occurs under stress. Patients feel soreness, itching and a “lump” in the throat. Women who are in menopause, impressionable and irritable people are susceptible to the disease.
About mucus in the throat
Mucus in the throat occurs due to the abundant accumulation of phlegm.
Mucus in the throat can accumulate under the influence of various factors associated with both the external environment and diseases of the internal organs. The most common cause of mucus in the throat is diseases of the ENT organs of allergic, non-allergic, as well as bacterial, post-infectious and fungal origin. Abnormalities in the development of the nasopharynx can contribute to the development of mucus in the throat.
Persons who have excessive accumulation of mucus in the throat should be observed by an ENT doctor, since the real cause of this phenomenon is not easy to determine. The main thing is not to self-medicate, so as not to worsen the situation. Mucus in the throat can appear for various reasons. Quite often, mucus in the throat occurs due to abundant accumulation of sputum , which is the first sign of an inflammatory process in the bronchi. To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to consult a medical specialist, that is, an ENT specialist.
A characteristic sign of one of the diseases in which mucus appears in the throat is catarrhal or hypertrophic pharyngitis of a chronic nature. In this case, the inflammation that affects the pharynx area leads to the formation of a lump of mucus, which irritates the mucous membrane, causing the desire to cough.
Symptoms of throat neurosis in adults and children
Throat neurosis is characterized by stable symptoms that differ depending on the type of disease. The main manifestations of the disease are tissue numbness and weakening of the swallowing reflex. The disease is accompanied by severe pain throughout the body. Patients may experience increased sensitivity of the hard tissues of teeth.
Throat neurosis is manifested by the following main symptoms:
- Feeling of lack of oxygen even after taking a deep breath;
- Feeling of a lump in the throat that does not go away after drinking liquid;
- Dryness in the larynx;
- Intense thirst;
- Bronchial spasm, which is accompanied by a gag reflex and is not relieved by bronchodilators;
- Sore throat, itching, sore throat, worsening at the moment of greatest irritation;
- Pain in the neck;
- Shooting pain in the ear.
Symptoms of throat neurosis are aggravated when a person is in a dusty or smoky place. An increase in reflex reactions leads to a gag spasm during a hacking dry cough.
Symptoms of throat neurosis intensify with excitement, irritability, psycho-emotional lability, and a migraine attack. Patients' mental and physical activity decreases.
A lump in the throat with neurosis provokes the occurrence of additional symptoms:
- Mood swings;
- Disturbances in sleep and wakefulness;
- Decreased appetite;
- Hypochondria;
- Manifestations of depression;
- Fear of suffocation.
It is especially difficult to diagnose throat neurosis in children, since they are susceptible to colds, the symptoms of which are similar in symptoms to those of pharynx and larynx neurosis.
Under the influence of provoking factors, the function of the child’s immature nervous system is disrupted, which leads to the loss of neural connections between active cells of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. Children are psycho-emotionally immature. They react sharply to all irritating factors of a psychogenic nature.
For this reason, throat neurosis in children is often accompanied by somatic pathology. The child's sleep may be disturbed and emotionality may increase. Children can swallow whole pieces of food, which leads to disruption of the digestive system. Sometimes children suffering from throat neurosis develop hoarseness or aphonia (complete absence of voice while maintaining whispered speech).
Why is mucus formed?
The production of mucous masses by the nasopharynx is a natural phenomenon. They perform a moisturizing and protective function. Mucous masses trap foreign particles, pollen, and bacteria that enter with the air and prevent them from descending lower into the trachea and lungs. As soon as these foreign agents enter the mucous membranes, the amount of secretion produced increases, and the person has a desire to clear his nose or cough. When the irritant is removed from the body, secretion production returns to its previous level.
Normally, a person does not notice the process of formation of mucous masses - they are swallowed along with saliva.
The accumulation of mucus in the throat becomes noticeable when it is produced continuously and thickens. The patient directly feels how mucous masses flow along the back wall of the pharynx and accumulate in it. During the daytime, the accumulation of sputum is not so disturbing - it is swallowed and does not greatly irritate the cough receptors. But if you take a horizontal position, for example, at night while sleeping, the mucous masses cannot freely pass inside and stagnate in the throat. This causes severe coughing attacks, which can even provoke vomiting.
When a person comes to an otolaryngologist and says: “I constantly swallow mucus in my throat,” the first thing the ENT doctor will do is find out why mucus accumulates in the throat.
Only after establishing the true cause of mucus in the throat, it will be possible to prescribe the correct treatment.
Diagnosis of throat neurosis at the Yusupov Hospital
In order to establish the cause of throat neurosis, doctors at the Yusupov Hospital conduct a comprehensive examination of the patient. Using radiography of the cervical spine, osteochondrosis is detected or excluded. More accurate information is obtained after a computed tomography scan of the spine. Patients undergo laboratory tests (general and biochemical blood tests, thyroid hormone levels).
In order to exclude the organic nature of the disease, doctors perform magnetic resonance and computed tomography of the throat. A comprehensive examination includes Doppler ultrasound of the vessels of the brain and neck, and electromyographic study. Patients are consulted by an otolaryngologist, neurologist, vertebrologist, and psychotherapist.
Treatment of throat neurosis
Symptoms of neurosis of the pharynx and larynx disrupt the quality of life of patients. At the initial stage of the disease, it is performed on an outpatient basis. The patient is recommended to change his lifestyle, maintain the correct daily routine, alternate between wakefulness and sleep, go to bed on time, and get a good night's sleep. If the cause of neurosis is sleep, the symptoms of the disease disappear after several days of rest.
In the presence of an inflammatory process, anti-inflammatory therapy is carried out. A patient with throat neurosis is prescribed herbal sedatives. The selection of medications and dosage is carried out by a doctor. After several days of taking medications, the symptoms of neurosis of the pharynx and larynx disappear. If the patient feels a lump in the throat during neurosis, pureed liquid food is prepared for him, which does not irritate the mucous membrane of the pharynx. You should stop smoking, drinking alcohol, and eating spicy foods.
If the therapy is ineffective, doctors prescribe small doses of antidepressants in the presence of depression and asthenic syndrome. To treat throat neurosis, which manifests itself as hypochondria (constant worry about the possibility of contracting a serious illness), antipsychotics are used. If the cause of throat neurosis is a disease of the cervical spine, neurologists at the Yusupov Hospital treat it using medications, physiotherapeutic procedures and modern rehabilitation methods. In some cases, manual therapy is performed.
Psychotherapeutic techniques include hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Psychological correction techniques are aimed at teaching the patient effective ways to relax. Treatment has the following goals:
- Leading the patient to understand the true causes of the pathology;
- Identification of psychotraumatic factors;
- Eliminating them or learning to adapt to them.
Children suffering from neurosis of the throat and larynx are observed by several specialists: an otolaryngologist, a psychologist, a speech therapist (depending on age). Correct parental behavior increases the effectiveness of treatment. Most of the psychogenic factors that cause neuroses in children come from home.
Children with throat neurosis undergo restorative therapy, which includes vitamin complexes and mild sedatives. During the treatment of throat neurosis in a child, it is important to suppress obvious physical symptoms. When there is a sore throat, children are prescribed rinses, inhalations, absorbable tablets, and medications that increase the level of immunity. For infectious diseases, dekasan or trachysan are prescribed.
Psychotherapy for children involves classes on general development, training in relaxation techniques, which include breathing exercises. Babies receive a full body massage aimed at finding blocks and relaxing them. Psychotherapists recommend that parents change the psychogenic situation at home, reconsider their behavioral reactions and correct them. It is important that the child follows a daily routine. He needs to introduce healthy foods into his diet, enriched with vitamins and minerals.
A child with neurosis of the pharynx and larynx should be treated carefully. There is no need to scold him, but hysterics must be stopped immediately. With neurosis, a spasm of the throat is often observed. During an attack, it is necessary to help the child cope with the situation, calm him down, and explain how to breathe correctly.
Treatment of mucus in the throat
Treatment of mucus in the throat at the ENT-Asthma clinic is comprehensive and is aimed at suppressing local symptoms of the disease, affecting the main causes that maintain mucus in the throat. The main task of treating mucus in the throat is to eliminate discomfort. For more effective treatment, painkillers and anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antibacterial drugs are used.
For local treatment of mucus in the throat, drugs can be used to help moisturize the mucous membrane and relieve sensations that are considered paresthesia - a feeling of soreness and tickling in the throat. In cases where mucus in the throat is a symptom of an infectious disease , atomization of the pharyngeal cavity is used using aerosols of combined action (antiseptic and analgesic). The choice of an antibacterial agent by an ENT doctor largely depends on the identified pathogen in case of moderate and severe course of the disease.
If the mucus in the throat is of an allergic nature, then our specialist doctors use a complex of antihistamines. To treat mucus in the throat, the ENT-Asthma clinic uses immunomodulators , which stimulate the body’s own forces to fight the disease. Simply put, the desired result is achieved by increasing immunity. To effectively treat mucus in the throat, sanitation of foci of infection, the oral cavity and the upper respiratory tract is indicated.
Relieving throat muscle tension during neurosis
Tension of the throat muscles during neurosis causes breathing problems. In the complex treatment of neurosis of the pharynx and larynx, breathing exercises can give good results. It helps relieve spasm and tension in the respiratory muscles, restore breathing rhythm, reduce the dosage of medications, and speed up the healing process. You need to take an active short breath and a natural passive exhalation. The air should be inhaled through the nose, making a short, strong movement, and exhaled through the mouth.
The breathing movement and inhalation must coincide in time. The rhythm of breathing movements should correspond to the rhythm of the march. Breathing exercises for throat neurosis can be done standing, sitting or lying down. Their effectiveness improves in fresh air. To determine the cause and type of throat neurosis, exclude the organic nature of the disease and undergo a course of effective therapy, call the contact center of the Yusupov Hospital.
How to remove nighttime mucus drainage
During the daytime, the clinical manifestations of the disease are less pronounced, since the body is in an upright position. The person simply swallows the bulk of the discharge. At night, when the body is in the “lying” position, mucus flows to the reflexogenic areas of the laryngopharynx. This irritates them and leads to severe coughing. For this reason, nighttime mucus discharge causes serious discomfort and interferes with normal rest.
To get rid of the problem, you need to identify its cause by contacting a specialist. The doctor may prescribe rinsing the nasal cavity, irrigating the nose with a spray with silver ions, or steam inhalation. You should also keep your sleeping area humid and drink plenty of fluids to help relieve postnasal drip at night.
