Approx. 3 months ago somebody put his hands around my throat and squeezed so hard that my throat hurt for at least 5 days. I also had trouble speaking for a few days.
For about 4 weeks now I'm experiencing a tighness in my throat and a feeling as if my throat is being squeezed. No pain! Since I also experience shortness of breath and the need to take regular deep breath, I have had X-rays taken of both my chest and throat. The result showed that I'm suffering from mild COPD, even though I stopped smoking 10 years ago (I'm 46). Nothing unusual was found in my throat. I don't seem to have the symptoms when I wake up in the morning. Everything feels fine but after being up for a while, the symptoms appear again. Sometimes my throat feels so constricted that it scares me. I can't get in to see a specialist until the end of May. Until then I'm living in fear that something is very wrong with me.
Reply: -----------------------------
It is difficult to say what might be causing such symptoms without examining your throat and neck. It is conceivable that you may have experienced some type of muscular trauma such as a contusion or muscle strain/sprain of the throat or neck musculature. There are other conditions that may have no relationship to trauma that could also cause such symptoms. Obviously I would recommend keeping your appointment with an ENT specialist. Symptoms which would warrant more urgent consultation would include persistent voice disturbance, persistent difficulty swallowing, or difficulty breathing.
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Steve Dankle, MD
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Milwaukee, Wis
NOTICE: OFCN is not engaged in the rendering of professional medical services. The information contained on this system or any other OFCN system should not supplant individual professional consultation. It is offered exclusively as a community education service. Advice on individual problems must be obtained directly from a professional.
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