Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

throat swelling up at night

Does anyone else have this?  For weeks now I assumed I had OSA and I even have a sleep study consult up in just over a month but I'm more than sure this is alergys.  I noticed that I seem to have more problems when I have large amounts of processed cheese.  So I cut dairy out of my diet except for a small amount in waffles in the morning and a small amount in instant mashed potatoes at night.  Every thing seemed to be working then out of no where my throat starts closing up again at night.  It's frustrating because if the alergy doesn't kill you, the lack of sleep will. I'm going to cut out the waffles and go back to eggs in the morning and see if that corrects it again.

It started out where I would wake up in the middle of the night and was unable to breath out through my nose, but I could breath in.  I assumed it was my tonsils but a doctor checked out my soft pallet, and tonsils and tongue and claims they all look fine.  However he never commented on my throat.  I would walk around in the daytime and have some slight choking which I'm sure is the same thing happening to me when I'm sleeping.  This is how I figured out its alergys and not OSA.  It's called sleep apnea not walk around durring the day apnea.

I guess I'm going to have to get a food alergy test done before I can get any progress done with this.
4 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
This does indeed sound like an allergy. Here is what it would commonly be:

Dairy/Lactose Allergy:
the immune system creates an inappropriate response
on either: esophagus, tonsils, uvual, digestive system and sometimes
brain (very very rare) to stop from lactose and dairies from being consumed.

Animal dander:
The immune system reacts to the external non-harmful material known as dander or dandruff of animals. It can cause an asthmatic symptom which can be directed to the lung (especially the bronchi), the throat or sometimes the uvula. Or it can be the disorder itself known as Asthma. The throat cannot inhale some substances, developing inflammation because of: smoke, fog or smog, misc.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
A lot of dairy causes excess mucus in your throat. I would make a doctor's appointment asap and discuss what you are experiencing with your family doctor. I have asthma. I also have limited my intake of dairy. See what
your doctor says. Your idea to eat eggs in the morning until you can get
to see your doctor is a good one. You could try either eliminating all dairy
products from your diet and see if your throat issue improves. Hope you
have found my comments helpful.
Helpful - 0
168348 tn?1379357075
Dr. Anitha gives excellent advice.  Also, have any of your doctors done a thyroid check during any of your exams just to rule out any type of nodules presenting with breathing problems at night?  Just an off the wall thought.

C~
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello and hope you are doing well.

Have you been tested for Asthma? This can be triggered by allergens and cause chest constriction. This can be detected by spirometry.

Your symptoms could also be due to Obstructive sleep apnea, though this does not occur in daytime nor is this triggered by allergens. In Obstructive Sleep Apnea, when a person sleeps the airways are usually patent allowing normal passage for air entry. The upper airway that is at the region of the tongue and the soft palate is the most compliant (soft) part. So, this is liable to collapse and cause airway obstruction. Now why does this obstruction happen in some people? 1. In overweight people the circumferential diameter becomes smaller. 2. Anatomical factors (structure) like enlarged tonsils, volume of the tongue, lengthy soft palate or abnormal positioning of the maxilla and mandible can further narrow the lumen 3. Some people are prone for decreased neuromuscular activity to the upper airway muscles during sleep and this reduces the tone of the muscles leading to further collapse of the airway. As the airway collapses the lungs do not have air entry leading to deoxygenation (decreased oxygen) of blood and the person wakes up. This period of non entry of air is called ‘Apnea’ and the waking up is called an ‘Arousal’. This keeps alternating and the person may not actually wake up all the time, but these repeated arousals can disturb the sleep architecture and cause fatigue, headaches and daytime sleepiness.

So, to determine the cause of your symptoms, have a spirometry and sleep study done. Also, maintain a diary and note down your symptoms, this will help to identify allergens and narrow down the search.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Allergies - Food Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Find out what causes asthma, and how to take control of your symptoms.
Find out if your city is a top "allergy capital."
Find out which foods you should watch out for.
If you’re one of the 35 million Americans who suffer from hay fever, read on for what plants are to blame, where to find them and how to get relief.
Allergist Dr. Lily Pien answers Medhelp users' most pressing allergy-related questions
When you start sniffling and sneezing, you know spring has sprung. Check out these four natural remedies to nix spring allergies.