Tightness in Throat

[MandaSue]

I've been sick a lot lately. I had a sinus infection that lasted 7 weeks, I've also had a lot of swelling of my tonsils(since last November).  Recently I've had a tightness in my throat.  It feels like there is something pressing against my throat when I swallow and talk.  I went to an ENR doctor and he didn't know what would cause it.  It's really annoying and any ideas of what it could be or how to treat it would be wonderful.

[National Jewish]

It is difficult to say exactly why you are having the symptoms you described. One possible reason is that the sinus infection continues to be a problem. This can either be as an active infection or the resulting inflammation from the infection. In either case, you may be having drainage down your throat that is irritating the lining of the throat and causing the discomfort you have described. Having a sinus x-ray might help to learn whether the sinuses are playing a continued role in your problem.

[MandaSue]

Extra information.  I did have a CT scan and was told everything looked great.  That's why the tightness is bothering me because I can't figure out what's causing it.  I do believe I am having some drainage because I also ocasionally get that stinging feeling when I talk or swallow.

[Concerned lady]

Some things that helped (and are helping) me with my sinus condition are:

1) Nasal irrigations which I do daily
2) A hot water vaporizer
3) An air cleaner
4) not overdoing on milk products
5) addressing my form of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux, called LPR (Laryngeal pharyngeal reflux)
6) seeing a good doc to see if anything else is a factor, that meeds to be addressed

You can email me if you'd like to compare notes. My email is ***@****

Sincerely,
Carol

[LV]

MandaSue, I understand what you're going thru. I've had similar symptoms as you, but mine began appearing in April 2001. Out of the blue, I started having tightness in my throat when I swallowed or talked. I had some relief in Jan. & Feb. 2002, but the tightness in the throat has reappeared. I've seen an allergist, who skin tested me for food allergies (I already get allergy shots for nonfood allergens). I had an MRI of my throat. Neither of these tests was positive for anything. Only recently did I have a CT scan of my sinuses, which showed I have a huge infection. This was done after I had already been thru 2 heavy-duty antibiotics. I'm now on a third, this time for 4-6 wks. I have to see an ENT in a few weeks to see what's going on. I don't know if sinus problems have contributed to this throat swelling/tightness. It's very uncomfortable, though. Frustratingly, my regular doc says it's caused by stress. I think stress plays a factor in any illness, but I don't think stress is the root cause of my problem. I'd love to hear back from you to see how it's going.