Globus Pharyngeus Awareness

Mummy says… My big sister Lea has been suffering since February 2017 with severe anxiety and for months before this a throat condition. Only yesterday she learned that she is suffering from an actual condition – Globus Pharyngeus, a result of heightened anxiety. Lea had given me her full permission and support to write about this and to raise Globus Pharyngeus awareness to hopefully help others….

What is Globus Pharyngeus?

Globus Pharyngeus, Globus sensation or Globus Hystericus as it is also called is the feeling of a lump in the throat where no true lump exists. It is extremely common affecting 4 people in 100.

Lea has had a gastroscopy (camera down the throat) and an ultrasound scan of her throat and neck, and everything was normal. No lumps, or anything that shouldn’t be there. Lea also had blood tests initially to rule out Glandular fever.

Lea has already found that since learning she has this condition a week ago she feels much ‘better’. Happier, over the moon that there is a reason for why she has had this very real sensation in her throat for over 18 months, she is sleeping better and actually looking forward to her future and moving to London in September.

How did it affect Lea?

It was a viscious circle. Globus Pharyngeus was seemingly triggered by heightened anxiety, and the more anxious and stress she felt, the worse the Globus Pharyngeus was.

Lea has been afraid to sleep for months. She felt her throat was restricted and that she was actually going to die due to to her throat closing. This increased before we were due to go away, as she panicked thinking how would she access medical help if she needed to.

Lea couldn’t go on sleepovers. She has been exhausted and run down. Her quality of life had decreased significantly. Lea has even been physically sick with the stress of it all.

I am going to be writing more posts with lots of information and updates of Lea’s progress, but for now, I just want to raise Globus Pharyngeus awareness in the hope that it might help anyone else who is suffering with severe anxiety and has this ‘lump in the throat’ when there isn’t one. Lea actually felt she was going mad, as she feels the sensation physically – as if someone is continually pressing on her throat, yet there is nothing there. You can find some more information here.

Have you heard of Globus Pharyngeus – or suffered from it?