Globus sensation is the uncomfortable feeling that there is a lump or tightness in your throat even though nothing is actually stuck there. Many people describe it as a pressure that sits right in the middle of the throat. For some it feels like a pill that never went down. For others it feels like the throat muscles are being squeezed. One of the most confusing parts of Globus is that it often gets worse when stress or anxiety levels are high.

What Stress Does to the Body

When you are stressed, your body triggers a natural fight or flight response. Your muscles tighten, your breathing becomes more shallow, and your nervous system becomes more activated. Most people feel this in their shoulders or jaw. But the throat is made of muscles too. When the throat tightens under stress, the sensation can become more noticeable. The more your nervous system is activated, the more the muscles in the throat can tense.

Anxiety Makes You Hyper Aware

Anxiety also makes you more focused on physical sensations. When people are anxious, they scan their body more, looking for something to be wrong. That extra attention makes the sensation feel stronger and more unpleasant. A sensation that might have been small or easy to ignore can suddenly feel overwhelming when anxiety is high.

Stress Can Affect Digestion

Stress can also increase the chance of reflux because the stomach produces more acid and the muscles that keep acid contained can become more relaxed. For many people, reflux irritates the throat and contributes to Globus. When someone is stressed, this irritation can increase. Some people find that simple tools such as reflux chewing gum can help reduce throat irritation while they work on lowering stress levels.

The Cycle Can Feed Itself

Here is the tricky part. Globus can make you anxious, and then the anxiety makes the Globus worse. Then you notice it more, and the cycle repeats. Understanding this loop is the first step to breaking it.

What Helps

• Slow breathing 
• Relaxation exercises 
• Mindfulness 
• Avoiding trigger foods 
• Hydration 
• Addressing reflux if it is present 

Small changes can help calm the throat and calm the nervous system at the same time.

Conclusion

Globus sensation is very common. It is uncomfortable, but it is usually not dangerous. Stress and anxiety can amplify the sensation because they tighten muscles, increase nervous system sensitivity, and sometimes worsen reflux. When you learn to calm your mind and support your body, the sensation often becomes far less intense.