What does pharyngeal muscle spasm feel like?

Pharyngeal muscle spasm is not a common disease in daily life. It is a symptom caused by abnormal muscles in the soft palate or throat. It can easily cause discomfort in the throat. Pharyngeal muscle spasm can easily cause the throat to jump or contract, affecting normal life. It can also easily cause a great impact on swallowing and requires treatment.

What does pharyngeal muscle spasm feel like?

It is more common in adults and has a slow onset. Myoclonus is an intermittent, involuntary, rhythmic contraction movement that may occur dozens to hundreds of times per minute. The patient and others can hear a rattling sound. Contraction of the soft palate, larynx, floor of mouth, diaphragm and other diseased areas is bilateral, but contraction of the sternocleidomastoid and facial muscles is unilateral. The contraction of the pharyngeal muscles causes the soft palate to move up and down, causing the Eustachian tube to open and close, resulting in paranoid tinnitus. Clonic spasms can be temporarily suppressed during swallowing or pronunciation.

Causes

It is mostly caused by central brainstem lesions, such as brainstem vascular embolism, tumors, pontocerebellar disease, syringobulbar disease, diffuse cerebral arteriosclerosis, etc. Some people also believe that hysteria may be the cause of the disease, prompting the onset of palatal myoclonus.

diagnosis

The diagnosis is not difficult based on the symptoms reported by the patient and examination of the throat, which shows some muscle clonus. However, it should be differentiated from the pulsation of vascular diseases and other neurological diseases.

treat

Treatment is directed at the cause. For central nervous system diseases, please consult internal medicine and neurology departments for joint diagnosis and treatment. Patients with peripheral paralysis can be treated with anticholinesterase drugs, nerve stimulants, vitamin drugs, and acupuncture. Patients with paralysis of the pharyngeal constrictor muscles who cannot eat or who have aspiration should have a nasogastric tube inserted.

You can try sedatives, suggestive therapy, mastoid electrotherapy, hypnosis and other methods.

Pharyngeal myoclonus, also known as palatal myoclonus, is a rare disease characterized by involuntary and rhythmic contraction of the soft palate or pharyngeal constrictor muscles. It may be confined to one place or occur simultaneously in several parts, and is usually bilaterally symmetrical.

Classification

Cricothyroid muscle

The cricothyroid muscle originates from the anterior and lateral surface of the cricoid cartilage arch and extends posteriorly and superiorly to the lower edge and lower angle of the thyroid cartilage. When contracted, it tilts the thyroid cartilage forward, thereby lengthening and tightening the vocal cords.

posterior cricoarytenoid muscle

The posterior cricoarytenoid muscle originates from the back of the cricoid cartilage plate, with fibers running outward and upward and ending at the muscular process of the cricoid cartilage. When it contracts, it pulls the muscular process of the cricoid cartilage backward and outward, causing the muscular process of the cricoid cartilage to rotate on the vertical axis, abducting the vocal process, widening the glottis, and making the vocal cords tense.

It originates from the upper edge and lateral surface of the cricoid cartilage arch, and the fibers run obliquely posteriorly and superiorly and end at the arytenoid process. When contracted, the traction muscle protrudes forward, causing the vocal process to turn inward and the glottal fissure to narrow.