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Why do we get 'a lump in our throat'?

throat.jpgQuestion

When you get upset, why do you get a lump in your throat? What is that lump?
Jamie, Clapham

Answer

** Definitive **
Name: Sam, Abbey Wood
Qualification: Member of St John’s Ambulance
Answer: It’s to do with the automatic nervous system, which reacts to stressful situations and causes the fight or flight syndrome. One of the side-effects of that is to increase blood flow to the vital organs and muscles. And one of the ways your body does this is by opening the glottis as wide as possible to enable your lungs to get more oxygen. When you cry, you’ll find it very difficult to swallow. That’s because your swallowing muscles are fighting against the automatic nervous system which is trying to keep the glottis open. It’s the reason your heart pounds during tense moments.

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