Advice on an issue my mom has had.. Really bad choking happens randomly

Whatof

New member
Hi People.. I couldn't find a sub forum suited to this kind of problem so I thought it best to post in the general section...

It's an issue my mom seems to have. It happens very rarely (maybe once or twice a year.... Sometimes whole years where it hasn't happened at all). However in the past few weeks it has happened twice which is quite disturbing...

The problem is seemingly at random times and in an instant, she just can't breathe.... She's there all fine one minute talking, and the next she is gasping for air. This lasts for... Oh about 20-30 seconds I guess. It jsut comes on in an instant and without warning. The whole ordeal is very brutal and scary to say the least. On the past 2 recent occasions she said she felt as if she would die from it.
She hasn't choked on food, she has never suffered from asthma in her life and has no troubles with breathing usually. When it has happened I feel totally helpless.

I was wandering if anyone here has any knowledge of such a thing. And any possible information on it? :S
I'm really at a loss to what may cause this random loss of breath.



There is one thing though. She said that when it's came on in the past it seems to be a result of just her randomly swallowing... You know how everybody at certain times just swallows, even when you haven't eaten anything, like a natural action such as blinking/ breathing etc..
She described it as when you produce saliva in your mouth an you swallow it down, but it goes down the wrong way causing you to choke.

I think everybody at one point has done this.... I know I have but it's normally a little cough at best if you swallow a little saliva down the wrong way, not a total loss of breath as the case is with my mom.


So asides form that I really don't know what other information I can give about this....

My Mom is 62, pretty out going and healthy. She's jsut of normal size and build.
Asides from taking Asparin she isn't on any long term medication.


If anyone could perhaps shed any light on this issue I would greatly appreciate it.
 
If it's what I've had for years then I understand how scary it is. I can, at the drop of a hat, just stop breathing and start choking to the point of turning purple and almost collapsing. If it happens eating, it's usually on something stupid like soup or pudding. But most of the time it's just while talking. And you choke and cough. You try to get air in and can only get it out by violently coughing. Does this sound familiar?

If so, my pulmonologist said it's "vocal cord dysfunction" and likened it to a second form of asthma because some asthmatics have it. But you can also have it without having asthma.

Basically, the vocal cords just slam shut for unknown reasons. You can't get air in or out. You suck in air really hard but to get it out you need to cough so hard it forces the air through the closed vocal cords. You're choking on your own vocal cords. And all of this then causes swelling and inflammation of the vocal cords and throat and it gets worse. Colds really make it bad for me.

My asthma docs cares for me but your mom might want to see an Ear, Nose and Throat doc for advice.

It's scary for everyone and the only thing I ask my family to do is get me a large glass of something cold so that as soon as I can take a drink, the cold whatever, helps to keep the swelling down. I also keep throat lozenges around that have a numbing effect to numb up my vocal cords and relax them. When I get a cold I try to keep something that soothes the throat around at all times if I feel my vocal cords getting tight.

I hope this isn't what your mom has because it drives me nuts. I never know when it will hit. And it scares the #$%@ out of me. Let me know.

gentle hugs............Jenny
 
Hi.... I too have this problem, I am 42 years old. I am so scared when it happens i think im going to choke to death. I have been to a throat specialist he didnt find anything wrong, i have had an asthma test that too came back alright. This choking thing started about 2 years ago just out of the blue in the last 6 months it has gone worse i choke just by talking... without food, its like my saliva goes down the wrong way but i cant even cough theres no airway. I am terrified i always want someone around me just in case i suffocate , please can anyone help, its ruining my life i am so scared.
 
Back
Top