Crying on the inside? Discover the real reason behind that lump in your throat

WE'VE all been there: you're watching a deeply emotional movie, reminiscing about a bittersweet memory, or dealing with a heartfelt conversation, and suddenly, there's that unmistakable lump in your throat.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

It’s as if your body is betraying your efforts to keep it together. But have you ever wondered what causes this peculiar sensation?

That lump in your throat is more than just a poetic metaphor for sadness, it’s a real physical response with a fancy medical name: globus sensation (or globus pharyngeus if you're feeling extra scientific).

The science behind the lump

The lump-in-the-throat feeling is your body’s way of responding to strong emotions, whether it’s sadness, grief, or even overwhelming joy.

This sensation isn't imaginary, it’s caused by the tightening of the muscles in your throat and neck.

In a piece from BBC’s science focus, Dr Nish Manesh, a general practitioner, explains that these muscles include the ones in your pharynx (the tube connecting your mouth to your oesophagus) and around your larynx (your voice box). When emotions run high, these muscles contract or tense up, creating that constricted feeling.

But why do they tense up in the first place? It all comes down to your body’s built-in survival system: the fight-or-flight response.