According to Dr. Chang, the best thing you can do when you get a lump in your throat is just let yourself cry, rather than try to suppress it. If you find that you feel this way often, minimising the amount of stress in your life can definitely help, too. That said, there are a few medical reasons why you may experience throat tightness that have nothing to do with sadness or crying, he says. For example, acid reflux can cause the cricopharyngeus to tighten up. It's worth it to talk to your doctor or see an ENT if that's something you deal with on the regular.