"a brief spasm of the vocal cords that temporarily makes it difficult to speak or breathe. The onset of vocal cord spasms is usually sudden, and the breathing difficulty can be alarming. However, the problem is not life-threatening, and it's generally brief and self-correcting." best definition i've found.

i've had them for a long time so they don't scare me anymore, it's pretty much just a matter of relax and let it pass. a lesson for life too, i suppose.