I have a bad cold & woke up and the back of my throat feels like its closing up, i can't speak properly & hurts to swallow.. my face is also swollen ?

Sounds serious...: Cold symptoms plus a throat that is "closing up" means immediate attention is needed. Whether such a patient can drive to the doctor's office or E.R., or should be driven by a friend or relative, or needs a call to 911 for an ambulance, depends on the severity of symptoms. One possible cause is strep throat with very swollen tonsils, or a growing tonsillar abscess, along with swollen neck glands.