Many people experience sore and itchy throat, dryness. These symptoms also appear in perfectly he althy people. Dry throat is also considered common. Often this is associated with some kind of disease of the nasopharynx, so the symptom should not be ignored. The causes and elimination of dry throat are described in the article.
Features of the mucosa
A person's pharynx appears due to epithelial cells. Among them are goblet glands that produce mucus. Cells have special hairs that provide movement and constant renewal of mucus.
The secretion formed by the cells contains antibacterial components that protect against infection. Dust particles, harmful components in the air accumulate in the mucus. The liquid secret is considered by physiologists as a filter that serves to protect the mucous membrane from drying out.
If the secret is formed in insufficient quantities, then the mucous membrane will be irritated. It will be weakly protected from alien agents. This may result from mucosal atrophy,violations, insufficient consumption of the components of the formed secret. The epithelium acquires a strong sensitivity. A person feels that he constantly wants to moisten his throat. The reason for this is that due to inflammation, the nerve endings of the mucosa are constantly irritated.
Why does it appear?
The causes of dry throat or xerostomia are related to the body's response to external factors. It can also confirm the development of infection or inflammation. In children and the elderly, the sensation appears due to underdevelopment or atrophy of the throat mucosa.
Causes of dry throat include:
- Constant stress on the vocal cords. This is commonly seen in singers, actors, and lecturers, who often experience throat discomfort.
- Working with chemical and toxic components.
- Medication allergy. Dry throat occurs after taking antibiotics, diuretics, antidepressants.
- Very dry air.
- Reaction to hot, spicy, cold foods.
- Chronic rhinitis.
Often the throat dries up from severe dehydration. To eliminate this reason, you need to collect the skin inside the palm of your hand into a fold, hold for a couple of minutes and release. If the skin is not smoothed for a long period, it is necessary to correct the drinking regimen.
Pathologies
If there is dryness in the throat, the causes of what disease can be? If with this symptom there is a cough, choking, a feeling of constriction, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensivesurvey. This may be due to the following pathologies:
- Upper respiratory infection leading to cough. Usually dryness appears in the presence of such ailments as pharyngitis, laryngitis. There is pain during swallowing, spasms, perspiration, the voice will be hoarse. With such signs, you should consult a doctor. Laryngitis usually results in choking, especially in children.
- Asthmatic cough. A person feels the difficulty of breathing, besides, nasal congestion is observed, sharp coughing attacks are tormented. It appears with increased physical exertion, after laughter. Symptoms can worsen at night and in the morning. With pathology, pallor of the skin, perspiration and sore throat are observed.
- Flu, cold. With such ailments, there is an increase in lymph nodes, fever, nasal congestion, loss of appetite. The person feels weak, dry cough or sputum, with fever there may be pain in the joints or muscles.
- Subatrophic pharyngitis. With the growth of connective tissue in the pharynx, dryness, tightness in the throat occurs. There is also a dry cough. Other symptoms include bad breath, irritability, poor sleep quality.
- Pharingomycosis. With such a disease, the pharyngeal mucosa is affected by fungi. A person feels scratching, burning, and during swallowing, unpleasant symptoms may intensify.
Dry throat appears after tonsillitis, tonsillitis, surgical interventions. Symptoms may appear within 7-10 days aftercure.
Other diseases
Dry throat can cause what diseases? This symptom can also occur with other serious ailments. If the larynx dries during sleep, then this is often associated with mouth breathing during apnea, snoring, deviated septum, adenoids. The cause may not necessarily be a sore throat. Dryness in the throat appears in the following cases:
- Allergy to dust, pollen, tobacco smoke. In addition to dryness, there is a severe runny nose, watery eyes, asthma attacks, suffocation.
- Gastritis, pancreatitis. Sensations in the throat appear after eating. Appetite also worsens, abdominal pain occurs. There may be a coating on the tongue, nausea, bloating.
- Diabetes. Dryness appears with hyperglycemia. There may also be intense thirst, frequent urination.
- Malignant and benign neoplasms in the mouth. They usually appear in the parotid and submandibular salivary glands.
- Lack of vitamin A. In addition to dryness in the throat, there is pallor and peeling of the skin, deterioration of the hair.
- Climax. With a decrease in the work of the ovaries, the synthesis of sex hormones, the mucous membranes dry out.
- Pathologies leading to dehydration. There may be internal bleeding, poisoning.
- Disorders of the thyroid gland. In case of failure, the synthesis of hormones that affect the mucous membranes and epidermis worsens, which causes dry throat and cough.
- Systemic ailments - scleroderma, cystic fibrosis, Sjögren's syndrome.
Dryness and itching in the throat canarises from severe overexertion, prolonged stress. Unpleasant symptoms appear in those who hold back their emotions and do not express their opinion. This is what psychosomatics testifies to. The cause of dryness is a violation of the salivary glands after injury or illness, as well as chemotherapy, anemia. The symptom appears in children after vaccination against diphtheria.
Who should I contact?
If the drying of the throat is a long process, then you need to contact an otolaryngologist. They will be examined and history taken. The specialist checks for chronic diseases, and also finds out whether the person has taken medications or self-medicated.
You may also need a consultation with a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, neurologist. How to treat dry throat? The doctor may prescribe medications based on tests, self-medication in this case is not recommended. Treatment of dry throat can be performed with folk remedies, but only after consultation with specialists.
Diagnosis by specialists is an important exercise, as it allows you to determine the cause. It will also allow you to correctly prescribe treatment.
Medicines
They are prescribed depending on the types of pathology. Sprays, tablets are often used, but this applies to advanced forms of the disease. In diseases not related to the respiratory system, complex treatment is needed that eliminates the main cause of dryness.
Usually doctors prescribe the following medications:
- Antibacterial - "Bioparox", "Anginal",Sumamed.
- Bactericidal - Isofra, Polydex.
- Antihistamines - "Cetrin", "Suprastin".
- Antiviral - Kagocel, Cycloferon.
- With a complex action - "Theraflu Lar".
- Antimycotic - Fluconazole, Clotrimazole.
- Lollipops and tablets - Trachisan, Strepsils, Lyzobakt.
To eliminate unpleasant symptoms, in addition to medicines, the doctor prescribes physiotherapy - magnetotherapy, irrigation of the mucosa with mineral s alts, ozone therapy, the use of vacuum.
Effective remedy
What softens the mucosa? Excellent hydration has saline or drops with sea water. It is necessary to bury the nose 3 times a day, the last time the procedure is performed at night. Linseed or vegetable oil has a softening effect - you should drink 5 ml of it in the evenings.
Folk remedies
Thanks to non-traditional methods, it will be possible to moisturize the mucous membrane, get rid of inflammation, and also strengthen the immune system. Folk remedies are effective in treating children and during pregnancy, as they usually cannot take medicine.
You can eliminate dryness at home in the following ways:
- Apple cider vinegar (15 ml) is added to warm water (220 ml). The solution is used to gargle every 2 hours. Procedures are performed after eating. For hoarseness, beetroot juice should be used instead of water.
- There is a drink that softens the mucosa, eliminates cough, improves immunity. In the samequantities, you need to mix carrot or cabbage juice and liquid honey. It should be consumed 120 cm 3-4 times a day.
- In warm milk (100 ml) add black radish juice (50 ml), honey (10 ml). You should drink 45 ml. 3 times a day after meals, the drink must be warmed up in advance.
- In a thermos, add small mint leaves (20 g), boiling water (250 ml). After an hour, strain the composition. Rinse should be done 3 times after meals.
- If dryness appeared due to acute respiratory infections and colds, you need to mix linden inflorescences and raspberry leaves (10 g each). Boiling water (250 ml) is also added. Infusion is carried out for 1 hour in a closed form. Rinsing should be done after meals.
Permanent way to moisturize
How else do they moisturize the mucous membrane? It is necessary to drink more he althy drinks - rosehip broth, cherry compote. When a child has a sore throat, he should be fed blackcurrants grated with sugar, or give fresh berries.
Recommendations
Whatever the cause of dry mouth, you can use simple professional tips to remove the symptom:
- You need to drink enough fluids. This method is the simplest. It is advisable to choose sour juices or cold decoctions with rose hips. Adding a small amount of lemon juice will improve the effect.
- It is important to rinse your mouth regularly. Regular conduct of such procedures reduces the intensity of symptoms. To do this, use a decoction with sage, chamomile, calendula,eucalyptus.
- Must keep your mouth he althy and use quality hygiene products. Dryness appears with the use of poor quality toothpastes and other care products.
- The air should be inhaled through the nose, not through the mouth. Usually, mouth breathing occurs when nasal congestion occurs with the development of certain ailments.
- Sugar free gum should be used. If dryness appears due to a lack of salivation, the activation of processes is carried out thanks to chewing gums without this sweet component. But people who have digestive ailments or acid disorders should be careful.
- With constant dryness, experts advise using spices during cooking. Red pepper is suitable for this, which is suitable for many dishes, and also improves the flow of saliva in the mouth.
Prevention
To avoid dry throat, it is necessary to exclude exposure to irritants. It is important to treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract in a timely manner. The following preventive measures allow you to prevent drying out:
- We need to ventilate the room more often, humidify the air.
- It is important to strengthen the immune system, give up bad habits.
- During an exacerbation of respiratory ailments, you need to rinse the nasopharynx with saline.
- Must drink more fluids.
- You need to reduce the amount of consumption of spicy, s alty foods. Meals should be at a comfortable temperature.
- In hazardous production it is necessary to use reliable means of protection.
The main measure of prevention is a timely visit to the doctor if the condition worsens. This is especially important if the symptoms are persistent.
Conclusion
Dry throat is considered a common occurrence of people whose lives are connected with the tension of the voice, as well as work in chemical organizations. Often the symptom appears with serious ailments. With the help of diagnostics, it will be possible to identify the disease in a timely manner and cure it.
