Dry throat: causes and treatment

Many people experience pain and sore throat, dryness. These symptoms appear in absolutely healthy people. Dry throat is also considered common. Often this is due to some kind of nasopharyngeal disease, so the symptom should not be ignored. The causes and elimination of dry throat are described in the article.

Features of the mucosa

Human pharynx appears due to epithelial cells. Among them are goblet glands producing mucus. Cells have special hairs that provide movement and constant renewal of mucus.

The secretion formed by cells has antibacterial components that protect against infection. Dust particles, harmful components in the air accumulate in mucus. Physiologists consider the liquid secret to be a filter, which serves to protect the mucosa from drying out.

If the secret is formed in insufficient quantities, then the mucous membrane will be irritated. She will be poorly protected from foreign agents. This can occur from mucosal atrophy, disorders, insufficient consumption of the components of the formed secretion. The epithelium gains 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 associated with the body's response to external factors. It can also confirm the development of infection or inflammation. In children and the elderly, a sensation appears due to underdevelopment or atrophy of the throat mucosa.

The causes of dry throat include:

1. Constant loads on the vocal cords. This is usually observed in singers, actors and lecturers, who often have discomfort in the larynx.
2. Work with chemical and toxic components.
3. Allergy to medicines. Dry throat appears after taking antibiotics, diuretics, antidepressants.
4. Extremely dry air.
5. Reaction to hot, spicy, cold foods.
6. Chronic rhinitis

Often the throat dries up from severe dehydration. To eliminate this reason, it is necessary to collect the skin inside the palm of the hand in a fold, hold for a couple of minutes and let go. If the skin for a long period is not smoothed, it is necessary to adjust the drinking regimen.

Pathology

If there is a dry throat, what causes the disease? If coughing, suffocation, a feeling of constriction is observed with this symptom, a comprehensive examination should be done. This may be due to the following pathologies:

1. Upper respiratory tract infections leading to coughing. Dryness usually appears in the presence of ailments such as pharyngitis, laryngitis. There is pain during swallowing, cramping, tickling, the voice will be hoarse. With these signs, you should consult a doctor. Laryngitis usually leads to suffocation, especially in children.
2. Asthmatic cough. A person feels difficulty breathing, in addition, there is a stuffy nose, tormented by sharp bouts of coughing. This appears with increased physical exertion, after a laugh. Symptoms can worsen at night and in the morning. With pathology, pale skin, perspiration and sore throat are observed.
3. Flu, a cold. With such ailments, an increase in lymph nodes, an increase in temperature, nasal congestion, and a deterioration in appetite occur. A person feels weakness, a dry cough or with sputum, with fever there may be pain in the joints or muscles.
4. Subatrophic pharyngitis. With the growth of connective tissue in the throat, dryness, tightness in the throat occurs. A dry cough also appears. Other symptoms include halitosis, irritability, and poor sleep quality.
5. Pharyngomycosis. With this disease, damage to the pharyngeal mucosa occurs with 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 after cure.

Other diseases

Dry throat cause what diseases can be? This symptom can also occur with other serious ailments. If the larynx dries during sleep, this is often associated with mouth breathing during apnea, snoring, curvature of the nasal septum, and adenoids. The causes may not necessarily be throat diseases. Dry throat appears in the following cases:

1. Allergy to dust, pollen, tobacco smoke. In addition to dryness, a severe runny nose, lacrimation, asthma attacks, suffocation.
2. Gastritis, pancreatitis. Sensations in the throat appear after eating. Appetite also worsens, there is abdominal pain. A plaque in the tongue, nausea, bloating may appear.
3. Diabetes. Dryness appears with hyperglycemia. There may also be severe thirst, frequent urination.
4. Malignant and benign neoplasms in the mouth. Usually they appear in the parotid and submandibular salivary glands.
5. Lack of vitamin A. In addition to dryness in the throat, pallor and peeling of the skin, deterioration of the condition of the hair.
6. Climax With a decrease in the work of the ovaries, the synthesis of sex hormones, the mucous membranes dry out.
7. Pathologies leading to dehydration. Internal bleeding, poisoning may be observed.
8. Disorders of the thyroid gland. If it fails, the synthesis of hormones that affect the mucous membranes and the epidermis is worsened, which causes dry throat, cough.
9. Systemic ailments - scleroderma, cystic fibrosis, Sjogren's syndrome.

Dryness and sore throat can occur from severe overstrain, prolonged stress. Unpleasant symptoms appear in those who restrain emotions and do not express their opinion. This is what psychosomatics testifies to. The cause of dryness is a malfunction of the salivary glands after an injury or illness, as well as chemotherapy, anemia. Symptom manifests itself in children after vaccination against diphtheria.

Who to contact?

If the drying of the throat is a long process, then you need to contact the otolaryngologist. He will be examined, history taking. The specialist checks for the presence of chronic diseases, and also finds out whether the person took the medicine, whether he performed self-medication.

You may also need a consultation with a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, neurologist. How to treat dry throat? The doctor can prescribe medications based on tests, self-medication in this case is not recommended. Dry throat can be treated with folk remedies, but only after consulting with specialists.

Diagnosis of specialists is an important event, since it allows you to determine the cause. Also, this will allow you to correctly prescribe treatment.

Medication

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, a comprehensive treatment is needed that eliminates the main cause of dryness.

Usually, doctors prescribe the following drugs:

1. Antibacterial - “Bioparox”, “Anginal”, “Sumamed”.
2. Bactericidal - Isofra, Polydex.
3. Antihistamines - Cetrin, Suprastin.
4. Antiviral - Kagocel, Cycloferon.
5. With complex action - “Teraflu Lar”.
6. Antimycotic - “Fluconazole”, “Clotrimazole”.
7. Lollipops and tablets - “Trachisan”, “Strepsils”, “Lizobakt”.

To eliminate unpleasant symptoms, in addition to medicines, the doctor prescribes physiotherapy - magnetotherapy, irrigation of the mucous membrane with the help of mineral salts, ozone therapy, and the use of vacuum.

Effective remedy

How is the mucosa softened? Saline or drops with sea water have excellent hydration. It is necessary to bury the nose 3 times a day, the last time they perform the procedure at night. Flaxing oil or vegetable oil has a softening effect - you should drink it in 5 ml in the evenings.

Folk remedies

Thanks to unconventional methods, it will be possible to moisturize the mucous membrane, get rid of inflammation, and also strengthen immunity. Folk remedies are effective in treating children and during pregnancy, since usually they can’t take medicine.

You can eliminate the dryness of the house in the following ways:

1. In warm water (220 ml) apple cider vinegar (15 ml) is added. The solution is used to gargle every 2 hours. Procedures are performed after eating food. With hoarseness, beet juice should be used instead of water.
2. There is a drink that softens the mucous membrane, eliminates coughing, and boosts immunity. In equal quantities, mix carrot or cabbage juice and liquid honey. It should be consumed 120 cm 3-4 times a day.
3. Black radish juice (50 ml) and honey (10 ml) are added to warm milk (100 ml). Drink should be 45 ml. 3 times a day after meals, the drink must be heated in advance.
4. In a thermos, add small mint leaves (20 g), boiling water (250 ml). After an hour, you need to strain the composition. Rinse should be performed 3 times after eating.
5. If dryness appeared due to acute respiratory infections and colds, it is necessary to mix linden inflorescences and raspberry leaves (10 g each). Boiling water (250 ml) is also added. Insisting is carried out 1 hour in a closed form. Rinse should be done after meals.

Permanent Moisturizing Method

How else moisturize the mucous membrane? You need to drink healthy drinks more - broth of wild rose, cherry compote. When a child has a throat, it must be fed with blackcurrant, grated with sugar, or fresh berries should be given.

Recommendations

Whatever the causes of dry mouth, to remove the symptom, you can use simple professional tips:

1. Adequate fluids should be consumed. This method is the simplest. It is advisable to choose sour juices or cold broths with rose hips. Improving the effect will allow the addition of lemon juice in a small amount.
2. It is important to rinse your mouth regularly. Regularly conducting such procedures reduces the intensity of symptoms. To do this, use a decoction with sage, chamomile, calendula, eucalyptus.
3. It is necessary to maintain oral health and use quality hygiene products. Dryness occurs when using low quality toothpastes and other care products.
4. You must inhale the air with your nose, not your mouth. Usually, mouth breathing occurs with nasal congestion with the development of some ailments.
5. Use sugarless chewing gums. If dryness appears due to lack of salivation, the activation of the processes is carried out thanks to chewing gum without this sweet component. But you should be careful for people who have digestive ailments or acid disorders.
6. 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 release of saliva in the mouth.

Prevention

To prevent the dryness of the throat, the effect of irritants must be excluded. It is important to treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract in a timely manner. The following preventive measures allow to prevent drying out:

1. It is often necessary to ventilate the room, humidify the air.
2. It is important to strengthen the immune system, abandon bad habits.
3. During exacerbation of respiratory ailments, rinse the nasopharynx with saline.
4. Need to drink more fluids.
5. It is necessary to reduce the amount of consumption of sharp, salty foods. Dishes should have a comfortable temperature.
6. In hazardous industries, reliable protective equipment must be used.

The main preventive measure is the timely visit to the doctor if the condition worsens. This is especially important if the symptoms are persistent.

Output

Dry throat is considered a common occurrence of people whose life is associated with the tension of the voice, as well as work in chemical organizations. Often a 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.