The sensation of sore throat, which is accompanied by a cough, is familiar to many. Most people do not try to treat this condition, hoping that it will pass by itself. However, most often this symptomatology indicates a serious inflammation that does not go away without the use of pharmaceuticals or alternative methods that can relieve inflammation.
The main causes of the condition
Why does it tickle in the throat, and the cough does not go away - tens of thousands of patients turn to this question annually with therapists and otolaryngologists. Coughing is a symptom of more often inflammatory and infectious diseases. But a sore throat can report more serious pathologies. for example, such a combination of symptoms may indicate the presence of bronchial asthma. Depending on body temperature, hoarseness, the condition of the lymph nodes and other clinical markers, you can try to draw preliminary conclusions about the reasons why it tickles in the throat and cough does not go away for more than one week.
Here is a list of the most common causes of this discomfort:
- tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis;
- adenoiditis;
- allergic manifestations;
- bronchial asthma.
Which doctor should I go to?
In order to establish the exact cause of the sore throat, accompanied by a cough, you should consult an otolaryngologist. A general practitioner, a general practitioner or pediatrician, may also help. To begin with, it will be necessary to pass a general and biochemical blood test, then, if necessary, scraping from the mucous membrane of the throat and nasopharynx.
If a bacterial or viral infection is detected, appropriate treatment will be prescribed. In most cases, antibacterial drugs cannot be dispensed with - they alone can destroy staphylococcus and other pathogens in the blood that are the cause of laryngitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, etc.
If there is a suspicion of an allergy, the patient will be given a referral to consult a specialist. You will need to pass a special analysis that will allow you to calculate antigens. An allergist will prescribe a suitable antihistamine. After a course of medicine, the patient will undergo an allergic dry cough. Tickles in the throat, in the nose, sputum is released - all these symptoms can also be a symptom of an allergy, you should definitely mention them at a doctor's consultation.
Angina as a cause of sore throat and cough
Angina is one of the most common acute respiratory infections. It is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- sore throat, which on the second day is replaced by acute pain when swallowing;
- inflammation of the lymph nodes;
- depending on the complexity of the course of the disease, the temperature may rise;
- the cough is most often mild, dry;
- general weakness, poor performance.
With angina, an unpleasant sensation of perspiration is characteristic, which provokes a contraction of the throat, and as a result a cough appears. in order to avoid this, the virus that caused the development of the disease should be destroyed. Without antibacterial drugs, most often, this is impossible.
If the patient feels that the throat tickles before coughing, what should I do? First of all, consult a therapist, general anti-inflammatory drugs will be prescribed. Fervex, Teraflu can also be prescribed to relieve the main symptoms of angina - often, provided the patient has good immunity, this is enough. Sore throat is amenable to therapy at home - from perspiration in the throat, pain in the nasopharynx, cough, honey and beekeeping products, as well as decoctions and tinctures of nettle, calendula, chamomile, are excellent.
Pharyngitis - treatment methods and symptoms
The disease is a lymphoid inflammation of the tissues of the pharynx. Most often combined with acute inflammatory process of the upper respiratory tract. The disease most often overtakes patients at the end of winter, when the immune system is weakened, the body's resistance to infections and viruses is almost at zero.
In the absence of proper treatment, pharyngitis can become chronic, in this case the patient's voice can forever remain a little hoarse, low, bass. To prevent this from happening, you should consult a doctor at the first sign:
- implicit pain in the throat and nasopharynx;
- inflammation of the lymph nodes;
- tickles in the throat;
- cough begins without copious sputum production;
- the timbre of the voice changes.
Causes of pharyngitis
Otolaryngology distinguishes the following forms of pharyngitis depending on the causes of its occurrence:
- viral or infectious;
- allergic;
- fungal.
Most often, viral and infectious causes of the disease are found, much less often - allergic and fungal. In order to prevent the development of pharyngitis in children and adults, simple prevention rules should be followed:
- eat only from clean dishes;
- Do not drink too cold drinks;
- in the cold season, wear a scarf and hat;
- take vitamin and mineral complexes;
- take drugs to strengthen the immune system;
- prevent general hypothermia;
- wear high-quality shoes that do not leak and do not provoke wet feet in cold weather;
- Do not swim in water at temperatures below twenty degrees;
- not to be in the water for too long - general hypothermia is an excellent background for the development of pharyngitis.
Laryngitis - a disease in which tickles in the throat and cough
In this case, the inflammatory process of the laryngeal mucosa begins. The patient feels an unpleasant tickling in the throat, nose, and nasopharynx. This process may be accompanied by a mild cough with sputum production. Otolaryngology distinguishes two forms of laryngitis: acute (the disease bothers the patient for several days) and chronic, in which the symptoms persist for several years.
In the absence of adequate treatment, the acute form can develop into a chronic one. Unpleasant sensations in the nasopharynx cause a cough, it tickles in the throat and spits up a thick sputum in a small amount - it may be diagnosed with laryngitis.
Varieties of laryngitis and features of the course
Modern otolaryngology distinguishes the following forms of the disease:
- Catarrhal laryngitis is accompanied by the following symptoms: perspiration, hoarseness, cough is intermittent, dry or with little sputum production. The course of the disease is often quite mild. Often, in the clinical picture of catarrhal laryngitis, isphony, hoarseness, cough (as if tickling in the throat), soreness and dryness in the throat at high or subfebrile temperature can be distinguished.
- Atrophic laryngitis leads to a thinning of the mucous membrane of the throat and nasopharynx. A distinctive feature of this type of disease is the formation of brown crusts on the mucous membrane, which secrete a donut and cause serious discomfort to the owner.
- Allergic laryngitis is quite rare and is accompanied by profuse lacrimation. The throat does not just hurt, but it itches. Before the patient starts taking antihistamines, other treatment methods will be powerless.
- Hypertrophic laryngitis differs from the usual course of the disease by thickening of the mucous membrane of the larynx. In the chronic form of the disease, thickenings can reach such a large size that they interfere with the normal closure of the larynx.
- The diphtheria form of laryngitis is characterized by the transfer of infection from the throat to the tonsil region, later this can cause the development of chronic tonsillitis. To avoid such a complication, treatment of laryngitis should be taken as soon as possible.
Bronchial asthma: features of the course
Many patients complain of a lack of air when they tickle in the throat. How to stop a cough if, in parallel with it, a person begins to suffocate and experiences itching in the throat, nasopharynx, nose? First of all, do not self-medicate and consult an otolaryngologist. Such a dangerous symptom as a lack of air can indicate the development of bronchial asthma. This is a serious illness that can lead to death, although at first it only worries that it tickles in the throat from time to time and causes a cough.
Why can a patient begin to choke? The following factors affect the lack of air in the lungs:
- increased reactivity of smooth muscle elements of the walls of the bronchial tree, leading to spasm in case of any irritation;
- exogenous factors causing a massive release of mediators of allergy and inflammation, but not leading to a general allergic reaction;
- swelling of the bronchial mucosa, worsening the airway;
- insufficient formation of a mucous bronchial secretion (cough with asthma is usually unproductive);
- primary damage to the bronchi of small diameter;
- changes in lung tissue due to hypoventilation.
Allergic manifestations
Most people are used to thinking that allergies are manifested in continuous sneezing and secretions of fluid from the nose. In fact, there are much more manifestations: tearing, itching, dermatitis, rashes, urticaria, nausea, tickling throat and cough. How to treat such manifestations of allergies? There is only one solution - competent selection and administration of an antihistamine drug throughout the rest of your life.
In some cases, you can do without medication - it’s enough just to permanently eliminate the source of the problem from the environment. For example, if you are allergic to citrus fruits - never, under any circumstances, eat them. If an allergic reaction manifests itself on poplar fluff, it will be more difficult to exclude it, even if you do not leave the house, the manifestations of the disease will disturb the patient. Therefore, in some cases, taking pills is indispensable.
Adenoiditis
This is inflammation of the nasopharyngeal tonsil. It is diagnosed more often in children and adolescents. Patients are characterized by an unpleasant, "gundosy" timbre of voice. At the same time, they are tormented by a constant tickle in the throat, runny nose, problems with swallowing. Most often, surgical treatment is necessary - in a hospital setting, plaque and pus should be scraped off the nasopharynx and, if there are adenoids, cut them out.
Advice on how to prevent the development of adenoiditis: always completely treat a runny nose, cough, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis and other inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx. This is the only way to insure yourself against unpleasant complications in the form of adenoiditis.
Laryngopharyngeal neuralgia
This is a relatively rare disease in which it tickles in the area of the root of the tongue, which provokes a cough. The condition is most often caused by neurological problems, for the elimination of which it is often necessary to take a course of sedative or nootropic drugs.
The reviews of those patients who "managed" to get such a rare diagnosis indicate that after a good rest and the establishment of sleep phases, symptoms of glossopharyngeal neuralgia became significantly less pronounced. There was a tickle and discomfort in the larynx, a cough was relieved. Another important tip that is useful in the fight against glossopharyngeal neuralgia is to try to completely give up smoking, both simple cigarettes and electronic cigarettes. The less aggressive the larynx, the greater the chance of getting rid of the problem.