Causes of dry throat and how to get rid of this symptom

Dry throat is one of the most unpleasant symptoms indicating diseases of the nasopharynx and sluggish painful processes inside the body. This is a fairly broad symptom that accompanies many diseases - from the common cold and ARVI to an acute allergic reaction or diabetes. Despite its apparent insignificance, a dry throat can be a marker indicating the presence of serious health problems. A patient suffering from a dry throat becomes more irritable and psychologically susceptible to pathogens, provoking the appearance of increasingly painful reactions.

Dry throat - symptoms of the phenomenon

Dry throat is a rather vague formulation; the main symptoms of this painful process can be several factors from this list:

• General feeling of fatigue, weakness.
• Hoarse voice, tension in the vocal cords.
• Pain in the throat muscles, worse when talking.
• A painful dry cough during which no mucus is coughed up.
• An increase in temperature due to the body's immune response.
• Enlarged tonsils and severe redness.

In addition, dry throat is often accompanied by symptoms that accompany a cold - such as a runny nose, swollen lymph nodes, and pronounced inflammatory processes.

The influence of nervous tension on the appearance of unpleasant symptoms in the esophagus

If such a symptom appears infrequently and is not associated with food intake, it can be assumed that the lump in the throat is caused by mental characteristics, in particular, a tendency to hysteria. With nervous tension associated with anxiety, excitement, or stress, a sensation of a lump appears closer to the pharynx in the area of ​​the esophagus, which is usually called “hysterical”.

After a short period of time, everything usually goes away without any drug intervention or complications. Subsequently, in such cases, you can do several breathing exercises, massage the collar area, and take a mild sedative. Even a simple change of environment will help get rid of this symptom.

A lump in the esophagus may also be psychogenic in nature

From a physiological point of view, this reaction of the body is explained by the fact that during stress the body needs a large amount of oxygen. In this case, the glottis becomes so wide that it cannot be completely covered by the epiglottis. As a result, it is impossible to utter a word, swallow tears, or take a breath.

If the feeling of a coma in the esophagus is accompanied by panic attacks and mood swings, it is necessary to take sedatives, antidepressants, and consult a psychotherapist. The prerogative of a neurologist will be to treat a lump in the throat if it is accompanied by:

1. Dizziness
2. Nausea
3. Apathy
4. Increased sensitivity to weather fluctuations.

In this case, we are talking about vegetative-vascular dystonia, which has recently become the scourge of the modern city dweller. Dysfunction of the nervous system manifests itself in this way. If someone in the esophagus experiences pain between the ribs, which intensifies with exercise, as well as with inhalation and exhalation, we may be talking about intercostal neuralgia - inflammation of the nerve responsible for the innervation of the chest.

Dry throat due to bacterial infections

One of the most common causes of dry throat. Infectious diseases accompanied by fever, cough, runny nose and other unpleasant symptoms most often cause a feeling of dry mouth due to damage to the soft tissues of the oral mucosa. In this case, it is unnecessary to fight dry mouth - you need to eliminate the cause of the disease, not its symptoms. By focusing on fighting the infection with antibiotics and other medications, you will not only increase the body's resistance level, but also get rid of all unpleasant symptoms in one go.

Dry mouth in pregnant women

Not all pregnant women experience dry mouth while sleeping at night. Usually their salivary glands work more actively than in other periods. Therefore, dryness may indicate inflammatory processes in the body.

They are often caused by colds.

The situation of a pregnant woman may worsen if this symptom is supplemented by the appearance of a metallic taste in the mouth. If specific signs are detected, you should consult a specialist.

Dry mouth during pregnancy can occur due to frequent urination. The body simply does not have time to replenish its fluid reserves, so certain areas do not receive enough moisture.

Smoking

Unfortunately, despite numerous warnings from the Ministry of Health, there are still a lot of people who smoke in Russia. Over many years of addiction, they become accustomed not only to the dubious taste of tobacco, but also to the symptoms accompanying its use - a feeling of bitterness, cough, dry mouth. The complete disappearance of dry mouth in a smoking patient is almost impossible - constant inhalation of hot smoke dries out the mucous membrane and leads to the formation of dense lumps of mucus, making swallowing and breathing difficult. If the patient is not ready to give up a bad habit, but wants to get rid of an unpleasant symptom, tissue mineral therapy is carried out - the oral mucosa is moisturized and cleansed, accumulated sputum and mucus are dissolved and disinfected by medication, after which the patient experiences relief and is relieved for a while from a constant feeling of dryness in the throat.

Osteochondrosis and discomfort in the esophagus

Lump in the esophagus due to a problem with the thyroid gland

The not entirely clear connection between a spinal pathology such as cervical osteochondrosis and a lump in the esophagus can be explained by the fact that compression of the nerve roots by overgrown osteophytes on the vertebrae can occur throughout the entire periphery of the human body. The cervical spine bears a considerable load; it is one of the most vulnerable due to the constant mobility of its vertebrae.

Lack of physical activity with a sedentary lifestyle, spending a long time in static positions, exceeding the optimal body weight can lead to the fact that osteochondrosis manifests itself even in adolescence. The nerve endings of the cervical spine, damaged by osteochondrosis, cannot fully innervate the chest area, which leads to the sensation of a lump in the esophagus.

This pathology is accompanied by headaches, limitation of movements and pain when turning the head, moving the arms, or bending the neck. A neurologist or vertebrologist will help establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Acute tonsillitis

Tonsillitis, or tonsillitis, is an infectious disease that results in acute inflammation of the tonsils. This is not only a very unpleasant disease in terms of its course, but also a very contagious phenomenon - you can get a sore throat simply by airborne droplets from any unsuccessful contact with an infected person. Inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx lead to severe dryness in the throat. As with colds, to get rid of a dry throat with a sore throat, you should treat the cause of the disease, not its symptom.

Differences from the subatrophic form

Subatrophic pharyngitis, the symptoms of which are minor, is the initial stage of atrophic pathology. There is no thinning or irreversible change in tissue yet. Subatrophic pharyngitis is dangerous because pronounced symptoms do not always appear, which is why many patients do not seek timely medical help. As a result, the start of therapy occurs at a time when the mucous membranes are already seriously damaged and cannot recover, and as a result, treatment is only supportive.

Pharyngitis

Pharyngitis is an infectious disease that is accompanied by severe damage to the oral mucosa and lymph nodes. Rarely occurs alone - most often pharyngitis is accompanied by acute inflammatory processes. A patient suffering from pharyngitis is faced not only with a dry throat, but also with an unpleasant soreness and tickling, a sensation of a foreign element in the nasopharynx, as well as a general feeling of fatigue and malaise. Most often, to eliminate the unpleasant consequences of pharyngitis, they resort to complex treatment - simultaneously with the use of medications, the patient is prescribed mineral therapy to normalize the condition of the mucous membrane in the pharynx, which is supplemented by herbal medicine (the use of medicinal herbs and infusions to irrigate the affected area of ​​the pharynx).

Thyroid problems and esophageal conditions

Pathologies of the thyroid gland associated with its increased or decreased function (hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism) can cause a feeling of a lump in the esophagus. If, at the same time as this symptom, you experience irritability, a feeling of chilliness, or, conversely, constant sweating, dry and brittle nails, hair, and memory impairment, you may need to consult an endocrinologist. Causes of thyroid dysfunction:

1. Hormonal changes in the body.
2. Iodine deficiency in food and drinking water.
3. Metabolic disorders.

To clarify the diagnosis, you will have to do an ultrasound of the thyroid gland and donate blood for the presence of its hormones.

Allergic reaction

An allergic reaction of varying severity is also often the cause of an unpleasant feeling of dryness in the throat. Associated symptoms include difficulty breathing, severe pain when swallowing or breathing, and many other signs. Since at this stage of development of medicine, allergies cannot be treated, but are chronic and haunt the patient throughout life, there are several ways to avoid dry mouth:

• Using antiallergic drugs to relieve allergic reactions.
• Integrated use of mineral therapy and herbal medicine to restore normal functioning of the throat.
• Exotic treatment methods for the restoration of mucous membranes in especially critical cases - laser therapy (in this case, a photosensitive gel is applied to the damaged tissues of the throat, which, under the influence of a laser, releases oxygen and saturates the soft tissues with it, promoting their regeneration and destroying pathogenic bacteria), ultrasound and other treatment methods .

Diagnostics

The main methods for diagnosing the disease are collecting anamnesis and performing pharyngoscopy. However, such a diagnosis is not enough to determine the cause of the pathology. After the diagnosis is made, the doctor refers the patient for examinations in order to identify the factors that led to the pathology. If you look at a photo of a sore throat with atrophied mucous membrane, it will help even a non-specialist to visually recognize the pathology in life.

Without fail, a person is sent for a consultation with a gastroenterologist, since it has been precisely proven that most of the atrophic pathologies of the pharyngeal mucosa develop due to the reflux of acid from the stomach into the esophagus. Sometimes the patient himself does not notice this problem, and only a specialist can determine it.

If no disorders of the gastrointestinal tract are established, a blood test for hormones and a smear to identify pathogenic microflora are indicated. In addition, a referral may be given for an allergy test.

When there is concern that the patient has begun to develop cancer, a biopsy of throat tissue is performed. It can be performed independently or in parallel with pharyngoscopy. Thanks to the procedure, a malignant process can often be detected at an early stage, when therapy is still possible.

Dry throat due to vascular pathologies

Diseases of the circulatory system and vascular pathologies are almost always accompanied by a painful feeling of dryness in the throat. In this case, the most acute symptom of the pathology is treated first. As soon as the danger to human life and health has disappeared, the attending physician can begin to get rid of dry throat. Most often, lymphotropic or capillary therapy is used for this. The essence of these methods is to normalize the functioning of capillaries that provide circulation of blood, lymph and nutrients in the damaged area of ​​the throat. The body is saturated with useful substances, releasing large amounts of oxygen and ozone, which are destructive to most harmful bacteria. At the same time, the therapy is also of a general strengthening nature - it not only relieves the patient of the feeling of dry throat, but also prevents the appearance of similar symptoms for a long time, protecting soft mucous tissues from damage.

Causes

To provide correct therapy, it is very important to establish the causes of the disease. If the factor causing the problem is identified and eliminated, the patient's condition will improve. Doctors identify the following as the main provocateurs of the development of atrophic processes in the pharyngeal mucosa:

• long-term residence in areas with very polluted air;
• living in a hot, dry climate - in such conditions, mechanical drying of tissue occurs, which triggers the atrophic process;
• smoking in active or passive form - toxins from nicotine lead to the destruction of cells in the mucous membrane of the pharynx and cause severe damage to it, triggering the degenerative process;
• regular consumption of alcoholic beverages, even light ones;
• pathologies of the nose, which force you to constantly breathe through the mouth - because of this, the mucous membrane is not only exposed to cold air and a large number of pathogens, but also mechanically dries out;
• disturbances in the functioning of the immune system that do not allow it to adequately resist inflammatory agents or cause its aggression against body tissues;
• the presence of foci of chronic inflammation in the pharynx, nasal cavity or mouth. They cause a weakening of local immunity and constantly irritate the mucous membrane, thereby causing the process of its thinning;
• prolonged unauthorized use of nasal vasoconstrictors - these drugs, flowing with mucus along the back wall of the pharynx, lead to its damage;
• surgical intervention on the pharynx - it is impossible to predict the appearance of the disease as a consequence after surgery, since it is usually associated with the individual characteristics of the body;
• Vitamin A deficiency in the body - when it affects the mucous membrane and it ceases to function fully. This vitamin deficiency causes drying out of epithelial and mucous tissues, causing many atrophic processes;
• throat injury - against its background, the process of replacement of mucosal cells with connective tissues gradually begins, due to which its full functioning becomes impossible;
• severe burn of the throat or chronic minor burns of the mucous membrane due to regular consumption of very hot drinks or food - damaged tissues with a severe burn cannot be restored to their original state; and if the throat injury is permanent, then without having time to heal, it receives further damage, which causes atrophy;
• chemical damage to the throat - after which the mucous membrane usually cannot recover properly and becomes thinner, after which even a small irritant leads to the onset of the atrophic process.

Also, quite often the disease appears as an occupational one when working for a long time in hot shops or in chemical production. In this case, it is necessary to constantly monitor health and provide supportive therapy to prevent the development of the atrophic process in the mucosa. Regardless of the cause of its appearance, atrophic pharyngitis has similar symptoms.

Disease prevention

Despite the fact that dry throat itself is not an independent disease (it is just a symptom), it can and should be avoided by promptly implementing a set of preventive measures to maintain the health of the oral mucosa. You can do this as follows:

• Do not neglect daily oral hygiene. When brushing your teeth and gargling, a person easily gets rid of many pathogenic bacteria, which can cause complications and even an infectious disease if not treated properly.
• Monitor the condition of the throat mucosa. If you observe the first signs of dryness or pain, immediately consult your doctor.
• Avoid unhealthy habits, particularly smoking. Stay outdoors more often; if you need to stay indoors for a long time with dry air, use a humidifier.
• Gargle regularly.
• Conduct herbal medicine at home - prepare plant decoctions and natural teas. They have a beneficial effect on the condition of the oral cavity, relieving a person of dry throat even in the bud of the disease.

Which doctor should I contact?

Dry throat is a fairly common symptom, so there is no clear answer to this question. It all depends on your individual clinical picture. However, if you are seriously concerned about a growing symptom and feel severe dryness in your throat, you should immediately visit an otolaryngologist, or ENT specialist - this is the specialist who deals with the treatment of the throat and will be able to advise you both on the treatment of dryness and on further medical specialist .

Dry throat is a dangerous symptom, without proper attention to which a person is recommended to face significant complications. At the first signs of dry throat, we recommend that you immediately consult your doctor to receive qualified medical care.

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