A scratchy throat? Long-term difficulty swallowing, inflammation or allergies?

A scratchy throat is a very common symptom of a cold. It may not be a serious illness. Sometimes it is associated with minor aches or pains in the throat.

However, if other symptoms are already present, the scratchy throat should be given the utmost attention.

You often ask:
What does prolonged scratching and dry throat mean?
What does a swallowing problem mean?
And why does it occur at night, could it be an allergy?
What medication will help?

Often it is also associated with painful swallowing, for example, when eating and drinking liquids. Other times scratching is also present if there is a prolonged stay in an environment with very dry air.

The air in the rooms is dry as a result of the heating. In this case, people complain of a dry throat, tickling or scratching in the nose and throat. The discomfort is particularly accentuated at night. A hoarse voice may also be present.

Allergies and scratching

Allergies are also a good example.

Scratching in the throat is also quite common in allergies. An allergic reaction is an exaggerated reaction of the body to a foreign substance that does not normally cause a reaction like an allergy.

An allergy can be to dust, mites, food or pollen, as in the case of hay fever. In its case, in addition to scratching in the throat, a runny nose, sneezing are associated.

Sometimes there is also swelling of the eyelids and their redness.

In colds

Most often, scratching in the throat occurs with a cold. The disease is especially common during autumn and spring weather. Then there are changes that the body is not yet ready for after summer or winter.

Sometimes there is a slightly increased body temperature, also a slight inflammation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. Mostly it is of viral origin and the treatment consists mainly in treating the symptoms.

An example is influenza. With a mild course, there is no need even to see a doctor.

Symptoms are general discomforts such as fatigue, pain throughout the body, muscles and joints, at first a tickling or scratching sensation in the throat, a runny nose and a stuffy nose. A rise in body temperature is associated.

The feeling of a dry throat and painful swallowing are especially accentuated at night and in the morning after waking up, when the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth become more dry. This can perpetuate the disease for a longer period of time.

Angina and scratchy throat

An infectious disease that manifests itself in the throat is tonsillitis (tonsillitis, tonsillitis acuta).

This is a more serious illness. It can be viral or bacterial in origin. It typically presents with scratchy throat, difficulty swallowing, sore throat, dry throat and fever.

Typically, the tonsils are enlarged and reddened. In some cases, a purulent plaque is seen on the tonsils.

Bacterial tonsillitis must be treated with antibiotics. The person is also tired and the organism is weakened.

Upper respiratory tract inflammation

Throat scratching is also present in several inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, for example, in nasopharyngitis it occurs together with sore throat. A dry cough, a full nose and increased body temperature are typical.

Nasopharyngitis can be caused by both viral and bacterial infections. The most common type of inflammation is bacterial. Antibiotics are also helpful in the case of bacterial inflammation. In the case of viral inflammation, treatment is symptomatic.

A scratchy throat can also occur with laryngitis

Laryngitis can also cause throat pain and mild scratching. Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx, which can be acute or chronic. The cause of the inflammation is a virus, so it is a viral disease.

It can subsequently be aggravated by bacterial infection as well. In addition to scratching in the throat, it manifests itself with typical symptoms. These are mainly dry cough, difficulty swallowing, due to irritation of the lining of the larynx. Sometimes there is also a wet cough, when a person coughs up mucus.

Read also the articles:

• Pain in the throat
• What is meant by sore throat?
• Home treatment for sore throat?
• Is it dangerous and how to treat it?
• Influenza in children: how to prevent it, what is its course and how is it treated?

Other causes

Infectious mononucleosis is a viral disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It is spread by droplets, saliva and sexual contact.

Infection with a sexually transmitted disease such as gonorrhoea causes scratching in the throat. During oral contact, the gonococcus bacterium (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) is transferred to the lining of the oral cavity.

Non-infectious causes include gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Stomach acids enter the throat unnaturally, causing irritation and scratching.

Cancer

In most cases, scratching in the throat is related to inflammatory and infectious diseases that, if treated early, do not threaten the human body.

But sometimes it can be a symptom of a serious disease.

Scratching in the throat is also present with cancer in the oral cavity and throat. It is mainly a chronic (long-term) difficulty.

Cancer of the oral cavity, throat, larynx is dangerous, especially because a person can underestimate it due to the similarity of symptoms with the common cold. Therefore, it is better to see a doctor at a prolonged occurrence of scratching.