What is Itchy Throat?

Itchy throat is irritating sensation in the throat that provokes desire to cough. Other symptoms like pain, secretions, difficulty eating or speaking, runny nose, or itchy eyes may accompany itchiness, depending on the cause.

Throat Anatomy

Throat consists from pharynx and larynx.

Picture 1. Structures in the throat
(source: Wikipedia)

Pharynx can be divided into:

  • nasal part that receives inhaled air from the nose
  • oral part that receives ingested food from the mouth
  • laryngopharyx – the part between epiglottis and esophagus (gullet)

Larynx conveys inhaled air from the pharynx into breathing tubes (trachea and bronchi). Vocal cords in larynx enable speaking.

Epiglottis covers the entrance into larynx when food passes from the mouth into esophagus. Sometimes a piece of food, like a small fish bone can stick in a pocket above epiglottis.

Why Throat Itches?

Inner walls of the throat are covered with mucosal membrane that contain nerve endings. These may be irritated by polluted air, food, or substances secreted by the body during inflammation or allergy. Several tinny glands in mucosa excrete mucus, the sticky fluid that covers the throat walls, thus protecting them and allowing smooth passage of the air and food. When mucous glands don’t excrete enough mucus, like in dehydration, or due to certain medications, or when mucus layer dries off due to fever or dry air, nerves become exposed and irritable.

Causes of Itchy Throat

Conditions that may cause itchy throat:

  1. Dry throat from dry air, fever, medications, inflammation
  2. Loud speaking or singing
  3. Foreign body such as a stuck part of the food
  4. Irritant substances in the air, including smoke, inhaled medications or drugs
  5. Psychological reasons
  6. Infections of the throat: viral (common cold, flu), bacterial (bacterial tonsillitis), or fungal (candida – oral thrush)
  7. Infections of adjacent organs like sinusitis, bronchitis
  8. Systemic diseases (SLE, systemic sclerosis..)
  9. Allergies to foods, environmental antigens, medications, etc.
  10. Tumors on the throat wall or vocal cords
  11. Neck disorders and injuries
  12. GERD
  13. Vomiting
  14. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures

1. Dry Throat

Dry throat often appears together with dry eyes, mouth and skin. Common causes are:

  • Cold windy weather in the winter
  • “Sick building disease” from excessive indoor heating or air condition
  • Stuffed nose and breathing through mouth
  • Acute or chronic throat inflammation
  • Dehydration
  • Under-active salivary glands in old people
  • Marijuana and tobacco smoking
  • Caffeine in coffee, sodas and energy drinks
  • Alcohol
  • Sjögren’s syndrome
  • Medications such as antidepressants, drugs to treat urine incontinence, belladonna (atropine), barbiturates, ergotamine, opium, diuretics, antihistamines, or sprays to treat asthma.

Treating of Dry Throat

Treating is with removing the cause, and drinking enough water or herbal tea with honey that soothes the throat. Herbal candies without sugar and menthol may give temporary relief by making a thin protective film on the mucosa. Breathing with closed mouth, and resting voice also helps. In Sjögren’s syndrome dry rinses and artificial saliva may be used to moist the throat. Indoor air humidifiers are available.

Teas containing licorice root, Marshmallow root, honeysuckle flowers, barberry, eucalyptus, chamomile, or slippery elm may help in sore and itchy throat.

2. Loud Speaking or Singing

Prolonged speaking, singing or yelling may leave you with sore itchy throat that may need a day to resolve. Above mentioned measures should be considered, pain killers are rarely needed.

3. Foreign Body

A piece of fish-bone or a seed may stuck in the pocket above epiglottis, or a sharp piece of glass may be stabbed in the throat wall. Foreign body should be tried to cough out, or swallowed with the help of gargling water. Stabbed pieces usually resolve on their own. Painkillers may be used to relieve the pain.

4. Irritant Substances

Gases from industrial pollution containing sulphur dioxide or metal fumes, dust, solvents, laboratory chemicals, or household cleaners may all irritate the throat. Marijuana, cigarette smoke, or inhaled cocaine also irritating. Burning and itching from hot spices should resolve in about an hour after ingesting. Treatment is with avoiding irritant substances and measures like in dry throat.

Burns after drinking hot liquids or corrosive substances (acids, petrol) may cause itchy throat for prolong periods.

5. Psychological Causes

Repeating dry cough without apparent reason is obvious sign of psychological induced cough. The coughing person feels the need to attract attention.

6. Infections of the Throat

Viral Infections

Viral infections like common cold (rhinovirus), flu (influenza virus), infectious mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr virus), mumps, chickenpox, or measles usually cause infection of upper respiratory tract with itchy sore throat. Treatment is like in sore throat. Aspirin should be avoided, since in rare cases can cause a dangerous Reye’s syndrome with liver damage.

Bird flu is caused by virus that resembles influenza, and it is transmitted from birds or poultry (e.g. chicken). Influenza like illness with sore throat and cough appears in infected persons. Bird flu becomes dangerous when it affects lungs.

Herpes simplex or Herpes zoster virus may rarely affect the mouth or throat.

Some tropical viral illnesesses like Dengue fever, Q fever also present with sore itchy throat.

Bacterial Infections

Bacteria Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae may cause infection of tonsils (strep throat) or epiglottis, especially in children. Diphtheria or anthrax are still common in developing world. Treatment is with antibiotics. Brucellosis spreads from animals in rural environment and may cause a flu like disease.

Bacterial infection may persist for long time (chronic pharyngitis). White streaks of pus on enlarged tonsils, and bad mouth smell are characteristic symptoms. Te ENT specialist should tell how to treat chronic pharyngitis, and if it is appropriate to remove enlarged tonsils. Collection of pus (abscess) may form beneath the mucosa in the pharyngeal wall and cause pain and fever. Antibiotics, and occasionally, surgical incision are needed.

Fungi

Candida or other fungi may overgrow in mouth and throat (oral thrush) in low immunity due diabetes, AIDS, cancer, chemotherapy, corticosteroid therapy, etc. Treatment is with anti-fungal rinses or pills containing nystatin. Mucormycosis is fungal infection of upper airways by Mucorales molds often found on bread.

Croup

Croup is an inflammation of the throat in children with characteristic harsh, barking cough. It may be caused by viral or bacterial infection, or allergy. Treatment is with providing moist air for breathing, corticosteroids in inflammation, or antibiotics in bacterial infection.

7. Itchy Throat due to Disorders of Near Organs

Sinusitissymptoms are blocked nose and pain in para-nasal sinuses. Characteristic symptom in chest cold (tracheitis) is pain under the breastbone during coughing.

Ozena is chronic inflammation of mucosa in the nose or throat. It appears as dry, crusty, itchy mucosa in the nose and throat, and intense bad smell. This disorder of uncertain cause affects mainly young women in non-developed countries. It may run in families, and it may be caused by bacterium Klebsiella. Treatment is with nasal drops or surgery.

Acute bronchitis may develop as a complication of a chest cold or flu. Chronic bronchitis is common in smokers. In both cases coughing leads to dry itchy throat.

Bacterial pneumonia is severe infection of lungs. Increased frequency of breathing and heartbeat, malaise, chest pain, productive cough, and sweating are main symptoms. Treatment is with rest, antibiotics and fluid replacement. Treated pneumonia should resolve within a week.

Atypical pneumonia is caused by viruses, or other microbes such as Mycoplasma pneumonie or Chlamidia psittaci. Insidious onset, low grade fever, dry cough, vague chest pains, and prolonged course are main symptoms. Treatment is with avoiding hard work, and treating the cause.

Tuberculosis, lung parasites, like Echinococcus and any other lung disease with cough may cause itchy throat.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease, marked by excessive secretion of saliva, sweat, bronchial, and gastrointestinal fluids. Repeating lung infections, and constant productive cough are characteristics. Many children dye before adulthood. Treating is concentrated to clearing of airways and fighting with infections.

Pericarditis, inflammation of the sac that encloses the heart may press the nerves that innervate the throat and thus irritate it. The same may happen in aneurysm or dissection of thoracic aorta.

8. Throat Itch in Systemic Diseases

Throat may be affected in systemic connective tissue diseases like Sjögren’s syndrome, systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, several types of vasculitidies, etc.

9. Allergies to Food, and Environmental Allergens

Food allergies commonly cause itchy throat, itchy/tingling lips, swelling of the face, and hives (urticaria) on upper part of the body.

Allergies to pollens, pet dander, molds, dust mites, and other inhaled allergens (substances that may trigger allergy) usually cause itchy, pink, watery eyes (conjunctivitis), runny nose, and itchy throat. Asthma, due to breathing through the mouth and using inhalation sprays can also cause itchy throat.

Treatment is by avoiding triggering foods or substances, and using oral antihistamines after allergic attack. Diagnosis of allergy is made by skin tests. Most allergies improve with time.

10. Tumors

Tumors in the pharynx or larynx may cause itchiness. Small benign tumors are common in singers or other people who speak loudly a lot. Malign tumors are often in adult smokers after 50 years of age. Treatment is surgical removal of the tumor.

Lymphomas, metastases in neck lymph nodes, or cancers in the neck and chest may also trigger cough.

11. Disorders in the Neck

Enlarged thyroid or lymph nodes, abscess, tumor, dislodged tissues after injury, or fibrous tissue (adhesions) after surgery may press on the throat from outside and cause itching.

12. GERD

In gastro-esophageal reflux disease, acid from the stomach comes up into the throat and irritates its mucosa, thus causing itching and burning feeling known as heartburn.

Treating of hyper-acidity with anti-acid drugs such as H2 antagonists (cimetidine, ranitidine) or proton pump inhibitors (omeprazol) is essential. Eventual underlying infection of stomach with bacterium Helycobacter pylori has to be considered.

13. Vomiting

After vomiting the throat may itch due to irritation with gastric acid. If vomited content is inhaled it may cause inflammation of larynx and lungs.

14. Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures

Endotracheal intubation (to keep mouth open during artificial breathing or other procedures, a plastic tube is inserted into the throat), gastric or bronchial endoscopy, or gastric lavage may leave sore itchy throat for few days.

End Notes about Itchy Throat Treatment

Immediate relief from itchy throat, when your throat is dry, is by drinking some water. Having a bottle of water or a cup of herbal tea (without teine) can really help in dry indoor air. Being well hydrated is essential. If you excrete at least 200 ml of clear white or yellow urine every morning, you are well hydrated.

Try to remove the cause. If you have hay fever, don’t hang around the woods and parks. In air pollution, close the windows. Breath through the nose, and don’t speak loudly all the day, if possible.

Pain killers, antibiotics, anti-cough syrups, corticosteroids, and antihistamines should be used only when the cause is obvious and symptoms are disturbing your daily activities. Antibiotics quite often cause antibiotic associated diarrhea, even after only few days of use, and steroids have several side effect, including fungal infection of the mouth and throat.

Remedies help in mild itch due to dry throat but not in severe inflammation. Most cases of itchy throat are transitional, so there’s no need to spend money for several remedies.

Further Reading:


Further Reading :
  • Tonsil Stones Removal & Pictures
  • Armpit Fungus – Sweat, Irritation & Perfume Allergy
  • 5 Top ways to relieve sore throat
  • Pollen Attacks South, Doctor Warns the Golf Lovers