A dry throat can interfere with daily activities. Talking will feel quite sick and awry. Immediately find out the cause so that you can treat it properly.
A dry throat is often accompanied by itching or pain in the throat. This condition may be a symptom of a throat or mouth disorder. Two conditions associated with a dry throat are laryngitis and dry mouth.
Conditions That Cause a Dry Throat
Below are two types of diseases that can cause a dry feeling in the throat:
Laryngitis
This condition most often causes a dry throat accompanied by hoarseness and itching. Laryngitis is inflammation of the vocal cords that occurs due to excessive use of the vocal cords or due to infection.
There are two types of laryngitis that are distinguished by the time span of the onset of symptoms, namely:
- Long-term (chronic) laryngitis, which is generally caused by cigarette smoke, drinking alcohol, allergies, or stomach acid irritation
- Short-term (acute) laryngitis is generally caused by bacterial and viral infections, such as bacteria Streptococcus or the Corona virus that is currently endemic
When you have laryngitis, you will generally feel symptoms in the form of a dry and sore throat, hoarse voice, persistent itching in the throat, or a dry cough. To overcome this condition, people with laryngitis will usually be given corticosteroid drugs or antibiotics (if the cause is a bacterial infection) according to the doctor's advice.
In addition, you can also do several treatments independently at home, namely drinking mineral water, inhaling inhaler containing menthol, gargling with warm salt water, and eating sweets mint or lozenges (throat lozenges). It is advised not to smoke and rest your voice.
dry mouth
In addition to laryngitis, dry mouth can also be a cause of a dry throat. This condition occurs when the salivary glands do not produce enough saliva. Generally, dry mouth occurs when a person is dehydrated, has nerve damage in the head or neck area, smokes, takes certain drugs, or suffers from certain diseases.
Symptoms of dry mouth include persistent thirst, dry throat, sores at the corners of the mouth, chapped lips, impaired sense of taste, difficulty chewing, sore throat, and a rough, dry, and red tongue.
To overcome the problem of dry mouth, you can chew gum type sugar-free (sugar-free) or low-sugar to increase salivation, drink mineral water, keep the air in the bedroom moist so that the respiratory tract does not dry out, and breathe through the nose, not through the mouth.
If the above methods do not work for a dry throat, you should consult a doctor. The doctor will provide treatment that is tailored to the cause.
For example, if it is caused by radiotherapy treatment, the doctor may give: pilocarpine. If it is caused by the consumption of certain drugs, the doctor will reduce the dose of the drug or replace it with another drug. If dry mouth is caused by a blockage in the nose, the doctor will prescribe a decongestant.
A dry throat can go awry. You will have difficulty speaking, as well as swallowing food and drinks. If the complaints continue to bother you, consult your doctor to find out the cause of the dry throat you are experiencing, so that it can be treated in the right way.