Clearing one’s throat is a common reflex to remove mucus and irritants — particularly during allergy season.
But for some, it can become a habit that’s hard to break, which can lead to stress and anxiety.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, laryngologist Dr. Inna Husain shared the causes of chronic throat clearing, as well as when to see a specialist and how to kick the habit.
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When people clear their throats, it actually slams the vocal folds together, which over time can cause lesions, nodules, bruising and hemorrhages that affect the voice, according to Husain, who works at Powers Health in Munster, Indiana.
“Those same vocal cords are used to help create sound — so if you keep slamming them, you could injure the surface area of the vocal cords,” she said.
One cause of throat clearing is laryngeal pharyngeal reflux (LPR), or “silent reflux.” This condition occurs when stomach contents come up into the throat, which causes inflammation without the typical heartburn symptoms.
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While LPM is not life-threatening, the main concern is its impact on quality of life, according to Husain.
“Along with the sensory changes that happen from chronic trauma, [it can] make the throat more sensitive,” she noted. “Over time, people clear their throat more because they’ve reduced the threshold to trigger a throat-clearing.”
Affected parties can then get stuck in a cycle where they clear their throats to remove irritation or mucus, which then creates more irritation and mucus.
“It takes less and less irritation and mucus to make you want to throat-clear, so that’s another reason we want to try to stop it, because that can affect quality of life as well,” Husain added.
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Other causes of throat irritation (and subsequent clearing) include allergies, inflammation from conditions like sinusitis, vocal cord issues, aging, asthma, tracheal narrowing and some medications.
“As we age, our vocal folds thin. That can cause an inefficient system, which can cause more sensitivity and throat clearing,” said Husain.
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Husain’s patients often come in complaining of other symptoms, or because their family members have noticed an uptick in their throat-clearing, she shared.
Many people assume allergies are the culprit, but standalone throat clearing is rarely the only symptom, according to the doctor.
“I’ve actually seen throat-clearing irritation get worse when people start allergy pills or antihistamines without actually having an allergy,” she cautioned.
The first step in solving the issue is determining the root cause. That typically starts with an ear, nose and throat (ENT) exam, where the doctor uses a flexible camera to examine the lining, tissue and vocal cords.
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“We try to identify if there’s a root cause, if there’s something very obvious,” said Husain.
“For example, in people who chronically throat-clear, I’ve found things like nasal polyps and sinusitis. And then we would go down the regimen of treating that root cause.”
In cases where the root cause is unclear, the doctor also looks at laryngeal hygiene in general, asking, “Is there a source of inflammation? Can we make the larynx or the voice box happier?”
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Studies have shown that it helps to hydrate the vocal folds, where most of the irritation originates. Staying hydrated and limiting the source of irritation is one way to begin changing the behavior, Husain advised.
Additional tips to lessen irritation and inflammation include avoiding smoking, limiting acidic foods and using saline nebulizers.
Alternate behaviors to throat-clearing, like swallowing, humming, sipping water or blowing air, can help the components of the throat begin to heal, according to the doctor.
“Over time, that helps the larynx reset itself,” she added.
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