Three Reasons Why You Can't Stop Clearing Your Throat

A recent Instagram post by Dr. Inna Husain, highlights three common reasons why people struggle with chronic throat clearing:

⭐️Drying Out Mucus: Overusing antihistamines can dry out the tissue, causing mucus to become thick and sticky, which often leads to persistent throat clearing.

⭐️Reflux: Not all reflux is acidic; some reflux involves just the movement of stomach contents up the esophagus. Even without acid, this movement can cause irritation, so addressing the motion itself is essential. Antacids don’t stop this movement, though they can help with acid-related symptoms. Alginates can be helpful.

⭐️Repetitive Motion of Vocal Cords: Chronic throat clearing involves repeatedly slamming the vocal cords together, leading to muscle memory and a nerve hypersensitivity. This creates a cycle where the throat clearing itself triggers more of the same urge. Breaking this cycle often requires behavioral retraining with the help of a speech-language pathologist.

If you are interested in this information, think about following Dr. Husain on Instagram. I’ve already learned so much from her and have enjoyed experimenting with different alginates.

What about you? Have you tried an alginate?

This information is for educational purposes only. Never change your current care without first discussing it with your physician.

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