If you’ve ever felt your throat itching at night, you’re not alone. A lot of people experience an itchy throat when dealing with a dry cough, dehydration, or even a fever.
The symptoms of a throat itch are usually temporary and they subside eventually.
However, if they persist, it usually means you have an illness like laryngitis or are suffering from an allergy.
What Causes An Itchy Throat?
The causes of an itchy throat are usually related to dehydration or an excess of phlegm in the throat. However, sometimes, they may be related to an illness.
Hay Fever
Tens of millions of Americans are affected by hay fever every single year. It also causes unpleasant itching in the throat.
Known medically as allergic rhinitis, it releases histamine in the body after coming into contact with pollen, cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes, etc. These substances can cause this reaction.
Food Allergies
Allergies from food are known to cause an itchy sore throat. You can even develop an itch in your throat after eating spicy food.
Some common triggers for an itch include shellfish, some eggs, milk, and wheat. Certain nuts can also be a cause of an allergic reaction.
Drug Allergies
Drug allergies can also cause an irritant throat. All it takes is a reaction to a symptom for the itching to begin.
Penicillin, antibiotics, etc., can all cause allergic reactions within certain people. Their throat will begin to itch shortly after the medication is administered.
Viral/Bacterial Infections
Strep throat or tonsillitis may begin with your throat itching. It will usually progress to a sore throat afterwards. The flu can also cause such symptoms to emerge.
Dehydration
Not having enough water in a day can cause a dry throat. If you go to sleep without having drunk water, you will have an itchy throat.
Remember that you burn calories when you sleep, and thus you sweat. Your saliva won’t be enough to keep your mouth and throat moist.
You lose a lot of water during sleep, so make sure to drink up before you hit the hay.
Acid Reflux
This is also known as heartburn. It occurs when your stomach acid overflows up the esophagus. It’s quite common, especially after having a large meal.
You will feel a burning sensation within your chest as well as a dry throat when this happens.
You can take some baking soda dissolved in water to help neutralize the acid.
How Long Does An Itchy Throat Last?
An itchy throat may last a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days, depending on the cause.
If the itch lasts more than ten days, or if it progressively gets worse, you should see a doctor.
Getting Rid Of An Itchy Throat At Night
You can get rid of an itchy throat at night with some very simple remedies. These are not just remedies, but preventive measures as well.
Water
The first and most obvious response is to drink some water. Your throat itching is most likely because of dehydration.
Once you fill up on water, the itch will subside.
Gargle
Gargling with salt water is another effective remedy. Your mom or dad probably told you to do this when you were young.
Just mix half a teaspoon of salt with a glass of water and gargle with it for 10 seconds. Then spit it out. Rinse and repeat two or three times a day.
Honey
Having a tablespoon of honey every morning will soothe the throat. If you have the flu, sprinkle some black pepper on it and then swallow it .
Ginger Tea
Make hot ginger tea with lemon and honey to soothe your itchy throat.
You can pour one tablespoon of honey or more, and squeeze 2-3 lemon wedges, as per your taste. Make sure you take this two or three times a day.
Horseradish Tea
Horseradish tea is also a cleanser that can get rid of your itch.
Mix a single tablespoon of horseradish (natural root, not sauce) with a single teaspoon of ground cloves and honey each. Mix them all in a cup and add water.
Stir to mix all the ingredients and sip the mixture slowly. Do this every evening until the itch subsides.
Herbal Tea
There are a lot of herbal teas that you can drink to soothe an itch in the throat.
These include stinging nettles, ginkgo, milk thistle, eyebright, red clover, dong quai, licorice, chamomile, slippery elm, etc.
Milk And Turmeric
This is a great natural remedy to prevent your throat itching. First, mix a single teaspoon of turmeric with 8 ounces of milk in a small saucepan.
Heat it until it comes to a boil. Then, pour the mixture into a cup and then let it cool.
When it’s at a comfortable temperature to drink, sip slowly. Do this every evening until the itch is gone.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Take a single tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and add it to a glass of water. Stir continuously and leave until it is cool enough to drink.
Sip it slowly. You can add a single tablespoon of maple syrup if you want to improve its taste.
See A Doctor
If any or all of these remedies don’t work for your throat itching, then you should go to a doctor immediately.
This signifies that you probably have an illness or an infection that won’t go away. It’s better to have it treated with prescribed medication before it gets worse.
Make sure that you adhere to these remedies and preventive measures to ensure your throat doesn’t itch.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the key to preventing these little inconveniences.
Make sure the problem doesn’t occur in the first place so you won’t have to cure it.
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