Most people may generally agree that having a dry throat is uncomfortable. Throat dryness can significantly impact every detail of daily life, from talking to chewing and swallowing. Dry throat causes can include a sore throat, allergies and vocal strain. Dehydration and exposure to irritants such as smoke can be other significant causes. Luckily, in most cases a dry throat can be easily resolved in a number of ways.
Sometimes throat dryness happens in conjunction with a sore throat. As a matter of fact, itchiness and extreme throat dryness are some of the main sore throat symptoms. Throat dryness may be even more profound if the throat becomes infected. A persistent cough can also cause dryness in the throat. At times, a dry throat can indicate more serious problems, such as growths in the throat and malfunctioning salivary glands.
Allergies can be additional dry throat causes. A dry throat can be an allergic reaction to such allergens as mold, pet dander and pollen. Taking a new medication or getting stung by an insect can also cause an allergy that could cause this type of dryness. For some people, eating foods of which they are allergic to may cause their throat to become dry as well. Often, avoiding possible allergy triggers may reduce this dry throat cause.
Vocal strain is a frequent cause of dry throat. There are a number of ways vocal strain can happen. This may be done by long periods of yelling or speaking at the top of one's voice. Vocal strain may also result from singing or continuous speaking in a normal tone. Individuals who make their living using their voice may frequently have a dry throat.
Dehydration, which happens when one loses more fluids than he or she absorbs, can also cause dryness in the throat. Frequent causes of dehydration include fever, excessive vomiting, sweating and chronic diarrhea. When a person is dehydrated, he or she usually drinks very little. Going a long period of time without drinking can quickly dry the throat out. Xerostomia, or dry mouth, fatigue and lightheadedness can be additional dehydration side effects.
Sometimes the throat becomes dry due to irritants a person is exposed to. A common irritant that may result in a dry throat is smoke. In most cases, tobacco smoke is the culprit, although any type of smoke can cause this type of throat issue. Dry throat causes can also include chemical irritants such as household cleaners which can make the throat both dry and sore. Exposure to certain fragrances such as perfumes and colognes may also cause a person to develop a dry throat.
Although dry throat causes can widely differ, remedies for this problem are typically straightforward. Generally, non-alcoholic and caffeine-free drinks will best serve a dry throat. If the dryness is due to vocal strain, not talking for a while may also be helpful. In addition, if the dry throat is caused by an allergy, avoiding allergic triggers may be all the treatment needed.