No one likes a sore throat. Especially in the age of coronavirus, a sore throat can derail your day if you think it signals a virus or illness. However, any ENT doctor in Los Angeles can tell you that a sore throat isn’t automatically a cause for concern.
A sore throat is automatically associated with strep throat or COVID-19, and if you’re a hypochondriac, you could think it’s something more serious such as throat cancer. Did you know a sore throat can be the result of your bedroom environment, lifestyle, and diet choices? Our sore throat specialists detail why you may be having a chronic sore throat in Los Angeles below.
The spring and fall months usually signal certain allergenic trees, weeds, and flowers to bloom. Most cities actually have an overabundance of male trees, the ones that release pollen, and when this pollen is not taken in by a female, it remains in the air where it’s breathed in by innocent passersby.
Breathing in pollen can affect your nose, throat, and lungs, and if it’s a breed of pollen that you’re specifically allergic to, it can lead to throat pain, watery eyes, and sinus congestion. Our LA sinus doctors can tell you that despite their commonality, allergies can be extremely uncomfortable and decrease your quality of life.
The Solution: Allergy medications can do wonders for your health, and if OTC medications are not enough, you should visit our allergy specialists. We can work with you to give you a treatment like balloon sinuplasty or immunotherapy like allergy drops.
If you sleep with the window open, you may wake up with a sore throat that goes away throughout the day. In a dry city like Los Angeles, you can experience a sore throat in the mornings like this even if you don’t sleep with an open window.
The Solution: When you visit our chronic sore throat specialist in Los Angeles, they will suggest that you buy a humidifier to put in your bedroom. Moist air will keep your throat from drying out, and this will minimize the soreness or hoarseness you feel in the morning.
Los Angeles is one of the worst cities in the world for air pollution. The cloud of smog that covers the city on certain days is due to car exhaust and factory waste. Air pollution could be the cause of your chronic sore throat if you live in a densely populated city.
The Solution: While at home, you can run an air purifier to filter out some of these harmful pollutants. Studies have shown that air purification systems can greatly reduce the amount of pollutants in your home’s air and improve your breathing and overall health. While outside the home, you can try to wear a mask whenever possible to filter out the dirty air.
If you work near chemicals or clean your home a lot, inhalation of these harsh chemicals can cause throat irritation. This condition can typically be self-diagnosed, so keep an eye on your symptoms to see if they occur after you’re around harsh chemicals.
The Solution: If you are experiencing chronic throat irritation in Los Angeles, you may need to switch to gentler cleaning products or wear a face mask when working with chemicals.
If you have a career that requires constant use of your voice such as sales, bartending, or singing, you may begin to experience a chronic sore throat. This isn’t due to a virus, but this condition is attributed to laryngitis. Our doctors see chronic laryngitis patients all the time that are experiencing throat pain, hoarseness of voice, and coughing because of their lifestyle choices.
The Solution: Any throat specialist in Los Angeles will beg you to take better care of your throat to avoid such hoarseness and irritation. While a career switch may be unattainable at the moment, you can try to give your voice periods of rest, like trying not to talk at all for the first hour or two before you go into work. You can also avoid alcohol consumption, quit smoking, and limit spicy food intake, as these factors can further irritate your throat.