Why Do I Feel Like I Have a Tickle in My Throat?
We’ve all felt it at the worst of times. You’re sitting in class, at a meeting, or in church and suddenly you get an itch in your throat that demands a coughing fit to get rid of. This itching can be due to irritation in your mucus membranes or it can be caused by something in the environment that you inhaled.
If you experience this uncomfortable feeling on a regular basis, it can interfere with your professional and personal life. You may want to visit a chronic cough doctor in Los Angeles.
A tickle in your throat is also referred to as postnasal drip and can be caused by inhaling cold, dry, or polluted air. You may need to check the air quality before leaving your home if your cough is due to external factors. Chronic throat itchiness can also be a sign that you have a medical condition.
Laryngitis
Those with laryngitis will feel a throat tickle that won’t go away. This is likely to occur after a long night out or any other stressful event on your vocal cords, such as a play rehearsal or speaking tour. It’s usually due to overuse of the vocal cords, but laryngitis can also be the result of viral and bacterial infections.
Common cold
A common cold may be the source of your throat tickle. This viral condition causes symptoms in your upper respiratory tract, including your throat. A cold symptom that may lead to a throat tickle is postnasal drip, which causes mucus to run down the back of your throat.
Symptoms typically last no longer than 7 to 10 days. A severe or lingering cold may be the sign of another condition like influenza or sinusitis. Learn more about the common cold.
Allergies
Your throat tickle could be caused by allergies like pet dander, mold, pollen, and certain ingredients. An itchy throat is a clear sign that you are having an allergic reaction, but if you have seasonal allergies, this tickle can be minuscule but chronic.
Our ENT doctor in Los Angeles can conduct an allergy test on you so that you know specifically what substances to avoid.
Sinusitis
Sinusitis can cause postnasal drip since it’s an irritation of your sinuses. When your nose is congested, your body often starts to drain it down the back of your throat, which causes a tickling feeling.
If your chronic cough is accompanied by cold-like symptoms, you may need surgery for chronic sinusitis. Also known as a sinus infection, sinusitis can last for weeks or even months and will be recurrent throughout the year.