THE MIDWEEK SUN

has a line-up of specialist and general Your exciting and revealing paper your health concerns – and it is for practice doctors waiting to answer health bugs and let this week’s free! So come on, send in those nagging have to worry about revealing your Sun Doctor deal with it. You don’t fine! true identity. Give us a pseudo, it’s

For the past two years, I have been having recurrent throat irritation. I have taken medication many times, with no improvement. What can I do? I am getting concerned.

Dear reader,

Having a sore throat for two years can be caused by several issues. It is highly unlikely that you have an infection that has lasted that long.

However, it can happen due to post-nasal drip, where mucus flows out and backwards, down your throat, causing irritation at the throat. This may be due to an allergy affecting the nose or sinuses.

The sore throat may also be due to laryngopharyngeal reflux where stomach content comes back up the oesophagus and causes irritation at the throat, and sometimes some of it “spills over” into the airway, irritating the vocal cords. Asthma, chronic bronchitis and other chronic lung disorders can lead to persistent throat irritation due to recurrent cough and use of inhalers. There are also some medications, such as for hypertension, that can cause throat irritation, a feeling of something stuck in the throat or even cough. Other causes of throat irritation include anxiety, dehydration and voice strain.

When you are anxious about this particular problem, or about any other issues in general, then the throat muscles tense up, leading to a feeling of fullness in the throat. That is why many people clear their throats or try to loosen clothing around the neck when they are in a tense situation.

Also, the more you clear your throat or cough, the more you irritate it, which makes you feel like clearing your throat or coughing again, becoming a vicious cycle. It behaves like an itch – the more you itch, the more you feel like itching. The original cause of the sore throat or cough, for example an infection, or allergy may have been managed already, but the throat irritation continues.

Every one produces some mucus at the back of the throat every day, and swallows it at some point, most of the time without noticing. For those who clear the throat a lot, they are just more aware of this mucus. It is advisable for you to visit an ear, nose and throat specialist for thorough examination and diagnostic tests. Treatment will depend on the underlying cause. For example, allergies are treated with anti-histamines, antibiotics will be given for any infection, a nasal spray can help decongest the sinuses and medication to reduce acid levels in the stomach. Also, take six to eight glasses of water per day, avoid straining your voice and avoid clearing your throat constantly and instead take a sip of water.