Symptoms That Can Occur With Throat Mucus
You may also experience other accompanying symptoms depending on the cause of the mucus in throat. Oftentimes, mucus in throat is a result of a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection. The symptoms may include fever, chills, congestion, coughing, runny nose, itchy eyes, headache, and difficulty breathing.Symptoms of throat mucus alone are phlegm, throat congestion, shortness of breath, and coughing out mucus and phlegm.
Viral Or Sinus Infection
The most common cause for painful swallowing is a virus like a cold, the flu, or mono. Sinus infections could also be the blame. The pain in your throat is likely caused by either inflamed tonsils, coughing, or irritation from sinus drip. If you have a viral or sinus infection, there will be a variety of other symptoms such as a runny/stuffy nose, headache, cough, or fever. Rest and OTC medications are the standard treatment for these types of infections although your doctor may choose to prescribe steroids or antibiotics in some cases.
Hand Foot And Mouth Disease
As the name implies, this viral illness usually causes sores to form on the hands, feet, and mouth. Sores can develop in the back of the mouth, near the sides of the throat, and one side may be more affected than the other.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease usually occurs in children under 5 years of age , but it can also spread to older children and adults.
The recommended treatment usually comprises rest, fluids, and over-the-counter medication for pain relief. However, the disease can cause dehydration, especially in young children. A person should see a doctor if they are unable to drink.
Overusing or misusing the voice can lead to lesions or sores on the vocal cords. A lesion may form on one side, causing one area of the throat to be sore.
A person with a vocal cord lesion will usually notice a change in their voice, such as hoarseness.
These types of lesions are usually treatable. Resting the voice and vocal therapy are typically used to correct vocal cord lesions. In some cases, lesions will require surgery.
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What Are Your Symptoms
Both allergies and colds may cause a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, a cough, and fatigue. Itchy eyes, post-nasal drip, and dark circles under your eyes are more common with allergies. Symptoms more commonly caused by a virus include sore throat, cloudy or discolored nasal discharge, fever, and general aches and pains.
Cold Flu Or Sinus Infection
A sore throat that causes painful swallowing often signals that youâre getting one of these common illnesses. It can start a day before other symptoms like a runny nose and cough.
If it’s a cold, you’ll need to wait it out by sipping fluids and getting plenty of rest. If it might be the flu, which feels much worse and is a lot more serious than a cold, you need to see a doctor.
With a sinus infection, constantly trying to clear your throat of drainage can cause irritation and painful swallowing until the infection clears.
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What Else Could It Be
There are plenty of other possible causes for your sore throat, Dr. Curtis said. Did you recently get a new pet and are now experiencing a sore throat? Could be allergies. Here are some more tips for responding to a sore throat:
- If you also have difficulty swallowing, you should be seen by your physician. If you experience shortness of breath, you should be evaluated. If you have a single lump on one side of your neck, you should get evaluated.
- If your cold symptoms turn out to be due to an actual cold, you need some fluids and rest and you should be back up in a couple days.
- If youve got a sore throat with a fever, but no runny nose or cough, you might have strep throat. Check for exudate on the tonsils a secretion caused by inflammation of the tonsils and tender nodes on the front of your neck. Contact your physician.
- If your sore throat is accompanied by a low-grade fever and extreme fatigue, it could be mononucleosis, which is most common in people in their teens and 20s. Contact your physician.
- Influenza can cause a sore throat that is typically very abrupt, and commonly joined by body aches, fevers and headache.
The main point, according to Dr. Curtis, is that using internet search to diagnose yourself is not the safest idea. You should contact your physician if you have any questions or concerns about your health and any symptoms you experience.
How Allergies Affect Your Ears Nose And Throat
EarsNoseThroat
The best way to avoid your symptoms is to avoid what causes your allergies in the first place. With help from our Hagerstown, MD ENT doctor, you can successfully control and alleviate your allergy symptoms. Dr. Kirby Scott will perform various tests in order to come to a proper diagnosis, allowing you to breathe easily once again.
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When Mucus In Throat Can Become A Serious Issue
The color of your mucus in throat is a strong indicator of how severe the health problem is. Generally, thin and clear is the safest, and other colors could indicate a particular infection. Here are some guidelines to know when mucus in throat is a serious issue.
Thin and clear: Sign of cold or allergies, it could also be a sign of medication side effect or a reaction to certain food.
Thick and colored: If mucus is very thick, it could be a sign of dryness, which can be caused by heating systems. If mucus appears green, yellow, or brownish, it could indicate a bacterial infection.
Rattling sound in chest: If mucus is dripping down to your chest, it may be difficult to swallow and may cause a rattling sound, which may be pointing to pneumonia.
Burning sensation: If mucus is burning, it could be a result of a heartburn or GERD.Paying attention to your mucus can help offer insights into your overall health and give you indications on how to treat the mucus.
A Wet Hacking Cough Screams Cold
While a cough is common for both allergy flares and colds, the type of cough for each is different. A cold cough is wet and hacking, and often produces mucus or phlegm that gets progressively thicker, often taking on a green or yellow tinge.
Allergy-related coughs usually feel like you have a tickle in your throat. Thats because allergens often irritate the lining of your nose, which triggers your nasal passages to create a watery mucus. This can drip out of your nose and down the back of your throat, creating that tickling sensation.
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Is My Sore Throat Covid
A sore throat is pretty common, as far as symptoms of illness go. Sore throat can be caused by illnesses ranging from the non-serious to the dangerous.
You can get a sore throat from the common cold. And if youve ever woken up with a sore throat after spending the day before cheering your heart out at a football game or screaming along to the lyrics at your favorite bands concert, you also know you dont need to be sick at all to get a sore throat.
So, when should you worry about a sore throat? Thats a question made even more pressing by the COVID-19 pandemic. A sore throat is also a common symptom of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Foods That Relieve Or Cause Throat Mucus
Nutrition can play a role in throat mucus, too. Some foods can actually contribute to throat mucus and other foods can help relieve it. Although every person is different and may have their own unique triggers, here are some of the common foods to avoid with mucus in the throat, and foods to enjoy as they can help reduce mucus.
Foods that cause excessive mucus production:
- Dairy products like milk, ice cream, yogurt, and cheese
- High-fat red meat and processed meat
- Gluten products especially in people with a gluten allergy
- Alcohol
- Caffeine particularly the variety found in soda
- Fruits and vegetables, like bananas, cabbage, and potatoes
Foods that relieve mucus:
- Fruits and vegetables like garlic, celery, onions, parsley, winter squash, berries, oranges, greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and peppers
- Chicken soup
Related: White mucus causes, treatment, and home remedies
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Know Your Paths To Care
Were here to help you get better quickly, with tools and information for self-care and convenient options for visits or advice when you need it. Easy ways to get help for your cold or allergy symptoms include:
- Consulting Nurse Service: Call a nurse, who will assess your symptoms and recommend treatments or other next steps. Available 24/7.
- Online visit: Complete a questionnaire about your symptoms. A clinician will provide a diagnosis, treatment plan and, if needed, a prescription without a trip to your doctors office.
- CareClinic by Kaiser Permanente at Bartell Drugs:Walk in for care at 15 Puget Sound Bartell Drugs locations. Open 7 days a week with evening and weekend hours.
Mucus In Throat After Eating
There are many reasons a person may experience mucus in throat after eating, including food allergies, post-nasal drip, medication side effects, chronic rhinitis, laryngopharyngeal reflux, being a heavy smoker, and viral or bacterial infections.
In order to reduce mucus in throat after a meal, increase your fluid intake to help loosen up mucus, inhale steam after your meal, avoid foods youre allergic to, gargle lukewarm water with salt, drink herbal tea after the meal, and stop smoking or begin to cut back.Related: How to get rid of cough?
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Treating A Sore Throat Caused By Mold
You can use throat lozenges to soothe throat pain. Warm drinks, especially tea with honey, can help, as can cold treats like popsicles. You can purchase numbing spray for your throat at many drug stores and over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can also help relieve pain. Your doctor can prescribe antihistamines to help dry up post-nasal drip or you can purchase over-the-counter allergy medications which will do the same thing. In most cases, though, these measures will just provide temporary relief and symptoms will continue and even worsen as long as you continue to be exposed to mold.
When To See A Doctor
Persistent throat pain with unknown causes should be evaluated by a physician to rule out serious causes that can lead to dangerous health complications.
If an infection is causing your throat pain, you will likely have other symptoms such as a fever, cough, fatigue, or sore muscles.
It can be difficult to tell the difference between a bacterial and viral cause of throat pain at home. Because strep throat can lead to serious complications if left untreated, when in doubt, you should get tested. Almost any doctor, including family physicians and after-hours clinicians, can perform a strep test.
Extreme pain or severe swelling of the tonsils are both reasons to see a doctor.
Throat pain accompanied by a rash is often bacterial in nature. A doctor should determine if antibiotics are needed.
A sore throat accompanied by post-nasal drip is rarely associated with emergent or serious conditions. However, if this persists longer than a few weeks, you need to see a doctor to determine the root cause. Your family doctor is a great place to start, but you may ultimately need to see an allergist to be tested for allergies.
While not an emergency, throat pain that is worse in the morning or accompanied by symptoms such as stomach pain or heartburn should be evaluated by a doctor. Family doctors and general practitioners often diagnose acid reflux and are capable of performing diagnostic tests or referring you to a more specialized doctor if necessary.
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The Effects Of Allergies On Your Ears Nose And Throat
How Allergies Affect your Ears, Nose, and Throat
An allergy involves a reaction by your immune system, often to harmless substances. Allergy symptoms can make miserable and put you at risk for life-threatening reactions. An Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor can help you manage your allergies. West Coast ENT, which has offices in Simi Valley, Camarillo, Ventura County and Thousand Oaks, CA, offers treatments for allergies. Read on to find out how allergies can affect your ears, nose, and throat.
When To Contact Your Health Care Provider
If your symptoms dont improve, or you feel worse, you should contact your health care provider. The American Academy of Otolaryngology2 recommends alerting your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Difficulty breathing, swallowing, or opening your mouth
- Swelling of the neck or face
- Earache
- A fever of 101°F or higher
- Lumps in the throat or neck
If you have allergies that lead to a sore throat, treating them with OTC medication or natural remedies may provide you with relief from pain and discomfort. But if your symptoms worsen, contact your health care provider to rule out a more serious health concern.
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Allergens And Their Effects
Postnasal drip is the main culprit in cases of allergy-induced sore throat.
Its the result of exposure to an allergen and occurs when congestion in the nose and sinuses drains down to the throat. This causes tickling or scratchy pain.
The drainage also can cause:
- coughing
- runny nose
- coughing
If you have a sore throat with fever and body aches, its likely the result of a viral infection, such as the cold or flu.
Scratchiness is another way to determine if you have an allergy-induced sore throat.
In addition to the raw feeling that results from postnasal drainage, particles that directly enter the respiratory system can cause an itchy or scratchy feeling.
Some Cancers And Cancer Treatments
Painful swallowing isn’t likely to be cancer. But it can be a symptom of throat and esophageal cancers. You might feel pain when swallowing as a tumor grows and the passageway gets narrower.
If you’ve had this symptom for a while and you’re starting to feel like you need to eat soft food in tiny bites, see your doctor. You may need to get an imaging test of the upper part of your digestive system.
Some treatments for various types of cancer can also make it hurt to swallow. Chemotherapy or radiation to the head, neck, or upper chest can inflame the lining of the mouth, throat, or esophagus. Other symptoms include dry mouth or swelling. If you’re having these problems while you get your cancer treatment, try eating softer foods, blender drinks, soups, and purees. Also, cold foods can be soothing, while very spicy foods can hurt more. This pain should stop soon after you’re done with your cancer treatment.
Nicklaus Childrenâs Hospital: âPainful swallowing.â
Mayo Clinic: âSore throat.â
Seattle Childrenâs Hospital: âSore throat.â
CDC: âCandida infections of the mouth, throat and esophagus.â
UCLA: âOdynophagia.â
Bennett, J. et al., Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases , Saunders, 2015.
Volberding, P. et al., Global HIV/AIDS Medicine, Saunders, 2008.
Current Drug Safety: âPinpoint Localized Odynophagia as a Specific Symptom of Pill-induced Oesophagitis in the Evaluation of Acute Retrosternal Chest Pain.â
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Swallowing Pills Or Food
You don’t want anything to stick to and irritate your esophagus. Small, oval, and heavier pills pass through more easily than large, round, and lighter ones. The medications most likely to cause problems are antibiotics like doxycycline and tetracycline, potassium supplements, and NSAIDs.
To prevent this, have at least a half-cup of water when you take a pill, and sit up straight for at least 10 minutes afterward. If itâs a medicine known to irritate, drink a cup of water and donât lie down for at least 30 minutes.
Allergies Rarely Cause Sore Throats Or Body Aches
The only ache you may feel with allergies is a headache from all that congestion. Your throat may also feel dry or scratching. But if youre experiencing a sore throat or mild body aches, theyre more likely a sign of a bad cold.
Can allergies cause chills? No. If you have chills, its more likely you have a cold, the flu or another infection .
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How To Treat A Sore Throat From Allergies
According to Dr. Burgert, you can treat allergy-induced sore throat with over-the counter-pain medication like Tylenol or Motrin. Even better, you can eliminate the cause of the sore throat with antihistamines like Zyrtec, Claritin, or Allegra. Steroid nasal sprays can also decrease the production of watery mucus.
A Tooth Infection Or Abscess
This is a pocket of pus at the tip of the tooths root. It is caused by a bacterial infection and can cause severe pain that radiates from your ear and jaw on the same side. You may also find that your neck or throat becomes swollen and tender, and that you have trouble chewing. You may even experience a fever in severe cases.
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Cleaning Up To Prevent Sore Throat And Runny Nose
Obviously, if we leave our homes and living spaces cluttered and dirty, were going to experience those allergy symptoms like a runny nose and sore throat much more frequently. It may be painful to start the cleaning up process, but on the other side of it, youll be glad you took that step.
Here are a few tricks to help you clean with allergies in mind:
As said before, even as you clean, youre going to stir up some dust and other allergens so prepare yourself for symptoms.
If that happens, heres what you can do to relieve a sore throat and runny nose.
