Throat and Voice

  • Mucous is a fluid produced by mucous membranes. On a daily basis the nose produces about a litre. It’s a lubricant that also helps fight infections. Even your vocal cords contain tiny mucous glands that trap dust or irritants and help lubricate the vocal cords helping in producing healthy vibration to produce speech. A certain amount of ‘postnasal drip’ and throat clearing/coughing is normal. However, what happens when throat clearing becomes constant? Or you become very sensitive to the sensation of mucous dripping down the back of your throat? It likely means your throat has become irritated and sensitive.
  • Causes of Throat Problems
  • There are many factors which can cause throat problems. It’s important to remember, figuring out which one is your cause may take some trial and error. If you implement any change or try any treatments, it’s important to give your throat about 4-8 weeks to respond and heal.
  • Reflux
  • Acidic stomach contents can pass upwards to the throat which can cause a low level chemical burn that leads to irritation. The three main symptoms are too much mucous in the throat, excessive throat clearing and chronic cough. The sensation of heartburn is bottom of the list, and this type of reflux is sometimes described as ‘silent reflex’ as there is no pain with it. For further information and treatment options, please see the information on Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR).
  • Chronic Cough and Throat Clearing
  • A cough is chronic when it lasts more than 8 weeks. It’s important to rule out other causes for cough such as medication side effects (such as ACE inhibitors), asthma/lung disease, reflux, or environmental irritants (smoke, dust, pollution).

  • It’s common for the cough/throat clearing so start after an infection like a cold or sore throat. The very act of coughing or clearing your throat brings together your vocal cords violently, this can then create injury and inflammation to the voice box. This then creates the need to clear your throat or cough more and develops into a vicious cycle that can be long lasting and difficult to break. Below are some ways to try and break habitual coughing and throat clearing.
  • Treatment

  • - Increase your hydration. Drink more water and try to decrease your coffee and alcohol intake
  • - Try using a humidifier in the bedroom at night, this can thin mucous and help combat dry environments
  • - Nasal saline sprays twice a day may be helpful in loosening mucous in the nose
  • - Avoid whispering or yelling
  • - Stop smoking or vaping
  • - Gum chewing or sucking on a hard candy can be helpful in creating more saliva and lubrication for your throat (avoid mint and menthol). As much as possible, try to avoid clearing your throat. Instead, try swallowing or taking a sip of water instead.

  • If you absolutely need to clear your throat, perform a gentle throat clear. To do this, pant with your mouth open and sad ‘HUH, HUH, HUH’ with a powerful but breathy voice. This will clear the mucous without damaging your vocal cords. You can also try breathing out slowly through very tight lips.
Extra In the case you’ve tried the above and still have no relief, you may benefit from a consultation with a Speech Language Pathologist. In rare cases, medications aimed at treating neuropathic sensitivity may be trialed.