Itchy Throat and Ears

Itchy Throat and Ears

Itchy throat, ears or eyes are quite common symptoms that most people would experience some time in their life. In most cases, these might indicate allergies of some sort. Often similar symptoms will strike the nose also because the respiratory system is the front line of defense for the body and, when it gets exposed to potential invaders, it will react with defenses of inflammation. There can be other causes for these symptoms, however. Inflammation and itching can accompany exposure to seriously harmful chemicals. Bacteria, fungi, and viruses may cause symptoms too. People with allergies are more sensitive to all reactive chemicals and pathogens.

Possible Reasons Why You Have Itchy Throat and Ears
Itchiness of throat and ears, though not life-threatening, can be quite difficult to tolerate. Usually, the condition is a result of some allergies, but it can also be caused by other conditions such as cold or drug interaction.

1. Allergic Rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis is a condition which occurs if one is exposed to allergens (anything which causes allergies). The eyes, nose, and throat become inflamed and there can be itching and pain. What you are experiencing is symptomatic irritation which can be caused by exposure to any of the following:

• Allergens such as molds and fungi or animal dander and pollen


• Smoke from cigarettes


• Pollutants or chemicals in the air


• Respiratory tract infections


• Weather changes


• Chemical fumes and odors

Histamine is a chemical the body releases in response to irritation from chemicals and allergens. The result is inflammation. Tissues swell, itch and produce mucous as a response.

Symptoms

You may experience some or all of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty smelling or smelling unusual odors


• Itchy throat and ears or nose, skin, and other areas of the body


• Nasal discharge


• Sneezing


• Tearing of the eyes

Additional symptoms include:

• Coughs


• Congestion of the nose


• Clogging of your ears and a lack of sense of smell


• Eye puffiness and Sore Throat


• Darkening underneath your eyes


• Irritability and fatigue


• Headache


• Difficulty thinking and problems with memory

2. Food Allergies
Roughly 12 million people in the United States have issues with food allergens. Sometimes these allergies can even be fatal due to profound histamine release. Symptoms of a food Allergy may include Skin Rashes, HIVes, or itching and swelling. The only way to avoid this issue is by avoiding the foods which cause the allergy. Anaphylactic shock is a final allergy syndrome which can lead to death.

3. Drug Reactions
There are many medications which a person can have allergic reactions to. Typically, these drugs will be antibiotics, anticonvulsants, and sulfa drugs. Reactions can include itching, skin rashes, hives, breathing difficulties and swelling of mucous membranes or certain parts of the body. It can be difficult to tell the difference between a drug allergy and an adverse reaction, so it is advisable to check with a physician immediately.

4. Common colds
Usually, a cold is not a big deal. You will experience the itching throat and ears with clogged sinuses and Running Nose. Symptoms will improve. Colds last for short periods of time, generally two to three days.

How to Deal with Itchy Throat and Ears
The treatments for itchiness of throat, ears and noses depend on the underlying causes. If your symptoms are due to common cold, it may go away several days without any treatments. However, if allergy is the case, then measures should be taken to help the condition.

1. For Allergic Rhinitis
You can control the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, but there is no cure.

• Allergy medications: Your physician may advise the use of medications for treating allergies of the respiratory system. Typical prescriptions include antihistamines, corticosteroids, decongestants, and medications which inhibit leukotrienes.


• Treating underlying causes: Other inflammatory issues can contribute to symptoms of rhinitis. Eczema and Asthma will worsen nasal allergies. Inflammation tends to be generalized in the body, so other diseases could be making your symptoms worse.


• Immunotherapy (allergy shots): Your physician will, by injection, expose you to small amounts of the substance to which you are allergic to and gradually desensitize you to the allergen. This therapy is highly effective and practical, especially for allergies to dander from cats, dogs or other pets and pollen allergies.


• Sinus rinsing: Rinsing out the sinuses with a distilled, sterile solution can be an effective home treatment. You can get a Neti pot, which is widely available in health food stores and pharmacies, or use a squeeze bottle. But either way, make sure to use distilled or thoroughly filtered water and clean any nasal irrigation device you choose to use.


• Stay away from allergens: It might be impossible to avoid allergens completely, but the symptoms of itchy throat and ears can be greatly reduced if you stay away from the allergens in the table below.

Allergens	How to Prevent
Pollen and molds	Restrict outdoor airflow into the home. Be sure you regularly change the filter in your air conditioning and heating system. Use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in rooms. Avoid hanging laundry outdoors. Pollen counts are generally higher in the morning time, so it is advised to limit activity outdoors during this time. Reduce indoor humidity by using a dehumidifier.
Dust Mites	You can kill dust mites with certain insecticides. HEPA filters used in the home can also help. Be sure to thoroughly wash blankets and sheets in hot water. Use a dehumidifier.
Cockroaches	Be sure to clean up after preparing food and don't leave food out in the open. Repair any water pipes or faucets. Ask a pest exterminating service about options.
Pet dander	Don't allow pets onto beds and furniture. Dogs can be unruly and dirty, so you will want to keep their location behavior in check and bathe them regularly. Try to keep pets outside.

2. For Food Allergy
Stay away from foods you are allergic to. If you get symptoms of a minor allergy, ask your primary care physician if you can use over-the-counter antihistamines or if something else is better for you. Consult your doctor about having an epinephrine pen available to you for allergic reactions which are serious.

3. For Adverse Reactions to Drugs
Many people can have an adverse reaction to medications. This is largely due to the fact that they do not belong in your body and your system can overreact. It is very rare that these adverse reactions are allergy related. Anticonvulsant drugs and antibiotics are common culprits. Even over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin can cause adverse effects. One potentially fatal adverse reaction common with anticonvulsants and antibiotics is Stephen Johnson Syndrome. If you develop any type of skin rash while on these medications, seek medical attention.

4. For the Common Cold
The common cold can be a burden on your body while causing symptoms like itchy throat and ears, but this virus can be easily managed. Staying hydrated is crucial. Drink plenty of water or even lemon water. The lemons provide electrolytes. You can add honey to make it more pleasing and this will help with congestion. Do not drink anything with caffeine or alcohol when you have a cold.

For sore throat, you can use salt water. Simply gargle with it and it will help shrink the tissues and combat infection. Meanwhile, the ingestion of warm liquids such as chicken broth, vegetable broth, or even apple juice warmed up into a nice cider would be helpful.

Itchy Throat

Itchy Throat






The sensation of sudden irritation in the throat which induces the person to cough is termed as itchy throat. There are many reasons for getting an itchy throat. When the mucous membrane present in the inner walls of the throat gets infected or irritated by pollution, food or any other allergic reaction the person may get itchy throat. The infected mucous glands will fail to secrete mucus in sufficient level giving rise to irritation.

Cold weather, change in climate, stuffed nose, dehydration, smoking or having alcohol, Tonsillitis, having certain strong medications can cause dry throat which may result in itchy throat. If you talk loudly for hours together or involve in yelling it can cause irritation in throat. The presence of foreign body on the throat wall can produce pain and itchy throat.

Exposure to chemicals and gases for prolonged time, inhaling sulphur particles can cause irritation. Consuming hot foods and eating hot spices can also tear the mucous membrane of the throat. In some cases, repeated cough can be due to psychological stress.

The symptoms of itchy throat are repeated cough with or without phlegm, pain or swelling in the inner throat, secretions from throat, difficulty in swallowing, runny nose or watery eyes. Sometimes there may not be any of the symptoms and the person will have only itchy throat.

Itchy throat can be treated by simple home remedy like drinking lukewarm water, herbal tea, having pure honey and using menthol. Take little yogurt and apply on the infected area of the throat to get it healed. Mix 1 tsp. of honey with lemon juice and apply on the throat. It is better to treat itchy throat by drinking plenty of warm water.

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Itchy Throat – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Itchy Throat – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

What exactly is an Itchy throat?

Basically an itchy throat is a sensation which is irritating the throat and that incites the need to cough.

Itchy throat Symptoms

Symptoms that can accompany an itchy throat include:

• Secretions


• Pain


• Difficulty speaking


• Runny nose


• Difficulty eating


• Itchy eyes

The walls inside the throat are coated with mucosal membranes which have nerves that can be annoyed by:

• Food


• Polluted air


• Inflammatory reaction


• Allergic reaction

The mucosal glands produces mucus which is a fluid which is sticky and lines the walls of the throat, therefore protecting these walls as well as allowing the smooth route for food as well as air. Whenever mucous glands don’t produce adequate mucus, for instance, due to medications, dehydration or air that is dry, the nerves of the throat grow to be exposed and then irritable.

Itchy throat Causes

Among the conditions which can cause itchy throats include:

Dry Throat
This often develops together with eyes which are dry as well as skin and mouth. FaMiliar causes are:

• Windy cold weather


• “Sick building diseases” from indoor air conditioner or heating


• Nose stuffed up and breathing thru mouth


• Chronic or acute inflammation of the throat


• Dehydration


• In elderly person – salivary which is under active


• Marijuana as well as tobacco smoking


• Alcohol


• The caffeine found in sodas, coffee as well as energy drinks


• Sjogren’s syndrome


• Drugs for Depression, medications for Urinary Incontinence, atropine, barbiturates, opium, ergotamine, diuretics, sprays or antihistamines to care for Asthma

Loud singing or speaking
Speaking for a prolong period of time, yelling or singing, can cause you to have a sore itchy throat which can need a couple of days to get better.

Foreign body
Those can be items such as seeds or a piece of bone that can get stuck in the pocket over the epiglottis, or a sharp piece of almost anything can jab into the throat wall.
Irritant substances
Example of these could be gases from manufacturing pollution which contain metal fumes or sulphur dioxide, solvents, dust, lab chemicals or cleaners all can irritate your throat. Cigarette smoke, marijuana or inhaled cocaine also are irritant substances.

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Infections of the throat

• Viral infection – such as the Common Cold, flu, infectious Mononucleosis, chickenpox, Mumps, or Measles.


• Bacterial infections – infections caused by bacteria such an Haemophilus Influenzae, Steptoccus Pneumonias as well as many others


• Fungi – Candida as well as other fungi can overgrow in the throat or mouth in those with low immunity caused by cancer, diabetes, AIDS, therapy with corticosteroid or other causes. Mucormycosis is a fungus infection of the upper airways.


• Croup – is an inflammation in the throat of children with a characteristic barking, harsh cough.

Disorders of the neck
Enlarged lymph nodes or thyroid, tumor, Abscess, dislodged tissues after an injury or fibrous tissue such as adhesions after a surgery – all of these press up against the throat from the outside, irritating it.

GERD
This is short for “gastro-esophageal reflux disease” and occurs when stomach acid comes up into the throat and irritates it, causing itching as well as a burning feeling referred to as Heartburn.

Itchy throat Treatment

For the treatment of a dry throat that is causing itchiness, first remove the cause. One way to soothe the throat is to drink enough water or herbal tea with some honey in it. Herbal candies that have no sugar and menthol can provide temporary relief by creating a thin film of protection over the throat mucosa. Breathing with the mouth closed as well as avoiding speaking too much can also help.

With Sjogren’s syndrome, rinses as well as artificial saliva can help to bring moisture to the throat. Air humidifiers for the indoors are available.

Teas with licorice root, marshmallow root, barberry, honeysuckle flowers, chamomile, eucalyptus or slippery elm can also help with sore or itchy throats.

For itchy throats which are triggered by foods or substances which an individual is allergic too, the best treatment is to avoid the food or substances. When that is not possible, using oral antihistamines after an allergic attack is recommended.

For those who suffer with GERD and have a problem with hyper-acidity, treatment with anti-acid drugs known as H2 antagonists such as cimetidine or ranitidine is recommended. There are also medications for the stomach which are known as proton pump inhibitors such as omerprazal. These medications to help reduce acid are essential.

Pain killers, cough syrups, antibiotics, as well as corticosteroids should be used just when there is a clear cause with symptoms which are unsettling your daily life. Most of these medications will cause a dry throat. Antibiotics often cause “antibiotic associated Diarrhea” even after a few days of use. And steroids have side effects also, including fungal infections of the throat and mouth.