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Posted August 12, 2008
Throat clearing: It doesn't help, but it could hurt!
By: Heather Bonilha
Throat clearing is like a bad dust job! The mucus goes up and
just
falls right back down, since we do not spit it out or swallow it.
So,
throat clearing at best temporarily relieves the annoying sensation
in
your throat. But, throat clearing causes more throat clearing. When
you
clear your throat your vocal folds slam together, this causes your
vocal
fold tissues to swell. Your body senses this swelling and wants to
clear
it. On top of that, when you have tissue swelling your body is going
to
respond to try to heal the tissue. For your vocal folds, your body
responds by producing more mucus. So, throat clearing causes an even
larger sensation due to more mucus being secreted and your vocal
folds
swelling! At worst, throat clearing can cause voice problems such as
contact lesions (nodules, polyps, or granuloma) that may require
medical
or behavioral treatment.
Getting rid of throat clearing:
- Increase hydration. Drink more water and sleep with a humidifier
on
if you wake-up with a dry mouth.
- Swallow instead of clear. This is the natural way that we all
flush
mucus through our system and is harmless to your vocal folds. Clear softly. The louder your clear the more forcefully your
vocal
folds slam together.
- Take care of any medical problems that can be related to throat
clearing like reflux or sinus drainage.
If these don't work or your throat clearing occurs with 1)
hoarseness, 2) pain in your throat, 3) difficulty breathing, or 4)
difficulty swallowing, you should seek an evaluation by an
otorhinolaryngologist (ENT) and a speech-language pathologist (SLP)
who
specializes in voice.
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