What can cause chronic throat irritation?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

We are happy to help you.

From the details you have provided regarding your symptoms and the previous consultations, I can conclude with reasonable surety that you are suffering from a condition called reflux laryngitis. This is a chronic condition characterized by symptoms like chronic throat irritation, feeling of something stuck down the throat, frequent clearing of the throat and excessive throat mucous. It is because of local production of acid. Acid is produced in the stomach to aid in digestion. The throat mucosa is not suitable to handle the acid. When such local acid production occurs or the gastric acid contents rise up the esophagus, they cause chronic irritation of mucosa and produce these symptoms. They are seen typically as inflammation of the posterior larynx in endoscopy. If you can search for your endoscopy report and share with us it will be helpful. The treatment for this condition is to take a proton pump inhibitor like Rabeprazole 40 mg or Pantoprazole 40 mg twice daily, half an hour before food for about a month. Also, I advise to take a teaspoon of Mucaine gel (Aluminium hydroxide) after each meal and before bedtime at night for a week. The proton pump inhibitor prevents acid production and the gel which is a combination of antacid and local anesthetic produces relief of symptoms. Consult your specialist doctor, discuss with him or her and take the medicine with consent.

Some additional care to be taken during this treatment are,

1) Avoid eating spicy, oily and masala rich foods. 2) Increase frequency of meals, but reduce the quantity each time. 3) Decrease intake of caffeine rich foods like cola, coffee and tea. 4) Quit smoking and reduce alcohol use. 5) Exercise daily. 6) Avoid excessive drinking of hot fluids and cold drinks. Take only lukewarm stuffs.

With these measures your condition will improve. But, it will be a gradual recovery. If you do not recover, then I would like to do some blood investigations to check if there is any other factor that is causing the throat issue. Also a repeat endoscopy can be advised to recheck the larynx, hypopharynx and cervical esophagus for the throat irritation.