Chronic throat clearing can cause throat irritation and hoarseness. There are several possible reasons you might be clearing your throat a lot. Typically it is due either excess mucus or irritation of your vocal cords. Those can come from a variety of sources. Let’s break them down.
Causes of chronic throat clearing
Here are some of the most common culprits:
1. Allergies or sinus issues
I am leading with this one because that’s what most people assume is the cause. While it sometimes is the case, people often make the problem worse by taking allergy or sinus meds when they don’t actually have those problems.
Sinus issues (like polyps) and allergies can cause the vocal cord tissue to get irritated, and can produce extra mucus that needs to be cleared.
2. Dryness
Being just a little sub-hydrated can also irritate the vocal folds and produce what feels like extra mucus. It isn’t actually making more mucus, it’s just drying out what’s already there. And when the healthy, happy mucus that coats your throat (like the oil in a car engine) gets dry, it gets thick and sticky and makes you want to clear your throat.
3. Acid reflux
LPR (also called “silent reflux”) irritates the throat by allowing stomach acid to touch the vocal cords. The weird part is that you wouldn’t know you had it (hence “silent”), because there is no heartburn. As you may imagine, this is irritating to the vocal folds. The body then creates extra mucus to protect against the irritation, adding to the problem.
4. Accidental habit formation
Once someone clears a lot for awhile, it can create a loop: irritation leads to clearing, which leads to more irritation because throat clearing slams the vocal cords together, which leads to more mucus to protect the irritated area, and now we’re back at the beginning of the loop.
Another possibility here is that sensitivity can change, and peoples threshold for needing to clear the throat changes. This is all part of the inadvertent habit that got created. A speech pathologist who specializes in voice (waves hand) can help reset these patterns.
5. Miscellaneous medical issues
There are other medical issues (like asthma, granulomas, and even changes associated with aging) that can make people susceptible to throat clearing. This is where the doctor comes in handy.
Ultimately the only way to know for sure what the underlying cause is is usually to visit an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor). Once they discover the root problem, you can work on treating it.
What to do about it
Some of this answer is stunningly obvious: if the cause is reflux, treat the reflux. If it’s sinusitis, then… you get the idea. That said, here are some things to try immediately.
1. Hydrate and thin the mucus
Drinking plenty of water keeps your whole system hydrated. For an extra dose of targeted hydration, inhale steam or nebulized saline. Check out my post, Why you need to keep your voice moist (That’s right, I said “moist”!) for more details and tips on hydration.
And if you smoke, that deeeeeefinitely exacerbates the problem, so do with that what you will.
2. Address potential reflux
Reflux is a very common reason for mysterious throat clearing. Because that can be the only symptom, it can be hard to catch. My post Is acid reflux secretly messing with your voice? has detailed suggestions for assessing and addressing this.
Unless they contain ingredients you shouldn’t have (ask your doctor), Gaviscon (UK formulation) and Reflux Gourmet are both good OTC non-medicated products that many people find helpful. (I’m not affiliated with either, no promotional ties, etc).
3. Make sure you have allergies or sinus problems before taking medication
As I mentioned above, taking these meds can make the irritation worse by further drying you out. Don’t assume this is the problem without verification.
4. Try alternative behaviors
There are gentler ways to move mucus than clearing the throat. Try swallowing or humming. Also, if it has become a habit, try to use a bit of “mind over matter” and simply don’t let yourself clear unless you absolutely must. This can help to break the pattern, especially if there is habit involved.
There are other methods that involve blowing air out in a particular way, or gently tapping the vocal cords together, but they can’t really be described in writing so this is where your speech pathologist comes in handy.
5. Talk from your face, not your throat
Speaking of speech pathologists, the way you use your voice can also affect vocal cord irritation and throat mucus. My post, Stop wrecking your voice! has some more info about that.
If you’d like some coaching to kick the throat clearing habit, reach out for a session.
