Several complaints frequently encountered in daily life affect the quality of life seriously as well as; It can also be a sign of some important health problems. For this reason, it is very important to know in which cases professional help should be sought by applying to a health institution. Throat burn is one of the most common complaints encountered in daily life.
What is Throat Burn?
Throat burn; It often occurs due to inflammation or irritation of the back of the oral cavity and the pharynx (pharynx) due to various health problems. This situation; It may occur with disturbances that cause direct damage such as invasion of said anatomical localizations by some infectious agents; It can also be inflamed indirectly, such as post-nasal drip caused by some problems in the nose (nasopharynx) or irritation of the pharynx and larynx through reflux of stomach contents.
What Causes Throat Burn?
Throat Burning In order for the complaint to occur, the mucous tissue that forms the oral cavity, nasal cavity or pharynx must become inflamed. In this respect, sore throat can be complained of in all kinds of ailments that can cause damage to the mentioned areas and initiate an inflammatory reaction. Below are the diseases that can progress with the complaint of burning throat:
Infections: Throat burn may occur as a result of inflammation of the oral cavity, tonsils (tonsillitis), pharynx (pharyngitis) or larynx (laryngitis) areas by viruses, bacteria or other factors. In this direction, the treatment method differs according to viral agents such as adenovirus, EBV, influenza virus and bacterial agents such as streptococcus. Postnasal discharge: Inflamed nasal discharge from the nasal cavity towards the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx due to various health problems occurring in the nasal cavity or middle ear region. Allergy: In case of allergy to various factors (allergic rhinitis), a regional inflammatory reaction occurs and a burning complaint occurs. Reflux disease: Stomach and throat burning complaints may be related to each other. In this context, if the stomach contents reach the larynx and pharynx, a sore throat may develop due to the irritation of the gastric acid to the mucosa. .Traumas: In cases where the mentioned anatomical regions are damaged by food residues, hard foreign objects or physical factors such as very cold and very hot, a burning sensation is felt in the throat. Dry air: As a result of exposure of the oral cavity and pharynx to dry air, the mucosa becomes open to damage and a burning sensation Various chemicals: Cigarette smoke, air pollution or chemical gases inhaled from cleaning materials may cause irritation and burning sensation in the mentioned areas. Tumors: Various tumors developing in the specified anatomical regions may cause a regional inflammatory reaction and may cause a sore throat complaint.
In addition to these, especially in the morning. Waking up with a sore throat is one of the most common problems. The reason for this is some mechanisms. Primarily, when our face is exposed to cold during the night, the mucous membrane in the nose area expands in response to cold. Thus, together with nasal congestion, the secretion of this region increases, leading to nasal discharge. In addition, there is a decrease in the movement of cleaning hairs in the respiratory tract and foreign bodies and microorganisms that need to be cleaned in the respiratory tract cannot be cleaned. Accordingly, local infections occur in the respiratory tract and areas such as the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx, causing the complaint of throat burning. Again, because of the direct relationship of the mentioned areas with respiration, throat burning and cough can be observed together.
Sore throat is another common problem during pregnancy. The underlying situation is the loss of function in the immune system observed in the body with pregnancy, as well as the increase in volume and secretion in the mucous tissues. As a result of all these mechanisms, regions such as the oral cavity, pharynx, and nasal passages become prone to irritation and inflammation during pregnancy. As a result, the risk of developing sore throat in pregnant women increases.
Is Sore Throat a Sign of COVID-19?
SARS-CoV-2 corona virus, which is the causative agent of COVID-19 disease; It mainly targets epithelial cells in the respiratory tract. Therefore, one of the first places in the body to settle is the nasal cavity, nasal cavity, pharynx and larynx, where the respiratory epithelium is located. So, throat burn is in the early stages of the corona virus. may result in infection of these areas by the virus.
What Complaints Can Accompany Sore Throat?
When a person has a burning throat, other symptoms are usually accompanied. When evaluation is made with these symptoms, the underlying health problem can be detected more easily. The following symptoms are often accompanied by the complaint of burning throat:
- Congestion of the nose
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Cough
- Fever - sweating
- Swelling in the throat
- Coarse voice
- Diffuse body pain
- Headache
- Swallowing difficulty
- Loss of appetite
How is Throat Burning Treated?
The complaint of burning throat is usually without a serious underlying health problem. since it occurs due to the effect of various external factors (exposure to cold, chemicals, etc.) or simple infections such as the common cold; often heals spontaneously. Again, in this direction, it is possible to prevent the complaint of burning throat before it develops, with simple measures that can be taken at home. Some of these measures are as follows:
- Keep the body warm and maintain the ideal body temperature.
- Foods rich in echinacea, vitamin C and antioxidants can be consumed to increase body resistance.
- Adequate and balanced nutrition is very important in terms of fortifying the immune system.
- Exercising regularly helps to support the immune system.
- In case of allergy, in addition to avoiding allergen substances, antihistamine and cortisone derivative drugs are used.
- In serious cases such as abscess development, the disease can be eliminated by surgical methods.
- In case of throat burn due to reflux, stomach acid regulating drugs such as antacids, antihistamines or proton pump inhibitors are the first choice.
- In addition to these, regulation of eating habits, avoidance of stress, It is very helpful to calm down, lose weight, and adopt various lifestyle changes to reduce reflux complaints.
What Is Good for Sore Throat?
There are some methods and nutrients that can be used for sore throat. Throat burning can be combated without drug treatment or in support of drug therapy by using the following methods:
- Grind with salt water prepared with half a teaspoon of salt in lukewarm water or 4-5 times a day can be done.
- Edema caused by an inflammatory reaction can be relieved by heating areas such as the oral cavity and pharynx, by consuming aromatic herbal teas, soups or beverages such as mint-lemon that are good for sore throat, and hot foods. However, it should not be forgotten that consuming very hot liquids can cause damage to the throat.
- Especially echinacea, linden, mint tea, green tea and chamomile tea can be counted among the herbal teas that are good for sore throat.
- Similar. By this mechanism, consuming cold foods such as ice cream can help resolve edema. However, cold foods should not be consumed frequently and in large quantities.
- Humidifying the air by various means such as a steam machine is beneficial in relieving throat burning.
- Resting the larynx by not speaking loudly or shouting during the sore throat complaint. It is important.
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