Constant Tickle in Throat

Having a constant tickle in throat can be very annoying. It is from inflammation occurring in the throat, which is enough to cause a tickle but not enough to result in pain. You usually can get a dry cough at the same time as the tickle in your throat, because your system is trying to get rid of it by coughing. Unless you actually have something in the back of your throat, the cough will be useless and you will still feel the tickling sensation. Thus, the trick to get rid of the constant tickle is to solve the underlying problem that causes it.

Causes and Treatment for Constant Tickle in Throat

1.   Cold or Flu

You can have a constant tickle feeling in throat because of having the flu or a cold. Your throat will feel ticklish and you will want to try and clear your throat often. If this is the cause of your ticklish throat, the only thing you can really do is to wait to get better.

Treatment: It usually takes about three weeks to resolve itself and there is no particular treatment other than using throat lozenges to clear out the sensation in your throat. Sucking on hard candy will lessen the tickle in the throat, at least while you are sucking on the hard candy.

2.   Allergies

Nasal allergies can trigger a type of postnasal drip from the back of your nose, which can cause irritation in the throat and a sensation of tickle in throat. The allergy can be due to mold, dust, animal dander, or outdoor allergens, like ragweed, trees or grass.

Treatment: The best way to treat tickle in this condition is to take allergy medication. There are several over the counter allergy medicines, such as Claritin, Zyrtec, and diphenhydramine. Steroid nose drops can relieve the postnasal drip so that the tickle can go away. Talk to your doctor if you want a prescription for your allergies.

3.   Acid Reflux

If you have acid reflux, you may experience irritation or a constant tickle in throat from acid coming up from the esophagus onto the throat structures. This is usually worse when lying down because gravity isn't available to keep the acid down where it belongs.

Treatment: If you believe that acid reflux is causing your symptoms or if you have symptom such as nausea or heart burn, you can take a proton pump inhibitor such as Prilosec or Nexium. You can also take antacids which dilute out the acid to relieve the tickle feeling in your throat.

4.   Other Causes

If you are experiencing a constant tickle in your throat, it may be from asthma, in which the bronchial tree is irritated and there is excess mucus in the airways. A dry, ticklish throat can be due to lung cancer as well.

Treatment: The treatment of a tickle in throat from asthma is to take medications to control asthma, such as steroid inhalers or albuterol. If you believe you might have lung cancer because of other symptoms, such as lung pain or coughing up red blood, you should see the doctor and have your symptoms evaluated and treated accordingly.

Home Remedies to Relieve Constant Tickle in Throat

There are several home remedies you can use to relieve a ticklish throat so that you won't cough and the irritation will have a chance to heal. These home remedies include the following.

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