Everyone has had a sore throat. This can come in different sizes. From a simple cough to more serious conditions. If complaints persist, it is always advisable to consult a doctor. However, there are still a lot of things you can do yourself to reduce the pain in your throat.
Cause of sore throat
Many people sometimes have a sore throat. This can vary from a tickly cough to pain when swallowing food and talking, even causing breathing problems. What is the cause of a sore throat? There are several known causes of sore throat. In many cases it concerns an inflammation of the throat mucosa, which extends with shooting pains through your neck to the ears. It is important to know what causes your throat pain, so that it is easier to combat the pain. The pain, for example, can also be caused by incorrect use of your voice or smoking too much.
Sore throat due to inflammation
In most cases (2 out of 3), a sore throat is caused by a virus. The inflammation often starts in the mouth, tonsils or in the trachea. In the other cases you are dealing with a bacterial infection. This is often accompanied by fever.
Sore throat due to irritation
A sore throat can also be caused simply by irritation in your throat. The mucous membrane in your throat can then become irritated by various factors, making a sore throat unavoidable. This irritation on the throat mucosa can cause a tickle in the throat or increased mucous membrane production. In some professions, a sore throat can cause major problems. You can develop voice problems due to a sore throat and that can be a serious problem in professions such as teacher, singer or salesperson. It is important to know how your voice works and how you can best deal with it. Below are a number of factors that can cause irritation in your throat:
- voice problems
- too dry air
- smoking
- polluted air
- allergic reaction
- shouting or talking a lot
What can you do yourself against a sore throat?
It is always advisable to visit your doctor if your throat complaints persist. However, you can also do something to ease the pain, such as:
- eat ice cream
- give yourself some rest
- talk as little as possible
- less or no smoking
- ensure good humidity
- drink chamomile tea
- gargle with salt water
How does your voice work?
The sound of your voice is created when air from your lungs passes through the vocal cords and causes them to vibrate. Your vocal cords are covered with a piece of mucous membrane and open and close with the help of muscles. For example, when breathing, these vocal cords are open, so that sufficient air can flow past. When you talk, your vocal cords will narrow, so that the air flowing past your vocal cords causes the cords to vibrate. This creates a sound. The sound is amplified through your throat, mouth and nasal cavity and you can make different sounds with your mouth.
The causes of voice problems
When your voice sounds different and feels stranger than usual, you talk about a voice problem. There are various causes for voice problems, the most important examples are:
- irritation of the vocal cords by irritants, such as dry air, smoking, or irritating gases.
- inflammation of the vocal cords due to an infection such as a cold.
- Tension in the jaws, tongue or throat, for example due to neck complaints.
- Abnormality in the vocal cords.
Preventing voice problems
It is important to keep your voice in good condition. You prevent voice problems by, among other things:
- don’t talk for too long in one breath
- breathe more through your nose
- Plenty to drink
- No liquor to be consumed
- not to smoke
- not to be in noisy places
- not to force your voice
- to talk relaxed
- not to speak too loudly, not to shout
- avoid air conditioning
read more
- Preventing physical complaints
- Stress! How do you get it and how do you get rid of it?
- What is a cold?
- The causes of headaches
- What causes stress?