How to relieve dry throat and sore throat? Is drinking more water enough?

Author: Zhao Xiaochang, attending physician, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

Reviewer: Zhang Juan, Chief Physician, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

Dry throat and sore throat, these seemingly insignificant symptoms often bring a lot of inconvenience to our daily lives. Especially in autumn, when the air is dry, these symptoms occur more frequently, making people miserable. Whenever this happens, we always hear a familiar advice: "Drink more water!"

However, can drinking more water really solve all problems? In order to understand the truth behind this problem, we need to deeply analyze the real causes of dry throat and sore throat and explore effective ways to relieve it.

Dry throat: a common problem with multiple causes

Physiological phenomenon: talking too much and dry air

1. Talking too much: Talking is an indispensable way of communication in daily life, but excessive speech activity may be the culprit of dry throat. When speaking, air flows continuously through the mouth into the throat, which takes away moisture from the throat and causes dry throat. Therefore, dry throat is a particularly common problem for people who often need to give speeches, lectures or talk for a long time. In order to alleviate this symptom, reducing the speaking time appropriately or drinking more water in between speaking are both effective strategies.

2. Dry air: Air humidity has a direct impact on the moisture level of the throat. In dry weather, not only the skin and mucous membranes will feel dry, but the throat will also be affected. At this time, although drinking more water can temporarily relieve the symptoms of dry throat, it is equally important to improve indoor humidity. Using a humidifier, placing a basin of water or green plants can effectively increase indoor humidity, thereby alleviating the discomfort of dry throat.

Figure 1 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

Disease signals: pathological causes that cannot be ignored

In addition to physiological phenomena, dry throat may also be a manifestation of various diseases. We need to take more specific treatment measures for these disease factors.

1. Upper respiratory tract infection: Symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection such as colds and nasal congestion are often accompanied by the discomfort of dry throat. This is because when the upper respiratory tract is infected, the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx and throat will become congested, which makes the air flow through these areas feel burning and dry when breathing. Nasal congestion is also a common cause of dry throat. When the nose is blocked, we tend to breathe through the mouth. Long-term mouth breathing will cause more airflow through the throat, causing dry throat. In this case, you can increase water intake, wear a mask or use a humidifier to make the air more humid, thereby reducing the intensity of airflow entering the throat and improving comfort. Usually, as the upper respiratory tract infection improves, the symptoms of dry throat will also be alleviated.

2. Sleep apnea: Many people feel dry mouth when they wake up in the morning, which may be related to snoring during sleep at night. When the upper airway is narrow, the airflow during breathing becomes rapid, causing airway vibration and snoring. Due to the obstruction of the nasopharyngeal airway, the body will naturally enable mouth breathing as an aid. If the snoring sound is loud, it indicates that the airflow through the mouth increases, causing symptoms of dry mouth and dry throat. For such patients, in addition to drinking more water, it is more important to seek professional medical help to improve the symptoms of sleep apnea through surgery or wearing a ventilator.

3. Chronic inflammation of the respiratory system: Another common cause of dry throat is chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract, such as chronic tonsillitis, chronic pharyngitis, etc. Long-term inflammation may cause damage to the laryngeal mucosa and decreased secretion function, leading to dry throat. This situation is more common in the elderly, because the mucosa of the elderly will atrophy, and laryngoscope examination can observe the paleness of the laryngeal mucosa. Maintaining good living habits and eating habits is the key to relieving symptoms.

4. Sjögren's syndrome: If the dry throat persists and progressively worsens, not only the mouth is dry, but the eyes are also dry, and even there are no tears when crying, this situation should be taken seriously, it may be Sjögren's syndrome. Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune connective tissue disease involving the exocrine glands throughout the body, mainly invading the lacrimal glands and salivary glands, with dry eyes and mouth as the main clinical features. The disease can occur at any age, but mostly in middle-aged women. For such patients, drinking more water may not fundamentally solve the problem. They need to use immunosuppressants, hormones and other drugs for treatment under the guidance of a doctor, and pay close attention to changes in the condition.

Sore throat: complex symptoms with multiple causes

Sore throat is also a symptom that cannot be ignored, and its causes are also complex and diverse. Understanding the causes of sore throat and taking targeted preventive measures are crucial to maintaining throat health.

Infectious inflammation

1. Acute pharyngitis: Short-term symptoms such as sore throat, pain when swallowing, hoarseness, etc. are often manifestations of acute pharyngitis. This pain may be caused by viral infection, bacterial infection or allergic reaction. At this time, the patient needs to rest more, drink more water, and use antibiotics, antiviral drugs and nebulization for treatment under the guidance of a doctor. At the same time, keeping the indoor air moist and avoiding contact with irritating gases can also help relieve symptoms.

2. Acute tonsillitis: Acute tonsillitis can also cause severe pain in the throat, accompanied by symptoms such as difficulty swallowing and fever. For such patients, in addition to drinking more water and taking antibiotics, local cold compresses and gargling with salt water can also be used to relieve pain.

3. Herpetic pharyngitis: Herpetic pharyngitis is an acute pharyngitis caused by viral infection, which can be manifested as white purulent exudates or grayish white herpes in the mucosa of the throat cavity. Patients will experience severe throat pain, difficulty swallowing and other symptoms. For such patients, drinking more water and using antiviral drugs are the key to treatment. At the same time, keeping the indoor air moist and avoiding contact with irritating gases can also help relieve symptoms.

Non-infectious inflammation and special diseases

1. Chronic tonsillitis or chronic pharyngitis: Chronic tonsillitis or chronic pharyngitis is one of the important causes of sore throat. These chronic inflammations may be caused by a variety of factors, such as long-term smoking, drinking, air pollution, etc. They can cause congestion and edema of the tonsils or pharyngeal mucosa, causing pain. This type of disease usually manifests as sore throat that is sometimes mild and sometimes severe, and is more severe when the resistance is weak or fatigued. For such patients, in addition to drinking plenty of water and maintaining good living habits, they also need to use antibiotics or traditional Chinese medicine for treatment under the guidance of a doctor. At the same time, regular review and attention to changes in the condition are also very important.

2. Gastroesophageal reflux: Pharyngitis caused by gastroesophageal reflux has a characteristic manifestation, that is, erythema will appear on the pharyngeal mucosa, which is caused by gastric acid corrosion. Such patients are usually accompanied by symptoms such as acid reflux and heartburn. For such patients, treating gastroesophageal reflux is the key to relieving sore throat. They need to use acid-suppressing drugs, gastrointestinal motility drugs and other drugs for treatment under the guidance of a doctor, and adjust their eating habits, avoid overeating and eating before going to bed.

3. Acute epiglottitis: There is also a special case of acute epiglottitis, which has complex and diverse causes, including infection, contact with irritating chemicals, thermal injury, and allergic reactions. Acute epiglottitis is characterized by sudden pain in the throat accompanied by pain when swallowing. The epiglottis is located at the entrance of the respiratory tract. Acute inflammation can cause epiglottal edema. If the respiratory tract is blocked, the disease progresses rapidly and there is a risk of suffocation. Therefore, if acute sore throat accompanied by pain when swallowing occurs, while checking the tonsils, you should also check whether the epiglottis is involved. Once acute epiglottitis is diagnosed, emergency treatment is required immediately to prevent the condition from worsening.

Figure 2 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

In summary, dry throat and sore throat are not simple symptoms. They may hide multiple causes and complex physiological mechanisms. Therefore, when facing these symptoms, we cannot just rely on drinking more water to solve all problems. Instead, we need to treat the cause according to the specific situation and remove the cause to fundamentally alleviate the discomfort and distress caused by these symptoms. At the same time, we also need to strengthen our self-care awareness, pay attention to the improvement of living habits and the maintenance of physical health to prevent the occurrence and development of these diseases.