What is a prolonged itchy neck cough?

This is an automatically translated article.

Cough and sore throat are common symptoms in both children and adults, easy to recur. The cause, how to treat cough and sore throat are the questions of many people. The article will help readers clarify the above issues.

1. What causes an itchy throat?

Itchy neck and persistent dry cough is one of the manifestations of an irritated respiratory system, which can occur in all subjects but is more common in children and the elderly. There are many causes of itchy throat, dry cough, namely:
1.1. Colds, flu This is one of the most common causes of an itchy throat, especially when the weather changes. Common symptoms are cough, sore throat, fatigue, runny nose. Colds and flu can go away on their own in about 5-7 days. However, in the following days, the patient still had to face coughs and sore throats.
Cough episodes can last for 1-2 weeks or even 3 weeks. This is how the immune system responds to fight disease. Specifically, white blood cells move to the site of inflammation to fight pathogens, so even after getting rid of a cold or flu, patients still have to face a cough and an itchy neck. In addition, fluid flowing from the sinus system through the back of the nose to the back of the throat also causes coughing.
1.2. Allergies Cough, itchy throat caused by allergies is the body's response to push out dirt, secretions and microorganisms. The patient is prone to this condition if the body is exposed to allergens such as pollen, animal hair, food,...
Initially, the patient shows symptoms such as dry cough, severe cough, sore throat,... Then, the cough lasts for months or years, not getting better even with the use of common anti-inflammatory drugs. Sometimes, patients have symptoms of burning sensation in the throat, burning sensation in the throat, reflex of pharyngopharyngeal constriction causing difficulty in breathing,... If not properly prevented and treated, the patient may have a respiratory infection. steam.
1.3. Dehydration Dehydration is also one of the causes of cough and sore throat. In hot summer weather, after exercise or when sick, the body loses more water than usual. The first manifestation of the patient is dry mouth (because the mouth and throat do not have enough saliva), then leads to a burning sensation in the throat causing coughing. The patient also has a feeling of dry thirst, dark urine,...
1.4. Pneumonia, bronchitis The itchy throat and dry cough at night can be a manifestation of pneumonia, bronchitis. Cough will appear more if these organs are infected with chronic disease. Patients have symptoms of dry cough, cough with phlegm, sore throat, itchy neck, fever, chest tightness, shortness of breath, chills,... Therefore, in this case, the patient should be examined and treated. early to avoid dangerous complications.
1.5. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) leads to belching while sleeping, causing irritation in the throat area, creating an itchy feeling in the throat, dry cough or cough with phlegm.
1.6. Asthma A cough and sore throat can also be a sign of asthma. In patients with asthma, the lining of the bronchial tubes is enlarged and narrowed, causing shortness of breath and dry cough. Coughs often appear at night, greatly affecting the quality of sleep, making the patient tired. If the dry cough is more frequent, the patient may have chronic asthma.

1.7. Sore throat A sore throat often occurs at the time of season change, when the weather changes erratically. In addition, pharyngitis can also be caused by other agents such as viruses, allergens, acid reflux, ... Typical symptoms of the disease are dry cough, itchy neck, and other symptoms such as: phlegm, sore throat, swollen throat, headache, runny nose, fever, body fatigue, sluggishness,...
1.8. Sinusitis A dry cough is also a sign of sinusitis. This is an inflammation of the nose and paranasal sinuses, which can last for about 4 weeks (acute) or more than 3 months (chronic).
In addition to coughing and itching in the neck, patients may also experience some other symptoms such as: Headache, pain in the face - forehead, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat when swallowing saliva,... Sinusitis can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection, a tumor in the nose or sinuses, genetic disorders,...
1.9. Other causes Some other factors can cause cough and sore throat such as: polluted environment, exposure to toxic chemicals, sudden changes in weather, often sleeping in air conditioners, abuse of ice, especially work enemies have to talk a lot, affecting the throat,...

2. What are the consequences of a prolonged itchy throat?

There are many people who mistakenly think that itchy throat and dry cough are just common symptoms, so they are subjective and do not treat. As the disease becomes more severe, treatment becomes more difficult.
Some effects and risk of complications if the patient is subjective, so that the disease progresses for a long time:
Decreased quality of life, affecting daily activities. Patients find it difficult to eat, drink, talk as usual, sleep well, concentrate on work,...; Constantly tired, sluggish, unable to ensure work productivity as before; Loss of appetite, nausea, belching, weakness, rapid weight loss; Increased risk of oropharyngeal cancer because pathogens continuously attack the cells lining the throat; Bacteria and viruses move through the airways to the lungs, causing bacterial infections in the lungs, leading to pneumonia, even lung cancer; Injury to the vocal cords leading to voice changes or vocal cord pain; Increased blood pressure, risk of rupture of blood vessels in the conjunctiva; Patients with osteoporosis may have broken ribs.

3. How to treat persistent cough and sore throat at home

Coughing in the throat for a long time makes patients worry and experience many inconveniences in life. To improve this situation, the patient can apply some of the following measures:
3.1 Gargle with salt water When you have an itchy throat, dry cough, you can immediately apply this method. Gargling with warm salt water helps to clean the throat, eliminating pathogens that are microorganisms or foreign objects that cause throat itching.
You should mix about 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt in about 240ml of warm water. Then, take a sip of salt water, tilt your throat so that the salt water stays in your throat for about 10 seconds, then spit it out. Gargle with salt water 2-3 times a day, especially in the morning to help improve symptoms of itchy throat and dry cough.
3.2 Drinking honey ginger tea Dry cracked or damaged throat mucosa is the cause of itchy throat, dry cough. Honey and ginger are warm, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory herbs that are suitable for use in patients with damaged throat mucosa. You can make ginger tea with honey and lemon to relieve itchy throat and cough as follows:
Pour 1 cup of warm water, mixed with 1 teaspoon of pure honey; Cut 2 slices of lemon, squeeze the juice into a glass of honey water; Wash, grate ginger, put in a cup of honey water; Stir ingredients well, drink while still warm. Use 2-3 times/day. Note: Do not use honey for babies under 1 year old. Because children under 1 year old have an immature digestive system, they are prone to poisoning.
3.3 Drink herbal tea There are a number of herbal teas that are warmed to help soothe coughs and sore throats. You can drink ginkgo tea, dong quai, red clover, licorice, horseradish tea, ... to improve the above symptoms.
If the cause of itchy throat and dry cough is gastroesophageal reflux, you can mix turmeric milk to drink, help soothe the throat and reduce stomach acid secretion. Should drink turmeric milk in the evening to bring the best effect.

4. Preventive measures for prolonged cough and sore throat

To relieve prolonged dry cough, itchy throat, patients should follow the following advice:
Change sleeping position: Elevate your head when sleeping: When you put a pillow 15 - 20cm high, The airways will be open and airy, which can prevent irritants from entering the throat, reducing unpleasant dry coughs; Sleeping on your side: Sleeping on your side helps you breathe easier, your throat is more open, not blocked by fluids and mucus, reducing dry cough; Prevent gastroesophageal reflux disease: Eat less in the evening; Eat dinner at an early time, do not eat too close to bedtime, maintain dinner at the latest 2 hours before going to bed; Limit eating hot spicy foods, foods that are too cold or greasy Create humidity in the bedroom: Plant lots of green plants such as basil, rosemary, lavender, mint,... Green plants help balance moisture , filter the air and avoid the phenomenon of mold; Use a humidifier in the bedroom to prevent the patient from having dry airways, causing dry cough and itchy throat; Lifestyle changes: Do not smoke, stay away from secondhand smoke to prevent the risk of irritation of the respiratory mucosa; Stay away from irritants and allergens such as dog and cat fur, dust, moldy air, alcohol, and hot food; Exercise regularly to improve health; Provide adequate nutrients to improve the body's resistance; Clean the house regularly, keep the living environment clean and dry; Avoid shouting loudly to limit irritation of the throat area. If you have applied the above long-term cough and sore throat remedies but the symptoms do not improve or are accompanied by other unusual manifestations such as fever, more cough, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, wheezing, swelling, face, ... then the patient should go to the doctor soon. The cause of the above symptoms may be due to other diseases, which need to be diagnosed and treated early.

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