Itchy Throat at Night

Quite a few people tend to experience an itchy throat at night. An itchy throat can cause a great deal of discomfort and irritation, to say the least. If the itchiness is severe, then it can very well lead to an uncomfortable and sleepless night. At times, the itching can get so bad that the person more or less develops an urge to stick a finger down his throat and scratch the irritable area, in order to get relief. Itchy throat causes are aplenty and quite varied as well. In the subsequent part of this article, we will have a look at a few causes, symptoms, as well as a few methods of treatment for this condition.

Causes

• Dust is one of the most common causes of an itchy throat during night hours. If you happen to live in a neighborhood where there are particularly windy conditions, then there is every likelihood of you unknowingly inhaling a good amount of dust, etc. due to nearby construction activities, building demolition activities, etc.
• Pollution is another major reason for developing sore throats at night. Look around you. There is pollution everywhere, and on a 24 x 7 basis. Vehicle exhaust fumes, smoke, chemicals released from industrial chimneys, etc. are some of the most common sources of air pollution. These days we not only inhale oxygen, but unknowingly, also breathe in a large number of harmful pollutants and miniscule chemical particulate matter. These can very well aggravate the throat and can cause itchiness.
• Many a time, fluctuating room moisture levels or the lack of air humidity can also lead to throat itchiness. At times, this can happen if you are using an air conditioner in your bedroom. It can cause the air inside the room to become very dry and devoid of moisture, which in turn, leads to a dry, itchy throat.
• Allergies are one of the most common reasons for such a condition. It could be any type of allergy - allergy to pet hair, food allergies, allergy to dust, pollen grains, etc. It aggravates the sensory cells in your throat and can lead to itchiness or soreness.
• At times, pregnant women experience a bit of itching in their throats at night. This can be due to the fact that their bodies undergo a lot of internal changes during pregnancy, one of which happens to be the over-sensitization of the sinuses.
• Seasonal weather changes or weather fluctuations also contribute towards developing throat itchiness.

Treatment

• Water is one of the simplest ways of dealing with an itchy throat. Keep a glass of lukewarm water by your bedside (or in a thermos flask). As and when you feel the throat itching getting worse, drink a little bit of warm water, and hold it near the back of your throat for a couple of seconds, before swallowing it.
• Many a time, a spoonful of regular cough syrup such as Benadryl can help in obtaining temporary relief from a dry, itchy throat.
• Ginger is a wonderful home remedy when it comes to soothing a sore throat. Keep a small stick of ginger in the corner of your mouth and let its juice run down your throat from time to time. It will help in lessening the itch and will provide a bit of relief.
• Honey is another good way of obtaining temporary relief from an itchy throat. Swallow a spoonful of honey and following that, do not eat or drink anything for the next 20-odd minutes. The texture of honey is such that it will coat the aggravated portion of your throat and will lessen the itching for a few minutes at least.

This was a brief overview of this ailment that is a very common occurrence. Just take the above-mentioned treatment methods into consideration, and you will soon get rid of it. Take care!