For a very long time, I have been clearing my throat. It has been an annoying irritation I have been living with for years over 25 as I am 43. I was diagnosed with Asthma when I was much younger and have been taking a variety of inhalers such as Albuterol, Nasonex, Advair and other varieties of medications. I have noticed the past several winters here (I live in Atlanta) the throat clearing and irritation have gotten worse. I managed to make it through with the medication but it is a pain in the rear.
This past year, I have noticed the throat clearing had substantially increased. I was working in an office with cold AC so I can attribute some of the cause to that. The clearing does produce phlegm, but never a cough. It's just pain annoyance and inconvenience. However, ever since the end of Oct, I have noticed that the clearing and throat irritation are much worse, especially the throat irritation as I can live with the clearing as I have been for years. I have had to increase my usage of some of the inhalers in this as well. What I am experiencing now is a constant irritated throat, followed by episodes of throat clearing with some shortness of breath which the inhalers do bring good relief. I always feel as if there is a lump in the throat, but it seems to have been this way for years.
I was reading about how post-nasal drip could be a culprit however my passages are usually clear. I have started taking Benadryl each night to see if it will help.So far I can't detect if it does.
I have read about how this could possibly be GERD. I started taking Prilosec every morning for about 3 weeks and haven't really noticed any significant improvement. I have also tried laying off some dairy products as well, perhaps it will help ward off some of these symptoms.
What I seem to be experiencing lately is a constant throat irritation combined with a burning/hot sensation in my throat. I have been drinking more water.
I have made an appointment with my Primary Care (Internal Medicine) Dec 29. I am a bit worried about this as this is the worst it has gotten in my life and hopefully it's not symptomatic of a more serious problem.I was wondering if anyone here has similar throat symptoms (Hot and Irritated) as I do and what was the diagnosis. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
This discussion is related to
Phlegm build up in throat (Sinuses Clear).