“I just can’t seem to get rid of this frog in my throat.” Probably just about everyone, everywhere can admit to having said this or some variety of it at some point in time. For some, this frogginess follows along with a cold or the flu or seasonal allergies. Others may experience it regularly as a result of reflux, a side effect of medication or an autoimmune disorder, hypothyroidism, diabetes, aging, intubation, tracheal stenosis, trauma, post-nasal drip, or cancers/tumor/radiation therapy.
Reflux is a common cause. Acidic and nonacidic matter backwashes from the stomach and hits the bottom part of the throat. This causes irritation to the voice box. Reflux is provoked by triggers like spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, and smoking. As a defense against reflux, the throat lines itself with a mucus coating. However, the more backwash, the more mucus, and this results in excessive throat clearing, persistent cough, or that frog-in-the-throat feeling.
Other symptoms that often follow this mucus build-up are difficulty swallowing, noisy breathing, or even neurological warning signs such as weakness, numbness, slurred speech, or facial paralysis.
The best defense against reflux and the other potential causes of that a froggy throat is to avoid the dietary and lifestyle habits that trigger it. But keep in mind that that frog can also be a warning sign of enlarged tonsils, dehydration, environmental irritants, excessive talking, shouting, or singing in a way that strains the vocal chords.
Keep your voice healthy—the rest of your body, too—by staying hydrated, taking time to rest your voice during times when you must use it a lot, don’t smoke and don’t breathe in other irritants as much as possible. Use a humidifier and avoid medication that causes dryness unless needed. Eliminate caffeine and alcohol from your diet. Avoid eating or drinking within three hours of lying down, lose weight, reduce stress, and remove spicy, fatty and acidic foods, and instead follow a more Mediterranean-like diet, excluding meat.
Most cases resolve themselves over time, but if this frogginess persists for more than four weeks, or if it is not a result of allergies or a virus or diet, it is recommended that a physician be consulted as soon as possible. Chronic throat clearing, regardless of the cause, can damage your vocal chords over time.
Here are some home remedies that might help:
- Sip water
- Suck on sugar-free lozenges
- Swallow twice
- Yawn
- Cough
Sources: nbcnews.com/healthmain/ahem-what-frog-throat-anyway; bing.com/copilot/what+causes+the+frog+in+my+throat; wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/is-that-frog-in-your-throat-a-sign-of-a-serious-illness; healthline.com/health/clearing-throat