My Throat is dry even when I drink water-Dry throat 11 Causes, Symptoms, 9 Remedies

Sometimes your throat feels dry, irritating and scratchy too!  You try drinking water – one glass, two glasses, three; you get no relief? One experiences this condition, especially in the winter months.

This problem is common even among children. They may come to you crying and complaining of a dry throat. You might ignore it for a while. When the problem persists,  you wonder if it is a common one or a more severe ailment!

Your cause for concern is no laughing matter. It could also just mean just dehydration, Cold or Influenza. Or, it could also indicate a severe ailment as Ebola Virus infection Or Strep Bacteria that damages the liver, Kidneys, Brain and may ultimately lead to death.

11 Causes of Dry Throat condition:

“Why is my throat Dry?” you may wonder. The throat is an area of human anatomy covering Windpipe, Esophagus, Voicebox, and Tonsils.  Any irritation in this area can be quite annoying, and you may not be able to carry on our day-to-day activities as usual.

Here are the some of the common causes for this peculiar and annoying ailment.

Dehydration:

The dry throat may just mean you have not had enough fluids during the day.  A hot day or not drinking the recommended 8 litres water per day can cause dehydration which in turn reduces production of saliva that keeps your mouth moist.

Talking on top of your voice:

Singers, politicians, Actors and people who talk loudly for long periods of time may experience this problem regularly. Likewise screaming or singing on top of your voice will inevitably dry the whole mouth.

Dry climate:

A nip in the air causes several ENT problems faced by people with low immunity problems.  Cold air with low humidity absorbs water from the surrounding from your skin, nose and throat.  While the skin cracks, your nose bleeds and you experience severe dry throat.

Hay fever and allergies:

Some people are allergic to certain suspended particles in the air.  Grass, pollen, pet dander, dust mites and other allergens trigger the release of histamines by their over-reactive immune system.  This usually results in a cough, runny nose, and very dry throat. Likewise, a sinus attack can also cause the same symptoms.

Common Cold:

A common cold, as many people say, gets cured in one week or seven days. It is caused by certain strains of the virus, and hence antibiotics do not work.

It means a runny nose, body aches, mild fever, sneezing and a dehydrated throat. This condition remains until the cold virus is annihilated from the body.

Influenza:

Influenza or Flu is a severe form of Common cold.  It is accompanied by fever, muscle aches and fatigue.  “My Throat is dry” is a common refrain when one is affected by Influenza.  It is best to visit a doctor and take medicine for Flu.

Intake of Tobacco:

Intake of Tobacco or Marijuana invariably leaves the throat always dry. This is because the particles of these products dehydrate the mucous membrane which maintains moisture in the mouth and throat area.

Drying of Mucous membrane:

The mucous membrane is a thin humid layer covering various organs of the human body.  It prevents illness by blocking or attaching to pathogens that try to enter the body.  It may become hard/dry when you sleep with an open mouth all through the night.

It can be caused by very long and heavy exercising regime. As this membrane covers the throat, you get the feeling of throat dryness and itchiness.

Other Throat Diseases and infections:

Throat cancer and Esophagus cancer can cause Throat dryness.

Bacterial and viral infections like Tonsillitis and mononucleosis (caused by the transfer of salvia from person to person) can lead to sore and a dry itchy throat.

Strep throat is caused by bacteria, and its symptoms are inflammation, pain and dryness of throat.  This is very common among children.

GERD or Acid reflux:

During GERD, sour acid contents of the stomach reach the throat causing hoarseness of voice and drying

Pollution:

This is one of the newest reasons for this annoying condition.  The air which we breathe is not pure.  There thousands of bacteria, virus and suspended particles which enter our mouth, nose and act with the mucous membrane causing severe damage to your throat.

13 Symptoms of dry throat:

Dry throat is accompanied by various other annoying symptoms mentioned below.  The Human immunity system can counter most of them.  But, some of these should not be ignored.

1. Hoarse Voice
2. Body aches
3. Painful throat
4. Coughing and vomiting
5. Muscle pain
6. Tiredness
7. Difficulty in swallowing
8. Red tongue
9. Breathing problems
10. Thirsty feeling even after drinking water
11. Dizziness or Nausea
12. White patches in mouth and throat
13. Lymph node enlargement

While Dry throat is a cause for concern, popping antibiotics need not be the only solution. Understanding the origins and symptoms of the dry throat can help you decide if you can treat the problem with some home remedies or need to meet a Specialist.

9 Home Remedies that can ease Severe Dry throat:

Everybody faces dry throat problems at one point of life.  Usually, there are many home remedies, passed down by generations, which work effectively.  You can check out these nine time and grandma-tested solutions to see if your very dry throat problem heals.

1. Clarified butter with black pepper:

Clarified butter or ghee helps lubricate your throat while pepper quells inflammation.  Some grannies advice you to bite a peppercorn and push it down your throat by sipping a teaspoon of ghee.

My grandmother advised me to heat a dab of ghee with 1 or 2 peppercorn kernels for few seconds and gulp it down when it at a warm temperature.

2. The now-fashionable Turmeric Milk:

Turmeric milk is doing the rounds in foreign countries.  In India, it has been taken since time immemorial.

Milk with a dash of turmeric should be boiled on low heat for few minutes.  This can be sipped when slightly warm to ease dryness in the mouth.  Likewise cooking Turmeric milk with a pod of garlic has given the best results for some people.

3. Gargle with salt water:

Here is a natural remedy as an answer to your whining “Throat always dry”….Salt Gargling. Rinsing your throat (gargling) with warm water and salt relives dry throat in two ways.

• It dilutes the mucous
• It inhibits bacteria growth

Thus, two leading causes of Throat dryness are dispelled with one treatment.  For best results, one must gargle at least twice every day.

4. Lemon juice:

Likewise gargling a mixture of a teaspoon of lemon with a cup of water will keep the guilty bacteria and virus away.  Since Lemon is acidic, it inhibits the growth of microbes in your mouth and nasal passages.

5. Liquorices sticks:

Liquorices Sticks are great for the Dry throat.  Keep a piece of these sticks between your teeth for a period of time.  The salivary are stimulated and immediately produce saliva that moistens your entire mouth and dispels dryness.

6. Tulsi and Honey special:

Ayurveda doctors and your grandparents will suggest boiling few Tulsi leaves and later add a spoon of honey for the Dry throat.

When kids come up to you saying my throat feels scratchy, you can rest assured this is the best home remedy for them. Since Honey is sweet kids gulp down this preparation without any fuss.

7. Ginger and Honey:

Honey again with a teaspoon of ginger powder and lemon will bring relief to your dry throat.  Mix the above ingredients in ½ a cup of water and gargle with this twice a day.  Honey has antibacterial powers that attack the microbes and brings relief immediately.

8. Flavoured tea:

Tea flavoured with cardamom and cloves helps in decongesting a Dry throat filled with suspended pollution particles.  Cardamom and cloves are antioxidants. They help reduce toxicity created by pollution that is inhaled and enters the oesophagus.

Boil your tea leaves with these two spices, and you will say – What a Relief!

9. Regulate humidity levels in the room:

While the above are substances that you can intake for a severe dry throat, you can also try to adjusting humidity levels to counter the extreme climatic conditions outside.  Use an Air humidifier in summer and Heater/vaporizer in winter to improve moisture content in your living rooms.

You can keep your throat moist by drinking fluids at regular intervals during the day or chew good quality throat lozenges whenever required.

When to see a doctor for dry throat:

Dry throat condition is not serious if you can counter it using the above home remedies. If the problem continues or is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, you need to see a doctor.

• Patches on tongue or mouth
• You experience body pain or fever
• Dry throat is accompanied by swollen tonsils with pus
• You have a stomach ache or a headache
• Rashes
• Vomiting
• You suspect a Strep throat

References:

1. https://food.ndtv.com/health/natural-healing-7-home-remedies-for-a-dry-throat-1629575
2. https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/get-to-the-bottom-of-your-sore-throat#1
3. https://www.healthline.com/health/dry-throat
4. https://www.epainassist.com/face-mouth-throat/dry-throat
5. https://www.everydayhealth.com/strep-throat/strep-throat-treatment-you-need-antibiotic/
6. https://www.webmd.com/women/dry-indoor-air#1
7. https://www.rd.com/health/conditions/sore-throat-remedies-home-gargles/