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Subscribe to RSSYou're sitting in a quiet place like a library, religious service or lecture hall, when the silence becomes interrupted by the guttural tones of someone who is frequently clearing his or her throat. Mind you, this is no mild "ahem." This sounds disgusting, like someone about to hock a loogie.
And it continues, without any coughing, sneezing, nose-blowing or other outward signs of a cold or allergies.
Excessive throat-clearing is more of a symptom than a diagnosis, says Dr. Phillip Song, a laryngologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. It usually starts with a physical component, such as acid reflux or an upper respiratory tract infection. But then it can become behavioral when it becomes habituated, he explains. "It's hard to know when it crosses that line."
So, how can you tell the difference between garden-variety throat clearing from a cold, sore throat, or seasonal allergies and the chronic kind? If it lasts less then two weeks in general, that's situational, says Song. If it's greater than three months and it's there all the time while you're awake, that's chronic throat-clearing.
Two of the most common causes of frequent throat clearing are laryngopharyngeal reflux, or LPR, and seasonal allergies, explains Song.
Reflux from the stomach, which may or may not be acidic, comes up through the esophagus and into the back of the throat, where it can irritate the voice box. People with LPR may also have post-nasal drip, an excess of throat mucus, or the feeling like something is stuck in the throat, but nothing is there.
With allergies, an environmental trigger whether it's pollen, ragweed, or mold is causing itchiness and inflammation in the nose and throat, which forms one continuous airspace. It's tickling the throat creating a desire to clear it.
People with allergies or reflux are also producing a dry, sticky mucus that's leading to a phlegm-filled sound when the throat is cleared.
Sometimes asthma can make the throat irritable and hypersensitive. Chronic throat-clearing may also occur in a condition known as vocal hyperfunction, where friction along the length of the vocal cords from straining to speak or explosive coughing, forms small ulcers or masses.
Occasionally, excessive throat clearing is a side effect of people taking blood pressure medications known as ACE inhibitors, so you'd need to switch to a different drug.
Treatment for the problem depends on the cause. There are medications to ease reflux, allergies, and asthma. Voice therapy can help break the throat-clearing cycle of vocal hyperfunction.
If you're persistently clearing your throat and it doesn't go away, have your doctor check it out. Most of the time, people are aware they are doing this and it can disrupt their lives, Song says. But sometimes, a spouse brings the person to the doctor's office because the throat-clearing is driving them crazy, he points out.
Has constant throat clearing ever driven you nuts?
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I know a few people who use this to pause in a conversation. Its so evident that they want time to think between sentences, and its very irritating that they cover that pause, with throat clearing. It actually becomes a habit if you are not careful. One of them is a friend, and I have pointed it out to him. Hopefully he rids himself of this habit soon. Not good for career and board meetings!
Human: So please explain to me why it is bad to pause to think between sentences? It seems to me that a wise man does stop or pause to make sure he is using the correct words or meanings.
Verno,
I'm pretty sure that the habit HumanBeing wishes he would break is the throat clearing as an excuse to pause between thoughts. Pausing before one speaks (or types) to reflect on what was actually said (not what they thought was said) and figure out how to respond accordingly is in general a very good practice that should be followed as much as possible. But making annoying noises to try to cover this pause is not advisable in the long run -- it just aggravates those with whom they are conversing.
Saddened -- Thanks for clearing that for me. Verno, I did not mean to say that pausing is bad, ofcourse you want to think and frame your sentence right before you start speaking. its just that you dont have to keep clearing some non existing thing from the throat during that time. :)
And yet they leave off one of the most common reasons for throat clearing. One that myself, my father and my mother all have. We smoke. I have yet to meet a fellow smoker who doesn't clear his throat at least 2-3 times every 5 mins.
And then, of course, there are other reasons for clearing one's throat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXkThljAeYw
Remember Fred Thompson in 2008 election. Talk.. hack.. talk.. hack..
YES! There is a girl in one of my classes that is constantly doing it, the entire period, every class. It's not a regular throat clearing noise, it's a horribly disgusting guttural sound. It's very distracting because it makes it nearly impossible to hear the professor and she does it every 5 minutes or so.
Sounds more like a medical condition there. It may sound disgusting to you, but many times this person probably feels as if she were "choking" ... leading to the clearing of the throat. Don't get "all 12-year-old-high-school-girl" ... and be a bit more understanding of what might be actually going on.
My husband does it. I think its a result of his smoking. It annoys me because he will ALWAYS do it when we're watching the news or tv or something and its at a part where I want to hear what the person is saying. the pitch of the sound is such that it drowns out what the person on the tv is saying. Happens every time.
I had someone right next to me at work clear their throat hundreds of times a day. After several weeks I googled it & discovered that it's related to Tourette's syndrome. It was terribly distracting and I ended up moving rather than suggest that they get on some kind of medication for it.
My husband was a continous throat-clearer, as are all the men on his dad's side of the family. He was finally diagnosed with asthma at age 50, I'm not convinced he's being given the proper meds, but at least we have a diagnosis. His youngest brother also has severe asthma, and the two brothers in between both use night breathing apparatus for sleep apnea. The four brothers have never smoked, nor lived with smokers.
ALL, and I do mean ALL of the deceased males in my husband's family on his dad's side have died of lung conditions--not cancer, though--both the smokers and the non-smokers. My F-I-L had the loudest, most terrifying throat clearings ever since I first met him over 30 years ago. He would clear his throat with no warning, a sound so loud it would make a person jump out of their shoes, and never offer an apology. This guy had serious heart problems because his lungs never worked correctly, still managed to live 40 years after his first heart attack. He was on supplied oxygen for the last nine years of his life.
I am hoping my husband and my son do not go down this same road. The F-I-L had a comparatively long life, but one filled with hospital stays and oxygen tanks. My husband is 100% Irish American, and I understand that there are some genetic issues associated with that ethnic group. There are so many males and a few females with lung issues in this clan that they might be a good group for testing.
I have this issue, and have seen 2 different ENTs (ear, nose, throat specialists). they both thought I had acid reflux although I never exhibited any symptoms. they said men 40 plus usually have reflux anyway. I took a medicine for reflux for over 8 months and it never resolved the constant feeling of having to clear my throat. Eventually, after more tests, it was revealed I had a small mass close to my vocal cords which could have been the culprit. Had it removed and biopsied. (found to be benign) That didn't fix the problem. I'm kind of at a loss. No way I could have allergies year round that causes my feel the need to clear my throat. I tend to think it more associated w/the vocal hyperfunction since I talk a lot in my job and probably have strained my vocal chords..One of the ENTs also suggested taking voice lessons to retrain my voice and speaking patterns. Haven't tried that yet, though.
i'm in the same boat. i have to clear my throat year round. i have year round mucus that the doctor's i've seen can't explain. i have acid reflux also but the medicines i've tried have done nothing for the throat clearing or mucus. the worst part is knowing how disgusting it must sound to anyone as when i hear someone else do it it sounds disgusting to me. i try to remove myself from areas where people are when doing it but that's not always possible. at least during winter there's a good excuse to do it.
One interesting item I found a while back that helped with my incessant throat clearing is a switch away from any type of gum, candy, or toothpaste with mint in it. Mint has a natural analgesic effect that in essence relaxes/shocks both muscles and valves in the esophagus and throat (including vocal cord area). While growing up, and as an adult, I used to not be very careful to not swallowing mint toothpaste. I never felt much heartburn but some of the problems could have still been acid reflux due to how mint affected esophagal valves.
As alternative, I switched to cinnamon flavor toothpaste and gum. The symptoms haven't gone completely away over the last three months since I started avoiding mint, but it has caused a very noticeable reduction in both the intensity and frequency of my throat-clearing problems.
My wife has noticed a dramatic difference to the point that she is almost surprised now when I clear my throat.
I'm not a doctor, and haven't heard doctors talk about it, but it has worked well for me thus far.
I sit across from a coworker whom other coworkers have refused to sit near. He hocks, and snorts, and clears nonstop, all day long. And he belches constantly as well. The other colleague who is forced to sit near him wears headphones and blasts music all day long, just to get away from the constant bodily function noises.
I sit near a co-worker with the similar problem. It is absolutely disgusting and sometimes makes me gag. seriously. Sadly I cant concentrate with music playing so i have no escape. She also sneezes louder than i have EVER heard someone sneeze. She coughs with so much phlegm and so hard that SHE actually will make herself gag. And she smells horrible, especially her breath. It's worse after she eats, i've tried to kindly mention that she might have acid reflux but she hasnt done anything about it and is still just as disgusting as ever. But i've also NEVER, in 5 years working with her, seen her eat anything other than Jack in the Box or drink anything other than coke. Ew
I had a co-worker who belched loudly all day long. He said he had GERD. He also did hurricane sneezes, so loud it's a miracle my ear drums didn't have a breakdown. Worst of all, he passed gas all day long. Horrible! Even worse, I think some of our co-workers thought it was me!! I found a stick up under my desk one day. I was so mortified. I recently learned the co-worker of mine passed away from a stomach disease. I feel bad about that, but whenever I run into other former co-workers from that firm I can't help but wonder if they think I was the one stinkin up the place. How embarrassing!
I have experienced this problem for the last few years and was finally diagnosed with Asthma and treated. I still have the problem, but less so, and I think there are far worse annoying habits people have then some minor throat clearing that doesn't scare people or cause them to "jump out of their seat"
Our little boy was diagnosed with asthma last year - constant throat clearing was his primary symptom.
It's mold in your throat..which causes you to constantly try to get it clear.
A gluten or dairy intolerance will also result in continuous throat clearing. Pay attention to what you've eaten just before an especially bad spell or better yet, just avoid gluten and dairy for a couple of days to see what effect it has.
Another reason for constant throat-clearing: Tourette's syndrome. My son's vocal tic wasn't the words he said, it was a throat-clearing tic. It would get so bad when his meds were off that it actually made his throat sore.
Interesting.., but not factual. I knew a man that had a severe stutter and he would clear his throat, to remind him to slow down and breath as he starting talking again. Did it become habit.., yes, but it worked for him, concerning his severe stuttering. Over the course of three or four sentences or phrases, he would clear his throat and would speak beautifully and clearly. So, what I am saying is, there are many, many reason why people clear their throats. Just an observation and a interesting fact on stuttering. Stop, think, clear throat and breath properly, and with self-confidence speak clearly. Just an observation on many reasons for clearing throat and why. Mike in Montana
It sounds so disgusting. I hate it when people clear their throats like that, it's almost as bad as dry heaving :\...and men, no offense but you seem to be the worst at that.
I have asthma and was diagnosed with it as an adult. It seems to be my daily inhaler that does it to me. If you do not wash your mouth out that well, it will create a feeling in your throat. I have spoken with my doctor about it and he just tells me to make sure I am using enough water to thoroughly wash my mouth. I don't like the fact that I am constantly clearing my throat but if I don't then I sound very raspy. Sorry this bothers so many people but asthma is not a fun disease to have. Imagine what it feels like to not be able to get that breath in and feel like someone is sitting on your chest. I would rather clear my throat more often than deal with not being able to breath.
The main cause of people clearing there throats are allergies. Half the population suffers from allergies of one form or another. Nasal drip from allergies causes the drip and congestion. Allergies from food can last for days. It cause contant drip still the allergen is totally evacuated from the body.
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Dairy product allergies are one of the top reasons for congestion, hacking and clearing the throat. Hacking and spitting out slimy lungers or having to swallow these nasty things do not help you fit in the social scenes.
I have this condition and have had it for nearly 20 years now. I've been reading here how disgusting and annoying people think it is to be around a person who is constantly clearing his throat. Think about how annoying it is for the poor guy who is doing it. Do you think we like it? It was driving me absolutely nuts. I went to doctor after doctor and no one could give me a good explanation and nothing they had me try worked. I even went to a couple of ENT doctors. I finally gave up until it started driving my wife crazy and she pushed me to go see another ENT. This one immediately diagnosed me with reflux - something that was never even mentioned by any of the others. He put me on reflux meds and although I still have the condition, it is not nearly as bad. At least it's not so bad that it drives me or anyone else crazy any more. Believe me, this is not a fun thing to have and deal with for us any more than it is for you.
I figure most of the people saying it is annoying can understand how bad it is to the person actually doing it. Though I think most people can't deal with the people who knowingly do it and have no medical condition to back it up. I empathize with you though. I have my own medical enigma right now that I am trying to solve to no avail. Sucks having to deal with something every day with no solution or even understanding of what it is.
I guess you could have some fun with it and make a beat to the coughing. Like a beatbox lol. May make it a little less stressful.
Some people have chronic sinus conditions. Some may not even know they have it as it may not stuff up their nose or cause any other symptoms.
Lessons from my experience, in a nutshell: Decades of throat clearing, from post nasal drip, led to discovery of unsuspected allergies. Bent & 'pinched' sinus tubes led to surgery, which ended drip & throat clearing, and allergy relief came from regularly using a saline solution in a nasal rinse bottle. (Amazing unexpected breathing difference!)
IMPORTANT CAVEAT: 4 yrs later while finally being diagnosed with Celiac disease (shaken out of it's inherited dormant state BY the sinus surgery), I was found to have acid reflux (no symptoms), and worse- Barrett's Esophagus. This was probably caused by the years of the chronic drip & throat clearing, & worsened by the reflux. Bar. Esoph. is when the cellular lining of the esophagus changes, into a pre-cancerous stage. With daily medication, statistics show little expected change to those cells; very few end up with Esoph. cancer. I am so grateful for the endoscopy that found this other, hidden problem, before it became worse.
So please, know that decades of throat clearing due to sinus/allergy problems, may be contributing to unforeseen, & more serious trouble.
Lessons from my experience, in a nutshell: Decades of throat clearing, from post nasal drip, led to discovery of unsuspected allergies. Bent & 'pinched' sinus tubes led to surgery, which ended drip & throat clearing, and allergy relief came from regularly using a saline solution from a nasal rinse bottle. (Amazing unexpected breathing difference!)
IMPORTANT CAVEAT: 4 yrs later while finally being diagnosed with Celiac disease (shaken out of it's inherited dormant state BY the sinus surgery), I was found to have acid reflux (no symptoms), and worse- Barrett's Esophagus. This was probably caused by the years of the chronic drip & throat clearing, & worsened by the reflux. Bar. Esoph. is when the cellular lining of the esophagus changes, into a pre-cancerous stage. With daily medication, statistics show little expected change to those cells; very few end up with Esoph. cancer. I am so grateful for the endoscopy that found this other, hidden problem, before it became worse.
So please, know that decades of throat clearing due to sinus/allergy problems at the least, may be contributing to unforeseen, & more serious trouble.
Should be disqualified from teaching jobs. I had a professor with CTC. Irritating.
i had a uncle if he was clearing his throat,he was lying to me
My co-worker is a cougher. Only when she passes my office door though. When she approaches my doorway, she starts coughing. I think some of the coughing and throat clearing is an attention thing.
I had no idea people found this so irritating and can't really remember anyone I've known, worked with, been related to doing this. I'm sure there must have been some and I'm pretty much tuned in to every detail around me, but never bothered me nor does it stand out in my memory. Wonder why?
Jersey, sounds like either a personal vendetta, your cologne or, as you said, attention-seeking.