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Chronic Throat Clearing - a no-no!!
I felt like a movie star years ago, walking into the Sean Parker Voice Institute in New York City. The halls were lined with signed photographs from famous actors and singers. Not being able to carry a tune made me feel out of place, but, hey, I was there to find out why I was often hoarse.
While I was sitting on the exam table, talking to the doctor, I cleared my throat. "Don't do that!" she said. "Clearing your throat is harsh on your vocal cords and can cause inflammation. Instead, take a sip of water. And, if you don't have water available, try to suppress the urge."
I've done pretty well over time and I must say I clear my throat very infrequently now. Recently, reading an Instagram post by Dr. Inna Husain, an ENT, I see she also says throat clearing is a no-no. In addition to taking a sip of water, she suggests if we don't have water available to do a hard swallow.
She explains that clearing our throat can traumatize our vocal cords and create a hypersensitivity and mucus.
Dr. Husain suggests using .9 % saline to moisten our vocal cords. And, of course, many of us are already nebulizing for our bronchiectasis and I imagine nebbing salty saline could actually irritate our cords!!!
Perhaps we could ask our medical team if it makes sense when we find ourselves clearing our throat a lot, to moisten our cords by nebulizing with .9 isotonic solution.
Also, I suggest becoming more aware of when we clear our throat and to try to suppress the urge. Come up with a few ways of dealing with it, such as sucking a non-mentholated candy, taking a few puffs on our Aerobika or drinking water.
Happy Monday,
Linda Esposito
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I too have a small hiatal hernia and a similar foamy sputum and occasionally a more solid streaky cloudy sputum I bring up all day long, especially after drinking fluids, thankfully. I have many lung issues all associated with my MAC. Also have another mycobacter ia , both off and on past 3 years. Both sputum tests came back negative last time. Thankfully I can expell the sputum. 6 months of antibiotic therapy was successful for me. I wish you success with MAC. Hoping my Gerd improves too. Any suggestions very welcome.
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1 ReactionYou probably do all, know all this and have listened to information about Hiatal Hernia. However, this is what I have been doing: Sleeping with a wedge pillow and following the Acid Reflux Diet and guidlines of when, how, what etc. to eat or do with a Hiatal Hernia. The Hiatal Hernia from what I read requires the Acid Reflux guidelines. I just listened to the Mayo Clinic, Rochester doctor video after googling 'What to do for a hiatal hernia." With all I have been doing related to either Acid Reflux or the Hiatal Hernia the one thing that has changed, no burining tongue throughout the night, of which prior to all I am doing, however the burning tongue symypton would go away during the day.
I am waiting on the results of a sputum culture test and do believe it will soon be decided that I must think about going on antibiotic treatment. I shall see. If I go on the antibiotic(s) it will be my first go round after being diagonsed in August of 2022 with BE. Hiatal Hernia diagnosed Oct. 2023.
Overall I feel fine, not tired etc. Just this constant need to want to clear the throat of the foamy, white, bubbly sputum which the ID doctor (another doctor ready to retire) indicated and said it is water mixed with the mucus, yet 4 pulmonologists said "I don't know what that is." Go figure. What or were you told what the foamy, white, bubbly is caused by and/or is?
This is helpful info. I’ve had episodic hoarseness for about a year and clear my throat frequently due to post nasal drip.
Steroid inhalers and nasal sprays can also cause hoarseness. I talked to my pulmonologist about trying to reduce some of mine once pollen season is over. I’m also trying to fine tune my inhaler technique.
Re: March 27 post "Chronic Throat Clearing...a no, no."
For me it is , still, continuous/constant for me to have to remove 'sputum' from my throat and especially after eating and having water/liquids. It is often so thick I can't swallow it. I do try to swallow it when I can but also wonder if I have mucus plugs in the sputum and I am swallowing all. including possible mucus plugs, that obviously go through the stomach...I wonder if it makes things worse for growing bacteria or does swallowing it all present a problem with the hiatal hernia. I wonder if the professionals know.
Do you still have sputum such that you have to clear your throat?
You cleared the MAC by being on the antibiotics 6 months. Have you stayed clear of a MAC infection or does it come and go. If it comes and goes are another round of antibiotics suggested?
Hoping you have experienced improvement with the GERD issue.
Barbara
Hi Barb,
I was not on antibiotics and I do not have thick mucus. We are all different.
Wishing you the best,
Linda