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I cannot clear my throat; feels like mucus is there. Suggestions?
Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) | Last Active: Dec 4, 2023 | Replies (145)Comment receiving replies
I've been feeling excess mucus in the back of my throat for over a year now. My earliest recollection of it is Easter (April 4th I think) of 2021, and it just hasn't gone away. I've seen a bunch of doctors for it, got tested for food allergies and environmental allergies using both a scratch and an intradermal test in May/June of this year and everything came back negative. I also did reflux treatments and nothing changed. I had a CT scan done on July 1st which showed, according to my ENT, that my nasal passageways were draining properly and that there was no infection.
Also, I noticed the mucus feeling prior to my adenoids being swollen but it's just weird since all allergy testing came back negative and except for the throat and some sinus pressure every now and then I feel completely normal. I'm pretty sure I had a sinus infection in February 2021, two months prior to the throat thing, but I can't see how I would still be dealing with complications from it. I also feel no congestion in my nose whatsoever, and I've been taking fluticasone propionate and azelastine for the past month and a half and haven't noticed any changes yet.
Does anyone have any ideas? Could it be a dental issue? One of my wisdom teeth is impacted I think (pain comes and goes over weeks) so could that be a cause? Thank you!
Replies to "I've been feeling excess mucus in the back of my throat for over a year now...."
I have either chronic Lyme or long covid. For past 2 years I have constant runny nose and mucus every am for about 1/2 hour then pretty much mucus free rest of day. Diet does change this and the supplements I take change frequently. I have joined long covid study. If I learn anything about mucus I will post here.
You wrote, "One of my wisdom teeth is impacted I think (pain comes and goes over weeks) so could that be a cause?"
This could be a clue! Swollen adenoids can be a sign of a chronic infection. Have you seen your dentist? Is it possible that the impacted tooth may be infected?
As for allergy tests, not every substance to which you could be allergic are necessarily included in the tests. There may be something in your house or car causing the irritation - think carpets, which harbor traces of everything that ever contacted them, pets - either current or past, scents in household and/or cosmetic products.
Finally, if you or any of your friends vape or smoke, tobacco or otherwise, that could be the clue as well.
Does any of this offer a clue?
Sue
One final
I am curious, if you are employed what line of work are you performing? Occupational exposure/sensitivity (from out working say on a farm or whatnot) are not unheard of. Until you can touch bases with your dentist you might consider adding a little lemon juice to your water (if your stomach can tolerate it) to help cut down on bacteria growth. A sibling's dentist recommended that after a dental procedure, so I don't see the harm in doing that prophylactically.
Hi @mileyan25, I hope you’ve seen the helpful posts you’ve received from fellow members. I agree with @sueinmn that a dental appointment and a follow up with your ENT are good places to start.
I have moved your message to the ENT support group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/ear-nose-throat-conditions/ so that you can connect with others who have had similar experiences or who may be able to provide insights. Might any of these related discussions seem related to your issue?
- Continued Post-Nasal Drip and Constant Mucus in Throat: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/continued-post-nasal-drip-and-constant-mucus-in-throat/
- Mucus in throat but lungs and sinuses clear https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mucus-in-throat-but-lungs-and-sinuses-clear/
- Large amounts of mucus in throat https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/large-amounts-of-mucus-in-throat/
I believe I have nonallergic rhinitis, after the allergy and hearing tests came out negative. Interestingly, they still don't understand it much as far as I can tell. The mucus sticks to the back of the throat but I have no other issues such as swollen glands. I am scheduled for a ClariFix treatment soon, will let you know how it goes.
ClariFix is a therapy where they freeze/shock the mucus bringing vein at the inner back of the nose using liquid nitrogen. It's about 15 to 20 mins procedure done under local anesthesia. VivAer is similar but using Radio Frequency. That's also a newer technology. In VivAer, they trace the veins on the turbinates themselves - in my understanding. It also takes about 15 mins each side without a brain freeze pain which can happen with ClariFix. If I hadn't had inferior turbinate reduction already, I may have preferred the latter. Both target the same problem. Best wishes
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Are you taking any medication that has a side effect of trouble swallowing?