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What Causes Sore Throat At Night?
Question: I have a mild sore throat, mostly at night in bed that had lasted for some months, off and on. I also have a sore neck and some ear sensitivity, but not an ear ache.
Do you have an idea of what this may be and what type of doctor should I see?
My email address is YYYY@YYYY
Do you have an idea of what this may be and what type of doctor should I see?
My email address is YYYY@YYYY
Brief Answer:
Few possible causes explained and some advises
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for asking at healthcaremagic.
I carefully read your question and understand your concern.
Sore throat at night might be related to dry muscosa which might happen due to sleeping with open mouth or also snoring. In this case you will need to have investigations done why do you snore- is it due to nose feeling blocked, obesity or other causes- somnography is a test that helps determine these problems.
Another cause of throat problems at night might be if you have some acid reflux. This might cause a wide spectrum of symptoms and some people get symptoms like sore throat or cough and do not much feel the acid taste or burning in the throat of chest. I would recommend you to try Omeprazole daily for 2 weeks and see if any improvement with this or not.
I noticed that you have been using Flonase- have you been using it continuously without interruption for at least 3 months recently? It is recommended to stop it time after time as it might cause mucosa atrophy and symptoms related to that. So if you have been using it daily for the last 3 months you might need to talk with your doctor to see the need to stop it.
Make sure you drink well during the day- not too much before bed as it might make reflux worse.
So to conclude i would say:
1. try some omeprazole for 2 weeks to see if the acid reflux is the cause
2. drink well but not too much the last 2-3 hours before bed time
3. somnography might be of help if you snore to determine sleep problems that might cause symptoms like this.
4. if no improvements and no findings with these examinations than having an endoscopy of the nose and throat to visualize the structures (even those that are not able to be seen with the free eye) would be advisable.
5. If you take any tablets make sure you take them with plenty of water so they do not get stuck in the throat and hurt it
6. if you smoke or use more than 3 drinks of alcohol this is a good time to consider quitting smoking and watch the amount of daily alcohol as these can really affect the throat cells.
I hope this is helpful and answers to your question but please feel free to write back if anymore clarification is needed on this.
Kind regards
Antoneta Zotaj, MD
Few possible causes explained and some advises
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for asking at healthcaremagic.
I carefully read your question and understand your concern.
Sore throat at night might be related to dry muscosa which might happen due to sleeping with open mouth or also snoring. In this case you will need to have investigations done why do you snore- is it due to nose feeling blocked, obesity or other causes- somnography is a test that helps determine these problems.
Another cause of throat problems at night might be if you have some acid reflux. This might cause a wide spectrum of symptoms and some people get symptoms like sore throat or cough and do not much feel the acid taste or burning in the throat of chest. I would recommend you to try Omeprazole daily for 2 weeks and see if any improvement with this or not.
I noticed that you have been using Flonase- have you been using it continuously without interruption for at least 3 months recently? It is recommended to stop it time after time as it might cause mucosa atrophy and symptoms related to that. So if you have been using it daily for the last 3 months you might need to talk with your doctor to see the need to stop it.
Make sure you drink well during the day- not too much before bed as it might make reflux worse.
So to conclude i would say:
1. try some omeprazole for 2 weeks to see if the acid reflux is the cause
2. drink well but not too much the last 2-3 hours before bed time
3. somnography might be of help if you snore to determine sleep problems that might cause symptoms like this.
4. if no improvements and no findings with these examinations than having an endoscopy of the nose and throat to visualize the structures (even those that are not able to be seen with the free eye) would be advisable.
5. If you take any tablets make sure you take them with plenty of water so they do not get stuck in the throat and hurt it
6. if you smoke or use more than 3 drinks of alcohol this is a good time to consider quitting smoking and watch the amount of daily alcohol as these can really affect the throat cells.
I hope this is helpful and answers to your question but please feel free to write back if anymore clarification is needed on this.
Kind regards
Antoneta Zotaj, MD
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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