How to Get Rid of a Tickle in Your Throat: Effective Natural Treatments
Having a tickle in your throat can be a source of irritation, especially if you can’t find a way to get rid of it. You may also suffer from a tickle in the back of your throat accompanied with cough at night, and this can be extremely annoying and prevent you from getting a good sleep. Usually, a tickly throat is accompanied by a cough which is the body’s reaction to relieve the tickle. You may also experience the sensation that you have an itchy throat. There are many natural home remedies that you can use to reduce the tickling sensation, dryness, and irritation in your throat.
Common Causes of a Tickly Throat
The throat irritation that leads to a tickly throat and cough could be caused by a number of reasons. The tickle in your throat could be caused by irritation from dry air, having a cold, the result of an infection, acid reflux as well as other conditions. Dr. E. Gregory Thompson on WebMD says that a tickle in your throat could be caused by a postnasal drip as the result of allergies.1 It can also be the side effect of some medications.
How can you get rid of that annoying tickle in your throat? Here are some home remedies that will help to soothe and treat dry and scratchy throat.
How to Get Rid of a Tickle in Your Throat
Usually, it is enough just to treat the symptoms of a tickly throat. However, if your throat irritation is caused by allergies or acid reflux, you will need to address those underlying conditions to get rid of the tickle in your throat.
Honey
Raw honey is a great all-around remedy for any condition to do with the throat, but honey is especially effective in relieving a throat tickle. Honey is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and can help you to get rid of an itchy throat that is caused by an infection.2
Honey also helps to relieve the irritation of an itchy throat. The Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine published a research into the effects of honey on a cough.3 It found that honey was a better treatment for a cough than dextromethorphan and diphenhydramine. Dextromethorphan is a drug used in many cough syrups to suppress coughing and diphenhydramine is an antihistamine which is also used for coughs.
To use honey to treat a tickly throat and cough, Dr. James M. Steckelberg from the Mayo Clinic recommends taking 2 teaspoons of honey at bedtime.4 He also reminds parents that honey should never be given to infants under 1 year old.
Herbal Tea
Another way to help soothe a dry and scratchy throat is by having a cup of warm herbal tea. Dr. Mark Yoder, assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, says that there is some clinical evidence that drinking warm tea with honey can soothe the throat.5
Remember to always use raw honey and don’t add it to boiling water because it will lose its medicinal properties.
There are some herbal teas which are especially good to help reduce the tickling sensation, dryness, and irritation in your throat. For example you can make this special red clover tea to relieve a throat tickle.
Ginger tea for treating a tickly throat
Ginger can help to relieve a throat tickle and cough. The American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology published a study into how ginger can help people with asthma. The study showed that ginger helps to relax the airway passages and can help treat coughing.6
You can make ginger tea to relieve a throat tickle by chopping or grating 1-2 inch of ginger root and let it infuse in a cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. You can also add honey to the tea to make it even more soothing.
Lemon tea for relieving a tickle in your throat
Warm lemon tea can also help to soothe your itchy and tickly throat. You should squeeze the juice of a large lemon into a cup of warm water. Add a teaspoon of honey and sip slowly. You can also combine ginger and lemon to make this cleansing ginger lemon tea.
Gargle with Sea Salt Water
You may be able to get rid of throat irritation that is causing a tickle in your throat by gargling with sea salt water.
Infectious disease specialist, Dr. Sorana Segal-Maurer says that salt helps to wash out any viruses in the throat and provides symptomatic relief. So, gargling with salt water will soothe a dry and scratchy throat.7
To do this, the Mayo Clinic suggests mixing 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt in an 8 oz. cup of warm water and then gargling.8
Gargling with sea salt and water is also one of the best home remedies for chest congestion and it is also an effective remedy for clearing throat mucus.
Use Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
Apple cider vinegar can help you get rid of a tickle in your throat. Apple cider vinegar has many antiviral and antibacterial properties that can help to kill off infections. You can also use it with honey to improve the taste and provide even more relief to your scratchy throat. The combination of honey and apple cider vinegar has many other health benefits.
To use apple cider vinegar and honey together you should mix 1 tablespoon of raw unprocessed apple cider vinegar, the juice of half a lemon and 1 teaspoon of raw honey in an 8 oz. glass of warm water. Drink this 3 times a day to relieve a throat tickle and cough.
Apple cider vinegar can also be used as an effective gargle. You can add 2 tablespoons of ACV to ½ cup warm water and mix well. Gargling it can quickly soothe your dry and scratchy throat.
Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe vera juice contains many vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and anti-inflammatory compounds. While no research has been carried out into using aloe vera to treat a tickly throat, you can use its healing properties for your throat.
You can add some aloe vera juice to warm water and either drink this or gargle with it to reduce throat irritation.
Throat Tickle Caused by Acid Reflux
Many people refer to acid reflux as heartburn and it happens when some stomach acid leaks back into the esophagus.
Dr. Tim Kenny on Patient.info says that one symptom of acid reflux is a persistent cough and wheeze.9 While the natural remedies for a tickly throat can help to manage the symptoms, if acid reflux is to blame, then you should treat that.
However, some of the remedies for treating a tickly throat and cough can also help you to treat acid reflux and sour stomach.
In one study, aloe vera syrup successfully treated and reduced the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux (a more serious form of acid reflux).10 For example, drinking 1/4 cup of aloe vera juice about 20 minutes before a meal can help reduce the burning sensation and also help relieve itching in your throat.
Apple cider vinegar can also help relieve a tickle in your throat and at the same time provide heartburn relief. To use apple cider vinegar for acid reflux, you should mix 1 or 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar with a glass of water and drink it before meals or whenever heartburn strikes.
You can also use baking soda for acid reflux as I’ve mentioned in this article or these natural remedies.
Tickly Throat Caused by Allergies
Allergies can be caused by pollen, pets, dust mites as well as other substances. If you suspect that your dry and scratchy throat is because of an allergy, it is important to identify the source and remove it if possible.
Dr. Gregory Thompson on WebMD says that you should regularly wash bed linens in hot water to kill dust mites.11 This can help to reduce an allergic reaction to dust mites. You can also cover your mattress and pillow with a special dust mite cover (dust mite barrier) to fully-enclose your mattress and pillow.
If you have pets, then you can try to restrict them to certain areas of the home. Also, keep bathrooms free of mold.
If the tickle in your throat is caused by a postnasal drip, you can try sinus rinsing. You can find out how to do that in my article about the best home remedies for sinus infection.
You can also try an herbal tea to relieve dryness and itching in the throat that is caused by asthma. For example, the Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy published a study on the effects of herbal teas on allergic asthma. They made a tea containing chamomile, saffron, anise, fennel, caraway, licorice, cardamom and black seed. The studies showed that in patients with allergic asthma there were significant positive results in cough frequency and cough intensity.12
If you are interested in nature’s natural antihistamines then please read my article about the best natural antihistamines.
Other ways to Get Rid of a Tickle in the Throat
There are other practical ways that can help you to treat a tickle in your throat. Because one of the causes is irritation from dry air, it is important to make sure there is enough moisture in the air at home.
A humidifier can help. Although, Dr. Robert Naclerio from the University of Chicago warns that if humidifiers aren’t cleaned out regularly, they can start pumping fungus and mold into the air.12
Sometimes a hot steamy shower can help to get plenty of moisture to your throat and it can also help to reduce coughs that are caused by allergies.
Usually, having a tickle in your throat isn’t anything to worry about. However, you should see your doctor if your symptoms persist and especially if they are accompanied by a fever, rash, or swollen glands.
Read these related articles:
1. This Fruit is 500% More Effective Than Cough Syrup
2. Effective Homemade Syrup to Relieve Sore Throat and Cough
3. Best Essential Oils for Cold and Sore Throat
Resources:
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2. Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity.
3. The effect of honey, dextromethorphan and diphenhydramine on nightly cough.
4. Honey: an effective cough remedy?
5. How to lose a bad cough.
6. Effects of ginger and it constituents on airway smooth muscle relaxation.
7. Does gargling with salt water ease a sore throat.
8. Cold remedies: what works, what doesn’t, what can’t hurt.
9. Acid reflux and oesophagitis.
10. Efficacy and safety of aloe vera syrup for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
11. Allergic rhinitis home treatment.
12. Effect of a herbal water-extract on allergic asthma.
13. How to lose a bad cough.
2. Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity.
3. The effect of honey, dextromethorphan and diphenhydramine on nightly cough.
4. Honey: an effective cough remedy?
5. How to lose a bad cough.
6. Effects of ginger and it constituents on airway smooth muscle relaxation.
7. Does gargling with salt water ease a sore throat.
8. Cold remedies: what works, what doesn’t, what can’t hurt.
9. Acid reflux and oesophagitis.
10. Efficacy and safety of aloe vera syrup for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
11. Allergic rhinitis home treatment.
12. Effect of a herbal water-extract on allergic asthma.
13. How to lose a bad cough.