Why Your Throat Can Get Itchy—And How to Relieve It
Medically reviewed by Benjamin F. Asher, MD
An itchy throat is something you might experience from time to time. After all, there are many potential causes of the symptom, including infection, dry air, and allergies.
While it can be pretty uncomfortable, an itchy throat is typically not a cause for concern. And thankfully, an itchy throat can usually be treated fairly easily with at-home remedies.
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What Causes an Itchy Throat?
There are several reasons why your throat may be itchy. Depending on the cause, the scratchiness can go away by itself in a few days or might need extra care.
Allergies
An itchy throat is commonly a sign of an allergic reaction, which means you’ve come into contact with a substance that triggers your body’s immune system. Outdoor irritants, foods, and medications can all trigger an allergic reaction and bring on an itchy throat.
If you aren’t aware of having any allergies, it can be difficult to tell whether it’s an allergy or an illness that is causing the itchy throat. There are a couple ways to differentiate between the two. One, allergies often last longer than an illness. Two, an allergen-caused itchy throat usually doesn’t come with a fever.
If your itchy throat is due to allergies, you might also notice other symptoms including a stuffy or runny nose, itchy eyes, wheezing, headache, and sneezing. A healthcare provider can help determine if you have an allergy and, if so, what it is.
Two types of allergic reactions include:
Hay Fever
If you’re one of the 40-60 million adults in the U.S. with hay fever, this specific type of allergic reaction may be to blame for your itchy throat.
Medically known as allergic rhinitis, hay fever is set off when you come into contact with outdoor irritants like pollen, dander, and grass that trigger your immune system. For some people, hay fever crops up seasonally. For others, the uncomfortable symptoms can happen year-round.
In addition to the itchy throat, hay fever often causes a runny nose, congestion, and watery eyes. While these symptoms are sometimes mistaken for the common cold, if your scratchy throat is lasting for a month or more, it’s likely a red flag for hay fever.
Oral Allergy Syndrome
Oral allergy syndrome is a type of food allergy. When someone with oral allergy syndrome eats a raw fruit or vegetable, they can develop an itchy throat. The itchy throat usually appears immediately upon contact, but it can take up to a half hour to develop.
You might have the syndrome if you are allergic to pollen. That's because certain fruit and vegetable proteins are similar to proteins in pollen. The similarity can confuse the immune system, causing an allergic reaction. If you’re already experiencing seasonal allergies from pollen, eating raw fruits and vegetables can make your already-existing allergies worse. In fact, oral allergy syndrome is also known as pollen fruit syndrome.
Besides an itchy throat, other symptoms of oral allergy syndrome include swelling of the throat as well as itchiness or swelling of the mouth, face, lip, and tongue.
Viral and Bacterial Infections
When you have an infection, the mucous membranes (protective linings) within your throat can become inflamed. This inflammation can cause you to have a sore, itchy throat.
Either a viral or bacterial infection can cause an itchy throat, though the cause is more likely a viral infection. That means viruses that cause viral infections like a cold, flu, or COVID-19 are behind your throat changes. Sore throat cases that are more severe, such as strep throat, tend to be caused by bacteria.
Additional symptoms will vary based on the specific illness. But in general, if an infection is the cause, you can expect your itchy throat to soon progress to other more intense symptoms, like fever, fatigue, cough, sore throat, and congestion.
With these illnesses, symptoms usually last anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks.
Dry Air
The temperature and humidity levels in your environment can affect your body’s mucous membranes. This means the lining of your throat has the potential to feel itchy or scratchy, particularly during the winter and summer months when the heating and air conditioning are more likely to be going constantly.
Digestive Issues
There’s a chance your itchy throat might be prompted by common digestive conditions, like acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). With these conditions, stomach acid can creep up the esophagus.
The contents being brought back up your digestive tract can impact your throat. You’ll likely notice other symptoms like heartburn, the taste of food or stomach acid as your food comes back up, nausea, or chest pain.
Certain Medications
An itchy throat may be a side effect of a medication you're taking. There has been documentation that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which are used to treat heart disease, can cause an itchy throat.
ACE inhibitors are taken orally but can produce a tickling sensation in the throat because the drug can cause irritation of the upper airways. This irritation is believed to happen because the inhibitors can cause a build-up of inflammatory substances.
An itchy throat might also be an allergic reaction to a medication. For instance, if you are receiving chemotherapy and develop itching of the throat, that may signal you are experiencing an allergic reaction. Other signs of an allergic reaction from chemotherapy include swelling of the mouth or throat and trouble swallowing.
Remedies for an Itchy Throat
Once you figure out the cause of your itchy throat, you can better determine how to get rid of it.
Usually, an itchy throat can be successfully managed with home remedies and over-the-counter (OTC) treatment, especially if your discomfort is mild or you know you have allergies. But keep in mind the best course of action can vary a bit based on the specific cause of throat scratchiness.
Home Remedies
There are several steps you can do on your own at home to try to find relief from your itchy throat. At-home remedies for an itchy throat include:
Gargling with salt water
Sucking on lozenges and cough drops
Sipping on hot tea with lemon and honey
Eating a spoonful of honey to coat the back of your throat
Snacking on cool treats, like a popsicle or ice cream
Putting on a humidifier to avoid a dry environment
Spending some time in shower steam
Medications
There are some OTC medications that can help relieve your itchy throat, depending on the cause. These treatment options include:
Nasal sprays that target inflammation
Cold and flu medications
Allergy medications
How to Prevent an Itchy Throat
An itchy throat isn’t always possible to prevent.
But if you know, for example, that you tend to experience seasonal allergies or are entering into cold and flu season, you can follow these steps to try to prevent a scratchy throat in the future:
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can dry out the sinuses.
Avoid smoke exposure to limit potential irritation.
Wash your hands frequently.
Keep windows closed when outdoor allergens are high.
Avoid contact with any known allergy triggers.
When to Visit a Healthcare Provider
Fortunately, an itchy throat is usually not a cause for alarm, so a healthcare provider visit isn’t always merited. But here’s where you’ll need to use your best judgment.
If your itchy throat and any accompanying symptoms seem to be getting worse or are not responding to any at-home care treatments, it’s likely time to call a healthcare provider. They may want to have you tested for throat-related illnesses like strep throat or another medical condition.
Seek medical attention immediately if your itchy throat is happening with any of the following symptoms, as these could be the signs of a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis:
Trouble breathing or swallowing
Fever
Dizziness
Nausea
A Quick Review
Most itchy throats are due to a condition like allergies or the common cold. But there are several other reasons you might be experiencing an itchy throat, like dry air, certain medications, and acid reflux.
Typically, home remedies like sipping on hot tea, sucking on a hard candy, or using a humidifier can help relieve the itchiness. Over-the-counter allergy or cold medications might be able to help, too. But if your symptoms don’t start to resolve within a few days with at-home treatment or they get worse, it'd be a good idea to check in with a healthcare provider. They can help determine what's causing the symptom and help you find the proper treatment.
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