Hoarseness | Symptoms of hay fever

Hoarseness

The cause of hoarseness is in most cases a problem with the vocal chords. In connection with hay fever, an inflammatory reaction is triggered in the area of the upper respiratory tract. The pollen triggers an exuberant reaction of the immune system.

Among other things, this can lead to swelling of the vocal cords, which causes hoarseness. A dry and irritated throat, which is also caused by the pollen, further intensifies the symptoms on the vocal chords. This is because it can trigger another inflammatory reaction.

The pollen also often leads to a foreign body sensation in the throat and upper respiratory tract. Therefore, affected persons may feel that they have to clear their throat frequently. This can additionally irritate the already affected vocal cords, thus increasing the hoarseness and prolonging the duration of the symptoms.

Sore throat

In hay fever, the body reacts excessively to pollen that enters the respiratory tract from outside. This leads to symptoms such as itching and a scratchy throat in the upper respiratory tract. The itching and scratching irritates the pharyngeal mucosa in addition to the already irritating pollen, which can become temporarily stuck there.

This leads to an inflammatory reaction in the throat, which can cause pain and swelling. In addition, it often leads to a coughing irritation. The cough in turn additionally irritates the mucous membrane of the throat, which in turn can increase the sore throat.

The mouth and throat are typically particularly dry in hay fever. The protective functions of the saliva are thus reduced or even completely eliminated, which increases symptoms such as sore throat, coughing and hoarseness. A reduction in the protective barrier also makes it easier for bacteria to penetrate the pharyngeal mucosa.

This can lead to additional bacterial infections, which also cause inflammation and the associated sore throat. The pollen that enters the throat when inhaled triggers an excessive function of the body. Histamine is released, a substance that is supposed to combat the pollen that has entered the body.At the same time, the histamine makes the nerve endings in the neck more sensitive. Therefore, slight pain stimuli in the neck are perceived much more strongly.