Introduction
When coughing, many people suffer from unpleasant pain in the larynx (lat. : larynx). This cartilaginous organ connects the throat with the windpipe and is largely responsible for the production of sounds such as speaking, singing or screaming.
The larynx also uses the epiglottis to prevent food or fluid from entering the airways. If affected persons have to cough, the larynx suddenly opens and the air escapes explosively. In the case of infections of the upper respiratory tract, for example, an agonizing cough can persist for a long time and cause larynx pain. Conversely, larynx pain and the associated foreign body sensation can also lead to coughing.
Irritation of the throat
Coughing is an important protective reflex of our body, but it is also a symptom of many diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract. Before coughing occurs, we feel a subjectively felt coughing stimulus. It can be triggered by foreign bodies, bacteria, viruses or cold air.
Sensitive nerves in the area of the larynx, rear throat or windpipe are thus irritated and activated. In simple terms, this results in a signal transmission to the “coughing center” of our brain. From this switching center, signals now travel downwards via motor nerves. There they excite the diaphragm, respiratory muscles and finally also the larynx with its vocal fold apparatus.
Causes
Throat pain when coughing can have many different causes. In addition to a general infection of the respiratory tract, such as a flu-like infection, specific diseases of the larynx can also be responsible for the complaints:Often, laryngitis occurs in the context of an infection of the upper respiratory tract, such as a cold, sinusitis or bronchitis. More rarely, the disease can be observed after very strong vocal stress under unfavorable conditions (cold and dry air, smoke, etc.).
Hoarseness and irritation of the throat occur first. Dry, frequent coughing ultimately causes larynx pain and may even lead to temporary loss of voice. If the clinical picture is pronounced, those affected also suffer from fever and fatigue.
Both bacteria (above all streptococci) and viruses can be the cause of the disease. and laryngitis – how contagious is it? In contrast to acute laryngitis, chronic laryngitis develops insidiously and over a longer period of time.
Particularly affected are smokers and people with permanently high vocal stress, such as professional singers. Men in middle to old age are particularly affected by the disease. In the foreground, there is a constant irritation of the throat, hoarseness and an accompanying “compulsion to clear throat”.
Due to the foreign body sensation described above, those affected cough very frequently under certain circumstances. This unproductive cough leads in the long run to considerable throat pain. Especially children, but also adults, can accidentally “swallow” food components or small objects.
Inhaled objects get stuck in the larynx and can cause coughing and pain there. After an initial severe cough, breathing problems or shortness of breath, the symptoms may subside temporarily, even though the foreign body is still in the larynx. Those affected also suffer from stabbing throat or larynx pain, especially when swallowing.
If the foreign body is located in the area of the laryngeal flap, hoarseness may also be observed. Laryngeal pain when coughing can in rare cases also be an indication of a more serious illness. Laryngeal tumors, for example, can trigger the symptoms described above. However, hoarseness can often be observed as an accompanying symptom. Unintentional weight loss, night sweats or fever can also be symptoms of a tumor disease.
