Even if it's dirty to talk about it, it's necessary because (almost) all of us are like this, with our
mucus sticking to our throats like glue
.
Reyes Márquez, doctor of the Otorhinolaryngology Service of the Sanitas La Moraleja University Hospital (Madrid), explains why this unpleasant phenomenon occurs and how we can combat it.
Why do they remain embedded there, precisely?
"The fault, generally, is a cold. Pharyngeal mucus is due to
catarrhal processes that inflame the throat mucosa
. If we add to this inflammation the
environmental dryness
caused by heating, the mucus
sticks to the back wall from the pharynx
in such a way that it is difficult to expel them.
And why for so long?
"Because
colds last on average between 10 and 15 days
. And, even once the symptoms have disappeared, the mucus can continue to bother a few more weeks,
until the throat mucosa
that has been damaged regenerates.
So what can we do to take them off?
"The most effective are
nasal washes
. You have to start by doing them with seawater or physiological saline, which help expel mucus and, in this way, prevent it from sticking in the throat."
"
Vapors
-continues- are also a good option to keep the upper airway hydrated and avoid dryness. In addition, it has been studied that rhinoviruses (the majority of viruses that cause colds) have viral replication at an optimal temperature-dependent between 33 and 35 ºC Bearing this in mind,
performing water vapor vapors at a temperature higher than 35 ºC could help reduce viral replication in the pharyngeal and nasal mucosa.
They can be made exclusively with steam or by adding some menthol essence."
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