How to Stop Clearing Your Throat

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Co-authored by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: April 2, 2026 Fact Checked

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Taking Immediate Actions

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Making Lifestyle Changes

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Seeking Medical Treatment

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Expert Q&A

Throat clearing can be a minor, annoying habit, or it can be due to postnasal drip from allergies or a sign of a deeper medical issue. There are several easy techniques you can try when throat clearing becomes a distraction in your life, as well as lifestyle changes you can implement to reduce your throat clearing. Visit a doctor to see if there is a bigger issue that is causing the irritating sensations in your throat if you can’t stop the habit on your own.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Taking Immediate Actions

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1
Take a sip of water every time you feel the urge to clear your throat. This is the first step towards breaking the habit of chronic throat clearing. Take a small sip of water and swallow normally anytime you want to clear your throat and see if it stops the desire.^{[1]
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- Keep a water bottle with you throughout the day so that you always have water available.
- Sipping on warm fluids throughout the day can also help to relieve postnasal drip, which may be causing your urge to clear your throat.^{[2]
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2
Use a harder sip if the first sip of water doesn’t relieve your throat. Take a little sip of water, but don’t swallow it right away. Keep it in your mouth, press a hand gently against your chest, lower your chin to your chest, and forcefully swallow the water.^{[3]
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- Imagine you are trying to forcefully swallow a pill as you swallow the water to force it down.
- Once you master this technique, it usually works well to remove the urge to clear your throat.
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3
Force a “silent cough” if sipping water doesn’t work. Take a deep breath, place a hand on your chest, and exhale with force. Think of the sound you make when you say the letter “H” and force out your breath with the same sound.^{[4]
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- It’s important not to let yourself actually cough as you force out your breath for this technique to work.
- This technique might dry out your throat, so take a sip of water immediately after to moisten it.
4
Try laughing, humming, or talking as an alternative relief technique. Hum lightly, laugh gently, or start talking whenever you feel the urge to clear your throat, then gently swallow.^{[5]
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Research source} This will distract you and also use your vocal cords, which helps to vibrate away mucus and remove the desire to clear your throat.^{[6]
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- You can try following this up with a sip of water to keep your throat moist and further relieve the sensations that make you want to clear it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Lifestyle Changes

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1
Drink at least 11.5 cups (2.7 L) of water a day to keep your throat moist. Drink up to 11.5 cups (2.7 L) to 15.5 cups (3.7 L) of water a day to stay hydrated and thin the mucus in your throat.^{[7]
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Mayo Clinic
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Go to source} This will cut down on the tingling, sore, or irritating feeling you get that makes you want to clear your throat.^{[8]
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- You should also avoid beverages that dehydrate you, especially alcohol and soda pop, for example.
- Staying hydrated has other health benefits, such as boosting your energy levels, strengthening the immune system, flushing out toxins, and more.
- Warm fluids are even more effective for clearing mucus from the back of your throat.^{[9]
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2
Gargle with salt water to help loosen mucus and reduce throat irritation. If your throat clearing is due to irritation, then gargling warm salt water may be helpful. Mix ½ tsp (3 g) of salt into 1 cup (240 mL) of warm water until the salt is fully dissolved. Then, hold a sip of the solution in your mouth and gargle it in the back of your throat.^{[10]
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Mayo Clinic
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- Repeat as needed to help relieve irritation.
3
Use a saline drop or nasal spray to loosen mucus. You can purchase a saline nasal spray or drops over-the-counter. These may help relieve irritation at the back of your throat due to mucus or allergens. Administer the spray or drops according to the package instructions.^{[11]
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Cleveland Clinic
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- Make sure to cover the other nostril as you administer the saline spray or drops, and avoid blowing your nose immediately after so that the saline has a chance to work.^{[12]
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  American Academy of Family Physicians
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4
Let your vocal cords rest if your voice is hoarse from being sick. Hoarseness is due to inflammation and swelling after the flu, a cold, or laryngitis. Avoid talking when you don’t need to, and talk at low volumes. Rest your voice as much as possible until your throat is healed so you don’t make the problem worse, which can lead to chronic throat clearing.^{[13]
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- Avoid talking in situations where you have to talk loudly over background noise. Get close to people you are talking to so you don’t have to raise your voice, or use an amplification system (or take a few days off) if you have a job like teaching that requires a lot of talking.^{[14]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Seeking Medical Treatment

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1
Visit a doctor if you cannot stop clearing your throat after a few months. A doctor will be able to determine if there are any underlying conditions that are causing the chronic throat clearing. They will be able to prescribe treatment that will help you resolve the problem.^{[15]
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- Excessive chronic throat clearing can lead to vocal cord damage, so it is important to get checked by a medical professional when you can’t resolve the problem on your own to avoid further complications.
- Some possible medical causes of chronic throat clearing are asthma, chronic sinus infections, acid reflux, side effects from blood pressure medication, laryngeal sensory neuropathy, seasonal allergic rhinitis, and other allergies.^{[16]
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- In very rare cases, surgery may be required to correct anatomic abnormalities that cause chronic throat clearing.
2
Get an allergy test to see if you are allergic to any foods that irritate your throat. Based on your other symptoms, your primary care physician will likely be able to tell if your throat-clearing habit is related to underlying environmental allergies. You may also go to an allergy specialist and have them perform a comprehensive allergy test to see if you are allergic to anything you didn’t know about. Avoid any foods that show up positive as an allergy.^{[17]
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- Chronic throat clearing is mainly caused by allergies to dairy products; however, it can also be triggered by allergies to other foods like eggs, rice, soy, and wheat.^{[18]
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3
Don’t take ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blocker medications. These two types of medication, used to treat high blood pressure, can potentially cause an irritating feeling that makes you want to clear your throat as a side effect. Ask your doctor to prescribe you a different type of medication and wait 3 months to see if the chronic throat clearing subsides.^{[19]
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Harvard Medical School
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- Beta blockers or calcium blockers are some examples of alternative blood pressure medications.

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Question

Why does my throat drip at night and in the morning?

Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator based in Tennessee. With over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She also has experience as a Clinical Instructor at the University of Tennessee, teaching physical health assessment, medical-surgical and community nursing, and supervising and guiding nursing undergraduate students. Luba received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006. She also has a Doctorate of Naturopathy from the Russian Institute of Innovative Naturopathy.

Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner

Expert Answer

Depending on the length of your symptoms, you may have an upper respiratory infection or seasonal allergies.

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Question

What is the best treatment for Tonsils?

Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator based in Tennessee. With over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She also has experience as a Clinical Instructor at the University of Tennessee, teaching physical health assessment, medical-surgical and community nursing, and supervising and guiding nursing undergraduate students. Luba received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006. She also has a Doctorate of Naturopathy from the Russian Institute of Innovative Naturopathy.

Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner

Expert Answer

If you have tonsillitis caused by a bacterial infection of your tonsils, you will need an antibiotic. In addition, gargling with salt warm water every 2 hours, drinking warm liquids, sucking on zinc lozenges, taking vitamin C supplements, and resting may help you recover more quickly.

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