Exploring the Physiology of Sore Throats Triggered by Crying

Have you ever experienced a painfully sore throat after an intense crying session? This common phenomenon leaves many wondering – can your throat hurt from crying? As it turns out, there are a few physiological mechanisms behind this sensation.

In this article, we’ll explore why sore throat crying occurs, the role hormones and dehydration play, which areas of the throat are most affected, and tips to ease the discomfort. Read on to learn more about this complex vocal system response.

Why Does Your Throat Hurt After Crying?

To understand why crying commonly leads to throat pain, you first have to comprehend what happens in your throat and vocal system during an emotional crying spell.

When we cry intensely, breathing becomes erratic andupper airway structures like the back of the throat, soft palate, tonsils, and adenoids vibrate forcefully with each sob. This strains the mucous membranes lining these areas. Irritation quickly sets in, leading to the annoying sore throat many experience post-cry.

Crying also requires forcefully expelling large volumes of air from the lungs to create those sobbing sounds. This turbulent airflow batters throat tissues as it passes through. The vocal cords also slam together repeatedly while crying, adding to inflammation.

Oftentimes it’s the cumulative damage done by all these mechanisms that leads to waking up with a crying-induced sore throat the next morning.

Hormones and Dehydration – Compounding Factors

You also have to consider dehydration and hormonal influences that can compound crying-related throat discomfort. The physiological reflex of crying is profound, involving the stimulation of tear glands around the eyes paired with mucous secretion lower down in the throat.

As the body loses fluids through tears and mucous, you become progressively dehydrated. This leads to dry, irritated nasal and throat membranes. Again, this compounds crying-induced throat soreness already brewing lower down from all that turbulent airflow and vibration damage.

Additionally, emotions and stress trigger the release of hormones that influence inflammation pathways. So all the throat irritation produced while sobbing now simmers in hormonally-altered tissues slightly more prone to swelling and pain. By the next day tissues have become swollen, angry, and very sore to swallow.

Which Throat Areas Hurt the Most After Crying?

If you wake up with a killer sore throat the day after prolonged crying or weeping, which specific throat areas tend to hurt the most? The structures most directly hammered by turbulent airflow and repetitive tissue vibration during sobbing fits end up most painfully inflamed.

The soft palate positioned high and rear back along the roof of the mouth is a common weeping-induced sore throat culprit. As are the tonsils, adenoids, and generalized mucous membranes blanketing the pharynx (aka as the throat cavity you visualize when saying “ahhh”). The vibrating vocal cords also often feel battered and swollen the next morning, causing voice hoarseness.

Throughout all these posterior mouth and throat structures lining the pathway air rapidly travels while sobbing, symptoms like swelling, rawness, scratchiness, and outright painful sting abound. Swallowing saliva, fluids or foods the next day can really irritate these already angry, inflamed tissues.

Tips for Throat Relief After an Emotional Crying Session

Want to ease the throat discomfort that often follows prolonged crying spells? Consider the following practical relief tips:

• Stay hydrated – Drink plenty of water and herbal teas following intense crying to rehydrate irritated oral cavity and throat tissues. The additional fluids also help thin out thick mucus secretions contributing to that too-much-phlegm feeling.
• Gargle with saltwater – Gently gargling with warm saltwater can remove oral irritants and soothe inflamed throat structures after emotional crying bouts.
• Suck on throat lozenges – Sucking on medicated lozenges delivers numbing and soothing relief right to painful oral and throat surfaces.
• Avoid yelling or throat clearing – Give your vocal system added rest by avoiding strenuous voice use for awhile, especially yelling which further strains already sore throat equipment.
• Use a humidifier– Running a clean, cool mist humidifier at home and work adds needed moisture back into dried-out nasal and throat membranes ravaged by crying dehydration.
• Consider over-the-counter pain remedies – For more severe crying-induced sore throats, OTC pain relievers help take the edge off so you can swallow and function again.

When Sore Throats After Crying Warrant Seeing Your Doctor

Most crying-related sore throats resolve on their own with a little TLC and rest. However if you experience severe, persistent pain lasting over two weeks or have trouble breathing properly, see your doctor right away. These red flag symptoms indicate complications may be brewing requiring medical attention.

Report sobbing injuries that won’t resolve or keep plaguing you after repeated crying jags as well. If it hurts every time you bawl, something else could be going on warranting an exam by your primary care physician or an ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist to check for vocal damage.

The Takeaway on Sore Throats and Crying

Hopefully you now better understand why you wake up with throat pain after crying sessions. The vigorous action of sobbing strains throat structures and membranes. Paired with dehydration and inflammation, significant irritation and soreness result. Using supportive remedies and avoiding voice overuse while inflamed can help mitigate the discomfort.

Most crying-triggered sore throats pass quickly and aren’t serious. But repeated bouts or persisting pain should prompt seeing your doctor to rule out complications. With proper care, your throat tissues should revitalize and be ready for those next cathartic cries or belly laughs. For more information, visit https://medicalcave.com/.