How to Reduce a Sore Throat From Smoking Cannabis

Throat irritation from smoking is real, and if you’ve ever spent the day chilling and smoking cannabis, you have likely had a sore throat from smoking at least once. Experiencing irritation in the throat when smoking is natural, whether you are smoking tobacco or cannabis. If you ever had pain in your throat after smoking and are curious about how to reduce the irritation and perhaps prevent long-term throat problems from smoking, you are in the right place.

Thankfully, a sore throat from smoking cannabis shouldn’t last long, and with the tips we will discuss below, you may be able to avoid it from occurring at all. So, you may be wondering how long it takes for a sore throat from smoking cannabis to go away. In general, a sore throat that results from smoking cannabis should subside within 24 hours. However, there are some things you can do though to reduce your recovery time drastically.

Why Do You Have a Pain in Your Throat After Smoking?

Not only are there ways to help prevent a sore throat from smoking, but there are also ways to reduce throat irritation after smoking. So, if you have ever asked yourself, “How can I stop my throat from hurting when I smoke,” I encourage you to read on for some insight on this topic.

Before learning how to possibly avoid a sore throat from smoking or how to treat one when they occur, it is vital that you first understand what causes throat irritation from smoking cannabis. When smoking cannabis, you inhale hot smoke, which can irritate and dry out the throat. Additionally, THC is known to inhibit saliva production, resulting in not just dry mouth but also dry throat and nasal passages. Combine a dry throat and mouth with hot irritating smoke, and you have a Molotov cocktail for a sore throat.

How Do You Tell if Your Throat Is Damaged From Smoking?

Smoking cannabis can result in a sore throat. Those who consume regularly may be asking themselves, how do you tell if your throat is damaged from smoking? Slight irritation to the throat from cannabis consumption should subside rather quickly. However, signs that your throat has experienced long-lasting damage do not subside and include things such as a constant sore throat, difficulty breathing, a lump in the throat, pain in the throat when swallowing, regular earaches, and a hoarse croaky voice. If you notice signs that you may have potentially damaged your throat, the next question you are probably asking is can your throat heal from smoking?

Throat irritation from smoking can be persistent even without damage to the throat; however, most often, it could mean long-term damage when the irritation is consistent. Luckily there are some things you can do to help your throat heal from smoking and the damage it sometimes causes. One of the fastest ways to improve the damage done to your throat from smoking is to quit smoking. Other remedies for helping to heal the throat include warm saltwater mouth rinses, Chloraseptic sprays, throat lozenges, and lots of hydration.

Ways to Reduce Throat Pain After Smoking

Now that we have learned why throat irritation occurs after smoking and how to determine and deal with long-term damage let’s look at what you can do to stop your throat from hurting when you smoke cannabis.

Hydrate

Hydration is vital when consuming cannabis for many different reasons. Staying hydrated is also one of the best ways to help avoid the throat irritation when smoking cannabis. Throat irritation from smoking cannabis is primarily due to cannabis causing dry mouth and smoke being hot on the throat resulting in irritation. By keeping hydrated, you will also keep your mouth and throat moist, lessening any irritation from the smoke exposure.

Use a Humidifier

Keeping your airways moist is essential in helping to prevent a sore throat from smoking cannabis. Consuming in a room with a humidifier is a great way to help keep your passageways moisturized. You can create the same effect by steaming out your bathroom by closing all doors, windows, and vents and turning the shower to hot, and allowing the steam to collect in the room like a sauna. Sitting in this environment for a few minutes before and/or after smoking cannabis could be beneficial in helping to relieve throat irritation or prevent it from occurring.

Hot Soup or Tea

Like steam and hydration, consuming a bowl of hot soup or a cup of hot tea can be beneficial in helping to soothe the throat and prevent/relieve throat irritation. Might we suggest a cup of cannabis-infused hot cocoa or a warm chamomile tea? Chamomile tea is often consumed with honey, which has many health benefits. Chamomile is also high in a terpene known as Bisabolol, which has been found to offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties!

Gargle Warm Saltwater

Warm salt water rinses have been used for decades to relieve sore, inflamed throats caused by various illnesses and irritants. Saltwater is a great disinfectant, and by gargling it, you can help relieve discomfort caused by smoking cannabis as well. For the best results, mix a teaspoon of salt with an ounce of warm water and gargle repeatedly. You can also add lemon for added flavor and benefits!

Throat Lozenges

Throat lozenges are a quick way to get relief where you need it swiftly. Because these products contain local anesthetics, they can quickly help relieve irritation while assisting in speeding up the healing process. By sucking on a lozenge or even hard candy, it helps to stimulate saliva production, which in return helps to keep your throat moist and reduce irritation from smoking cannabis.

Decrease Smoking

With smoke being the irritant that causes discomfort in the throat after consumption decreasing smoking is also another option for reducing throat irritation and preventing any long-term damage. The less exposure your throat has to smoke, the less irritated it will become. Decreasing how often and how much you smoke is quite easy when it comes to cannabis seeing how there are many different ways in which it can be consumed. If you are experiencing pain in the throat after smoking cannabis, it is highly recommended that you try other consumption methods such as edibles, topicals, vaping, and tinctures.

Final Takeaways

While cannabis is considered to be generally safe to consume for most people, some side effects can occur from various consumption methods. When it comes to smoking cannabis, throat irritation is one of them that many consumers and patients experience. By taking steps to stay hydrated and to keep your airways moist before, during, and after consumption, you can help to prevent the irritation that occurs as well as mitigate any potential negative long-term effects.

If you would like to learn more about how you can consume cannabis responsibly and intentionally, schedule an appointment with one of our medical marijuana doctors today.