Sore Throat - Symptoms & Causes

What is a sore throat?

A sore throat is a painful, dry, or scratchy feeling in the throat.

Pain in the throat is one of the most common symptoms. It accounts for more than 13 million visits to doctor’s offices each year (1Trusted Source).

Most sore throats are caused by infections, or by environmental factors like dry air. Although a sore throat can be uncomfortable, it’ll usually go away on its own.

Sore throats are divided into types, based on the part of the throat they affect:

Pharyngitis affects the area right behind the mouth.

Tonsillitis is swelling and redness of the tonsils, the soft tissue in the back of the mouth.

Laryngitis is swelling and redness of the voice box, or larynx.

Sore throat symptoms

The symptoms of a sore throat can vary depending on what caused it. A sore throat can feel:

scratchy

burning

raw

dry

tender

irritated

It may hurt more when you swallow or talk. Your throat or tonsils might also look red.

Sometimes, white patches or areas of pus will form on the tonsils. These white patches are more common in strep throat than in a sore throat caused by a virus.

Along with the sore throat, you can have symptoms like:

nasal congestion

runny nose

sneezing

cough

fever

chills

swollen glands in the neck

hoarse voice

body aches

headache

trouble swallowing

appetite loss

8 causes of sore throats

Causes of sore throats range from infections to injuries. Here are eight of the most common sore throat causes.

1. Colds, the flu, and other viral infections

Viruses cause about 90 percent of sore throats (2Trusted Source). Among the viruses that cause sore throats are:

the common cold

influenza — the flu

mononucleosis, an infectious disease that’s transmitted through saliva

measles, an illness that causes a rash and fever

chickenpox, an infection that causes a fever and an itchy, bumpy rash

mumps, an infection that causes swelling of the salivary glands in the neck

2. Strep throat and other bacterial infections

Bacterial infections can also cause sore throats. The most common one is strep throat, an infection of the throat and tonsils caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria.

Strep throat causes nearly 40 percent of sore throat cases in children (3). Tonsillitis, and sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia can also cause a sore throat.

3. Allergies

When the immune system reacts to allergy triggers like pollen, grass, and pet dander, it releases chemicals that cause symptoms like nasal congestion, watery eyes, sneezing, and throat irritation.

Excess mucus in the nose can drip down the back of the throat. This is called postnasal drip and can irritate the throat.

4. Dry air

Dry air can suck moisture from the mouth and throat, and leave them feeling dry and scratchy. The air is most likely dry in the winter months when the heater is running.

5. Smoke, chemicals, and other irritants

Many different chemicals and other substances in the environment irritate the throat, including:

cigarette and other tobacco smoke

air pollution

cleaning products and other chemicals

After September 11, more than 62 percent of responding firefighters reported frequent sore throats. Only 3.2 percent had had sore throats before the World Trade Center disaster (4Trusted Source).

6. Injury

Any injury, such as a hit or cut to the neck, can cause pain in the throat. Getting a piece of food stuck in your throat can also irritate it.

Repeated use strains the vocal cords and muscles in the throat. You can get a sore throat after yelling, talking loudly, or singing for a long period of time. Sore throats are a common complaint among fitness instructors and teachers, who often have to yell (4Trusted Source).

7. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which acid from the stomach backs up into the esophagus — the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

The acid burns the esophagus and throat, causing symptoms like heartburn and acid reflux — the regurgitation of acid into your throat.

8. Tumor

A tumor of the throat, voice box, or tongue is a less common cause of a sore throat. When a sore throat is a sign of cancer, it doesn’t go away after a few days.

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