subject: Sore Throat- Causes And Symptoms [print this page] Sore throat or, Pharyngitis is discomfort, pain and scratchiness in the throat. It makes swallowing painful. Most sore throats are caused by viruses or mechanical causes, for example, mouth breathing and can be treated successfully at home.
Sore throat symptoms include mild pr severe pain, burning or scratching sensations at the back of the throat, pain while swallowing, and tenderness in the neck.
Pharyngitis is caused due to swelling of the pharynx, which is situated in the back of the throat, between the tonsils and the voice box. Most of the sore throats are caused by a viral infection, such as the cold or flu.
Many cases of Pharyngitis occur during the colder months. The illness often spreads among the members of the family.
Pharyngitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis and epiglottis are the few areas where sore throat can occur.
What are the causes of sore throat?
Sore throat can also be caused by chemicals like inhaled toxins such as cigarette smoke, injury, allergy or post nasal drip, or, rarely, cancer. Early state of cancer often occurs with painless symptoms.
Certain medical treatments can cause a sore throat such as cancer treatment with chemotherapy or radiation.
A sore throat can have many causes including:
Common viruses, including the viruses that cause flu. Some viruses can also produce boils in the mouth and throat.
Infection of the tonsils.
Breathing through the mouth and smoking can produce throat dryness and soreness.
Sinus drainage or post nasal drip from allergic or chronic sinuses.
Bacterial infections.
Sore throat appearing after treatment with antibiotics, chemotherapy, or other immune-compromising medications may be due to the yeast.
A sore throat lasting for more than two weeks can be a sign of a serious illness, such as AIDS or throat cancer.
What are the symptoms of sore throat?
Symptoms of sore throat can be few generalized symptoms that occur throughout the body such as fever, nausea, headache and malaise. These may be present along with a viral or bacterial infection. These infections are very general in nature and can also be a sign of another underlying disease or illness.
Symptoms specific to the throat include pain with swallowing for Pharyngitis and a hoarse voice when laryngitis is present. Cold viruses tend to cause more coughing and runny nose than sore throat.
Signs of sore throat include the following:
Pus on the surface of the tonsils that can happen with bacteria or viruses.
Redness of the oropharynx, the pharynx viewed through the mouth.
Tender and swollen lymph nodes in the neck i.e.in the glands.
Drooling or spitting, as swallowing food and water becomes too painful.
Difficulty breathing. Inhaling can become especially difficult when the passage through the pharynx or larynx becomes too narrow for a normal stream of air to pass.
Vesicles in the oral cavity or oropharynx may point on the presence of herpes simplex virus.
Two-thirds of people with strep or sore throat have only redness with no pus on the tonsils.
