Sore Throat
Sore Throat - Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
A sore throat is a common name for pain, scratchiness or irritation of the throat that often worsens while swallowing. The pain can be continuous, but it often appears only when swallowing or talking.
The pain can be caused by various parts of the pharynx - those seen in a regular examination by the doctor or those that can only be seen with special medical devices. A sore throat may also be felt around the ears, to the extent that the patient may have trouble pinpointing the exact source of the pain.
What causes sore throat?
For most people, the cause of a sore throat is a transient viral infection. There are many types of viruses that can cause a sore throat, including viruses that cause upper respiratory infections, the flu virus, and the EBV virus that causes Mononucleosis. A sore throat can also be caused by an infection caused by the streptococcus bacteria.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptom is, of course, the pain in the pharynx that may be accompanied by many other symptoms such as:
- Fever
- Runny nose
- Sore or swollen lymph nodes
- Shortness of breath
- Inability to swallow
- Cough
- Hoarseness
If the sore throat is a result of excessive use of the voice or exposure to dry air, the symptoms are expected to occur during those instances. However, if the sore throat is accompanied by a continuous runny nose, reflux, allergies, or nasal obstruction, it is likely to be chronic.
Home treatment for a sore throat
- Use a humidifier
- Take a steam shower
- Drink tea or warm lemon water mixed with honey
- Gargle salt water
- Consume Echinacea, either in drops or tablets
- Consume plenty of fluids
When should you visit Premier?
If it is a disease of the upper respiratory tract, it usually passes without any treatment, but if the sore throat is caused by bacterial pharyngitis, improvement will occur after taking antibiotics for a few days.
Throat infections caused by streptococcus may cause infectious complications including the appearance of abscesses (a collection of pus) in the pharynx. This requires hospitalization and drainage of the abscess.
Anyone with a severe sore throat may soon experience dehydration as a result of their inability to drink. This is a situation that requires urgent medical care.
The warning signs that require immediate medical attention:
- Trouble breathing
- Trouble swallowing
- If you stop drinking liquids because of the intense pain
- High fever
- Sever sore throat over 2 days
- Red rash
- Swollen tonsils
