Sore Throats Health Information

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A sore throat is discomfort, pain, or scratchiness in the throat. A sore throat often makes it painful to swallow. Sore throats are common. Most of the time the soreness is worse in the morning and improves as the day progresses. Many people have a mild sore throat at the beginning of every cold. When the nose or sinuses become infected, drainage can run down the back of the throat and irritate it, especially at night. Or the throat itself can be infected. Strep throat is the most common bacterial cause of sore throat. A sore throat is less likely to be strep throat if it is a minor part of a typical cold (with runny nose, stuffy ears, cough, and similar symptoms).

Causes of Sore Throats:

Like colds, the vast majority of sore throats are caused by viral infections. This means most sore throats will NOT respond to antibiotics.

Some common causes of sore throats include:
  • breathing through the mouth (can cause drying and irritation of the throat)
  • common cold
  • viral pharyngitis
  • influenza
  • strep throat (caused by streptococcal bacteria)
  • infectious mononucleosis
  • endotracheal intubation (tube insertion)
  • surgery such as tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy

Cures / Preventions for Sore Throats:

To help prevent the risk of getting a sore throat or cold, clean your hands frequently, especially before eating. This is a powerful way to help prevent many sore throat infections. You might avoid some sore throats by reducing contact with people with sore throats, but often these people are contagious even before they have symptoms, so this approach is less effective.

Treatment for Sore Throats:

To help with the discomfort of a sore throat, some of these ideas may help:
  • Drink warm liquids. Honey or lemon tea is a time-tested remedy.
  • Gargle several times a day with warm salt water. (1/2 tsp of salt in 1 cup water.)
  • Cold liquids or popsicles help some sore throats.
  • Sucking on hard candies or throat lozenges can be very soothing, because it increases saliva production.
  • Try over-the-counter pain medications

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