Sore Throat: What Causes a Sore Throat

What Causes a Sore Throat?

Infection

These cause the majority of sore throats and are contagious. They include viruses such as the flu, the common cold, mononucleosis, or bacteria such as strep, mycoplasma, or hemophilus. Bacteria respond to antibiotic treatment while viruses do not.

Viruses

Most viral sore throats accompany flu or colds along with a stuffy, runny nose, sneezing, and generalized aches and pains. These viruses are highly contagious and spread quickly, especially in winter. The body builds antibodies that destroy the virus, a process that takes about a week.

Other conditions that manifest sore throats as a symptom include measles, chicken pox, whooping cough, and croup. Canker sores and fever blisters in the throat also can be very painful.

Infectious mononucleosis, or "mono” is a virus creates a severely sore throat and, sometimes, serious breathing difficulties. It can affect the liver, leading to jaundice — yellow skin and eyes. It also causes extreme fatigue that can last six weeks or more.

Bacteria

Strep throat is an infection caused by a strain of streptococcus bacteria. The infection can damage the heart valves (rheumatic fever) and kidneys (nephritis), and can cause scarlet fever, tonsillitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, and ear infections. Strep throat should be treated with an antibiotic however since it is not always easy to detect by examination, a throat culture may be needed. If strep is not indicated other tests may be necessary.

Tonsillitis is an infection of the lumpy tissues on each side of the back of the throat. Frequent sore throats from tonsillitis suggest the infection is not fully eliminated between episodes. A medical study has shown that children who suffer from frequent episodes of tonsillitis (such as three- to four- times each year for several years) were healthier after their tonsils were surgically removed.

Allergies

The same pollens and molds that irritate the nose when they are inhaled may also irritate the throat. Cat and dog danders and house dust are common causes of sore throats for people who are allergic to them.

Irritation

Dry heat in the winter may create a recurring, mild sore throat with a parched feeling, especially in the mornings. This often responds to humidification of bedroom air and an increased liquid intake. Patients with a chronic stuffy nose, causing mouth breathing, also suffer with a dry throat. Additionally, a person who strains his or her voice (shouting at a sporting event) can get a sore throat not only from muscle strain but also from the rough treatment of throat membranes.

Reflux

On occasion regurgitation of stomach acids up into the throat can cause irritation. Elevating your bed so that your head is higher than your feet, taking antacids, avoiding eating three hours prior to bedtime and eliminating your intake of caffeine and alcohol can help. If these do not help, consult you physician.

Tumors

Tumors of the throat, tongue, and larynx (voice box) are usually, but not always, associated with tobacco and alcohol use. Sore throat and difficulty swallowing, sometimes with pain radiating to the ear, may be symptoms of such a tumor. More often the sore throat is so mild or so chronic that it is hardly noticed. Other symptoms include hoarseness, a lump in the neck, unexplained weight loss, and/or blood in the saliva or phlegm.

Other causes

Injury from a bone scrape when eating, postnasal drip or medical treatments like radiation or chemotherapy can also cause a sore throat.