Sore throat, also known as pharyngitis is the pain, discomfort, and irritation of the throat which enhances discomfort while swelling. It is caused due to various factors including viruses, bacteria, or any other underlying causes. Sore throat includes difficulty while swallowing or eating in the throat. This guide will be explaining your about the symptoms of sore throat, its causes, diagnosis, and treatment for this ailment.
Symptoms of Sore Throat:
There are both minor and major symptoms of sore throat. If minor symptoms appear, then you can adopt different health remedies for sore throat at home. But if the major symptoms appear, then you should always consult your healthcare professional immediately.
Minor Symptoms:
- Pain in throat
- Irritation
- Discomfort in throat
- Pain while swallowing
- Sore glands
- Red tonsilittis
- White patches
- Puss in the throat
Major Symptoms:
- Difficulty in breathing
- Extreme difficulty while swallowing
- Difficulty in opening the mouth
- High fever
- Prolong sore throat
- Blood in saliva
All these symptoms should be monitored properly to prevent the chances of having a sore throat. Moreover, if the symptoms worsen, then immediately seek professional care.
Sore Throat Causes:
There are numerous causes of having a sore throat, which can be very painful for you. These causes are described in detail below which can either be viral, bacterial, or any other causes.
1. Viral Infections:
Viral infections can be a leading cause of sore throat. This is because if you are suffering from any major viral illness, then you can experience so throat as a major symptom. Different types of varying infections including flu, common cold, measles, or chickenpox can lead to the cause of having a sore throat. This can be very alarming as it can cause discomfort and irritation while you are eating or swallowing anything.
2. Bacterial Infection:
Apart from viral infections, bacterial infections are also a big cause of sore throat. The most common bacteria, streptococcus pyogenes is the leading cause of sore throat. These bacterial infections are less likely to be the cause as compared to viral infections.
Other Causes:
There are other causes of sore throat as well which include the following:
- Allergies: If you have any allergy to dust, pollen, or mold, then you can have a sore throat. Moreover, these allergies can also cause enhanced inflammation and irritation in your throat.
- Dryness: If you are not hydrated, then your throat can also feel discomfort and scratchiness. Along with this, dry air can be the leading cause of sore throat sometimes. Some people are suffering from nasal congestion in which they experience difficulty breathing. So, this can also cause blindness of your throat which will make it very difficult for you to talk or swallow any food item.
- Irritants: Several outdoor pollution irritants can also be the cause. These irritants include exposure to chemicals or smoke which can cause severity in your sore throat. Moreover, if you are used to drinking alcohol or consuming tobacco, then it can also irritate the pain in your throat.
All these causes should be considered. This is because proper prevention should be adopted to remove the chances of having a sore throat due to these above-discussed causes.
Remedies for Sore Throat:
Sore throat is a problem that can easily be treated at home as well. So, there are various home remedies for sore throat that you can easily consider for relieving the pain. Following are some of the remedies and advices to adopt to enhance the comfortability rate and reduce the discomfort caused due to sore throat.
- Take warm water and mix one teaspoon of salt in it. Gargle with this mixture. This will help in providing comfort to your throat and will treat the infection quickly.
- Consume hot fluids including soup, honey tea, and warm water with lemon. All these drinks are considered beneficial including herbal tea that is very soothing for sore throat.
- Try to eat more ice cream or cold things to provide relaxation to your throat pain.
- You can also take lozenges to reduce the irritation in the throat.
- Don’t talk too much when you are having any pain.
