What is Sore Throat

Sore throat technically referred to the pain in the throat, comes as one of the symptoms of pharyngitis. Other than being one of the symptoms of pharyngitis, sore throat is also caused due to trauma and diphtheria.

Cause of Sore Throat

• Bacterial infection responsible for strep throat may give way to soreness in throat.
• Apart from the 'streptococcal' bacteria; various others such as 'Fusobacterium Necrophorum' may also give way to sore throat.
• Viral pharyngitis may also cause strep throat.
• Viral infection of the throat may also cause sore throat.
• Trauma, tumor and diphtheria may also cause sore throat.
• Infection caused by fungus may also lead to sore throat

What are the Symptoms of Sore Throat

• The most common symptom of the disease lies in its name of 'sore throat'. One may have mild to extreme pain in the throat.
• Swelling or inflammation is another of its symptoms.
• Irritation and itching may also occur along with it.
• Fever, sneezing and runny nose may also be associated with sore throat.

Diagnoses of Sore Throat

• Usually by way of throat swab, the cause of infection is determined.

Types of Sore Throat

• It is usually caused on account of viral, bacterial or fungal infection.
• In the non infectious kind of sore throat, soreness may result owing to some forms of irritation- mechanical, chemical or irritation of the thermal kinds.
• Sore throat may well develop as a result of reaction to chemotherapy.

Persistent sore throat that does not heal even after requisite medication and self care may well be an indication of cancer.

Treatment for Sore Throat

• The pain and inflammation are treated with analgesics containing acetaminophen.
• At times steroids are also prescribed to cure upper respiratory tract infection of a severe kind.
• In cases of excess pain drugs containing local anesthesia are also prescribed in order to create a numbing effect on pain.
• Usually antibiotics are prescribed only when the cause of infection is bacterial; but in cases where the cause is viral the prescription of anti biotic is sometimes resorted to so as to avoid secondary infection.

Self Care and Sore Throat Treatment

• Self care assumes vital significance with regard to the treatment of sore throat.
• Besides warm gurgling in disinfected water, inhaling of vapor is also important.
• A warm decoction made using lemon, honey and water proves to be nourishing as well as relieving for your throat down with soreness.