Sore Throat Pain
Sore throat pain can be caused by a virus, bacteria or seasonal allergies. Sore throat pain can affect the vocal cords or make it uncomfortable to speak and swallow.
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Types
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Viral related sore throat pain includes colds, mononucleosis and the flu. Bacterial related pain includes tonsillitis, strep throat, and allergies caused from pollen and pet dander.
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Symptoms
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Viral related symptoms include sore throat, runny nose and slight fever. Bacterial symptoms entail fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache and swollen, red throat. Strep throat has the added white patches on the throat.
Treatment
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Allergy and viral conditions are normally treated with over-the-counter medications, while bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics, reports the Mayo Clinic. Patients with these conditions must get plenty of rest and fluids.
Significance
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When the seasons change, people often suffer from colds and allergies that produce sore throat pain. More than 1 billion people suffer from colds in the United States each year, reports Dr. Alan Greene, M.D., the Founder and CEO of DrGreene.com.
Considerations
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Antibiotics treat bacterial infections, but they are not used to treat viruses such as the common cold.
Warning
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Sore throat pain lasting more than 3 days should be examined by a medical professional.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit "I've got a horrible ulcer in my throat!" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: eyesnightclosed under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
