How Does a Sore Throat Start?

General Overview

A sore throat is categorized by a painful, scratchy or inflamed throat and is often a result of a viral or bacterial infection. A sore throat often makes it difficult or painful to swallow. It is usually worse in the morning and gradually eases as the day progresses. Symptoms of a sore throat include fever, pain, malaise, nausea, cough and runny nose, which are also referred to as flu-like symptoms. Some visible signs of a sore throat include tender lymph nodes and the presence of pus on the tonsils. Sore throats are fairly common and usually mark the onset of the flu or a cold.

Causes

Most sore throats are caused by viral infections and tend to be most common during flu and cold seasons. Another common cause is a bacterial infection usually caused by streptococcal bacteria. This type of sore throat is called strep throat and must be officially diagnosed by a physician after taking a culture for a laboratory test. Other causes include the common cold, viral pharyngitis, excessive breathing through the mouth which results in a dry throat, infectious mononucleosis and surgeries such as a tonsillectomy. In some cases, a sore throat can be caused by allergies such as allergic rhinitis, which is characterized by a runny nose and sneezing. The excess mucus in the nose runs off into the throat causing discomfort.

Treatment

A sore throat often goes away on its own in a few days. However, treatment helps ease the discomfort and makes the symptoms go away much sooner. Physicians recommend that sufferers drink plenty of fluids especially tea and orange juice. Cough lozenges, salt water gargling, ibuprofen, Sudafed and other cold medicines can also provide a brief respite from the pain associated with sore throat. A regular sore throat must typically be left alone to run its course while strep throat must be treated with antibiotics.