Throat - sore
Key points
- A sore throat is discomfort, pain, or scratchiness in the throat.
- Most of the time the soreness is worse in the morning and improves as the day progresses.
- Antibiotics are usually NOT wise in the absence of a positive strep test or throat culture.
- Your health care provider will perform a physical examination.
Alternative names
Sore throat; Burning in the throat; Pain - throat
Definition
A sore throat is discomfort, pain, or scratchiness in the throat. A sore throat often makes it painful to swallow.
Considerations
Sore throats are common. Most of the time the soreness is worse in the morning and improves as the day progresses.
Like colds, the vast majority of sore throats are caused by viral infections. This means most sore throats will NOT respond to antibiotics. Many people have a mild sore throat at the beginning of every cold. When the nose or sinuses become infected, drainage can run down the back of the throat and irritate it, especially at night. Or, the throat itself can be infected.
Some viruses can cause specific types of sore throat. For example, Coxsackievirus sometimes causes blisters in the throat, especially in the late summer and early fall. Mono and the flu can also cause specific viral throat infections.
Strep throat is the most common bacterial cause of sore throat. Because strep throat can occasionally lead to rheumatic fever, antibiotics are given. Strep throat often includes a fever (greater than 101°F), white draining patches on the throat, and swollen or tender lymph glands in the neck. Children may have a headache and stomach pain.
A sore throat is less likely to be strep throat if it is a minor part of a typical cold (with runny nose, stuffy ears, cough, and similar symptoms). Strep can't be accurately diagnosed by looking at the throat alone. It requires a laboratory test.
Sometimes breathing through the mouth will cause a sore throat in the absence of any infection. During the months of dry winter air, some people will wake up with a sore throat most mornings. This usually disappears after having something to drink.
With a sore throat, sometimes the tonsils or surrounding parts of the throat are inflamed. Either way, removing the tonsils to try to prevent future sore throats is not recommended for most children.
Common Causes
- breathing through the mouth (can cause drying and irritation of the throat)
- common cold
- viral pharyngitis
- influenza
- strep throat (caused by streptococcal bacteria)
- infectious mononucleosis
- fish, chicken bone, or other foreign substance stuck in the throat. (For emergency actions, see choking child or adult or CPR)
- endotracheal intubation (tube insertion)
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.