Sore throat refers to the onset of infectious diseases such as colds and flu, especially in cold weather. This situation can become quite disturbing in the daily life of the person. Sore throat, one of the most common symptoms of respiratory tract infectious diseases, can manifest itself with effects such as dryness in the throat, burning, difficulty swallowing. Along with sore throat, symptoms such as nasal congestion and runny nose, sneezing, coughing, fever and chills, watery eyes, weakness and pain in the body, and loss of appetite may also be observed. These symptoms may also indicate another serious illness. Therefore, people should consult a physician if they have a sore throat that lasts longer than a week.
What is a sore throat?
Sore throat is a harbinger of many diseases. It is usually a symptom of infectious diseases such as the common cold, which can be caused by colds or dry or dusty air. Sore throat is accompanied by a burning sensation in the throat, dryness and difficulty swallowing. There are two types of sore throat. These are pharyngitis, laryngitis and tonsillitis.
Pharyngitis covers pain in the area from the oral cavity to the larynx. Laryngitis occurs with pain and swelling in the voice box in the larynx. Tonsillitis is a condition in which the tonsils swell and redden. Occasionally, white spots or pus may form on the tonsils. This can also be a sign of an infectious disease. Environmental factors also have an effect on the occurrence of sore throat. Every year, more than 10 million people apply to health institutions with the complaint of sore throat. Sore throat can usually go away on its own with simple treatments.
What Causes Sore Throat?
Sore throat, which is mostly caused by viral infections, can sometimes occur as a reflection of other diseases, and sometimes it can manifest itself due to injuries. Everyone in the society may encounter sore throat at least once. Infectious diseases that cause sore throat include flu, colds, flu, kissing disease (mono), measles and chickenpox.
Sore throat can also be caused by some bacterial diseases. For example, the most common one is strep throat. However, children and young people are more likely to suffer from sore throat. They are especially more likely to get strep throat infection.
Sore throat is not only caused by bacterial and viral diseases. Environmental factors also play an effective role in the formation of sore throat. For example; dust, plant pollen, mold, mold, allergies to animal hair or sensitivity to various foods can also cause excessive mucus in the nose and sore throat by dripping mucus into the back of the throat.
Dry air in the area where you live; dryness in the throat and subsequent sore throat can occur due to exposure to air conditioners and coolers used especially in the summer months. Chronic nasal congestion causes constant breathing through the mouth, which can cause sore throat.
Other factors that cause sore throat include air pollution. Cigarette smoke or chemicals in cleaning materials can also cause sore throat. In addition, smoking, drinking alcohol, talking or shouting for a long time in a way that tires the vocal cords can cause sore throat.
Apart from environmental factors, diseases that cause sore throat and do not directly affect the throat can also cause sore throat. To mention these:
Reflux disease:
It is a digestive system disease caused by the acid in the stomach going up to the esophagus. The acid that reaches the esophagus can burn the throat and this can cause sore throat. In addition to sore throat, symptoms such as burning in the chest, bitter or sour taste in the mouth, heartburn, and difficulty swallowing may occur.
HIV virus:
Another disease that can cause sore throat is HIV. In some cases, if a person is infected with the HIV virus, sore throat and flu symptoms may occur. For this reason, the person infected with HIV may not be aware of the disease for a while and may think that the cause of their discomfort is a simple cold, such as the flu.
Cancerous tumors:
Cancerous tumors in the throat, tongue and vocal cords can cause sore throat. Other effects of cancerous tumors along with sore throat include wheezing, difficulty swallowing, a feeling of lump in the throat, and blood in the saliva.
Swelling in the windpipe:
Pain in the throat can also occur as a result of swelling in the windpipe. Pain occurs when the cartilage cover in the trachea swells and this condition, which makes breathing difficult, may require emergency medical intervention.
Mononucleosis
This disease, which generally has flu symptoms, causes sore throat and tonsillitis. The main symptoms of the disease include enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit and neck. Apart from this, fever, weakness, headache and night sweats can be seen just like the flu. Sore throat that does not go away in mononucleosis is one of the important findings for the diagnosis of this disease.
What are the symptoms of sore throat?
Symptoms of sore throat may vary depending on the cause of the disease and the person. The symptoms of sore throat can be listed as follows:
- Sore, painful or itching sensation in the throat
- Feeling of a lump in the throat
- Difficulty in swallowing and speaking due to pain and aggravation of pain
- Needle prick sensation in the throat
- Swelling of the glands in the neck, chin and face
- Redness and swelling of the tonsils
- Small white spot-like pus on the tonsils
- Hoarseness and hoarseness
- Difficulty moving the mouth and jaw
- Presence of blood in saliva
- Sore throat that does not go away for more than a week
In addition to these findings, infectious sore throat may be accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Cough
- Fire
- Fatigue
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Pain in the body
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
Sore throats caused by infection accompanied by these findings usually heal within a week. For sore throats that last about 2-3 weeks, you should consult a health institution as soon as possible, as the cause of the pain may indicate a more serious illness.
How is sore throat diagnosed? How is a sore throat diagnosed?
The physician first performs a physical examination to make a diagnosis for sore throat. During the examination, he may touch the throat to see if the lymph nodes are swollen. The doctor may look at the throat, ears and nostrils and listen to the person's breathing with a stethoscope.
If the findings raise suspicion that the patient may have strep throat, the doctor will perform a test called throat culture. This is done by swabbing the back of the throat with a swab to get a secretion sample. The sample is then sent to a laboratory for testing.
If allergies are thought to be the cause of the sore throat, skin and blood tests can be used for confirmation.
If the sore throat is caused by a viral infection, i.e. flu or a cold, it will soon improve with rest. In the meantime, it is important to drink plenty of water. The doctor may prescribe painkillers. On the other hand, if the sore throat is caused by a bacterial infection, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics.
If the sore throat is caused by another disease, the appropriate treatment for the sore throat will be applied if the disease is diagnosed. For example, if the sore throat is caused by gastric disorders such as reflux gastritis, the patient will be prescribed a prescription to treat these disorders.
What is good for sore throat?
To mention the natural treatment methods that can be good for sore throat:
- Gargling can be done by mixing salt in warm water. (It is not suitable for children.)
- Since dry air triggers sore throat, the air in the room should not be dry. For this purpose, air humidifier devices can be used or a wet towel or cloth can be placed on the heating pad. Boiling water on the stove will also help moisturize the air.
- A hot water bottle or hot towel can be used to relieve sore throat.
- The drink consumed should be neither hot nor cold. It should be lukewarm.
- Drinking plenty of water is important for the healing process.
- It will be useful to consume herbal teas with ginger and honey.
- Harmful substances such as tobacco and alcohol should not be consumed.
- Liquid foods such as soup, which are easier to swallow due to sore throat, or pureed, porridge-like foods can be consumed.
- Spicy, acidic foods should be avoided in order not to irritate the throat.
How can sore throat be prevented?
Measures that can be taken to avoid sore throat can be listed as follows:
- Personal hygiene, especially hand washing, should be emphasized.
- Personal care materials (towels, soap, scrubs) and materials used in the kitchen such as plates, glasses and forks should be personalized.
- The mouth and nose should be covered with a handkerchief or the inside of the elbow should be used when coughing and sneezing.
- In areas where soap and water are not available, hands should be disinfected using disinfectant or cologne.
- Close contact with sick people should be avoided to prevent the disease from being contagious. Social distance should be observed.
- Common areas and items should be cleaned regularly.