Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesWhen to See a DoctorDiagnosisTreatmentPreventionFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
When to See a Doctor
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
Othersore throat causes, like acid reflux, can be chronic and require treatment from a healthcare professional.Throat pain can make it difficult to eat and drink. If severe enough,swallowing problemsfrom pharyngitis can lead to weight loss or other health concerns.
This article will cover the different causes of throat pain and explain when you should see a healthcare provider. It will also offer suggestions for easing a sore throat.
Causes of Throat Pain
There are many possible causes of throat pain. These causes include viralinfections, bacterial infections, sinus infections,allergies, acid reflux, exposure to irritants, laryngitis, medical procedures, andthroat cancer.
Viral Infections
A virus is the most common reason for sore throat. Examples of viral infections that can cause lower throat pain include:
Other causes can include infections typically associated with childhood, such asherpangina,measles, chickenpox, andcroup.
Epstein-Barr Virus Symptoms and Treatment
Bacterial Infections
Strep throatis a bacterial infection of the throat. It can cause severe throat pain and painful swallowing.The tonsils may become very swollen.
A bacteria calledArcanobacterium haemolyticumcan cause throat pain as well as a rash. Some types of sexually transmitted infection, such as theNeisseria gonococcus(gonorrhea) bacteria, also cause sore throat, as does a throat infection fromchlamydia.
Bacterial causes ofthroat painneed to be treated with antibiotics. If left untreated, strep throat complications can include heart or kidney damage.
Sinus Infections
Your sinuses are a set of hollow cavities in your skull. Bacteria, viruses, and even fungus can infect the sinuses and causepost-nasal drip.This is when mucus runs down the back of the throat.
The infected mucus can cause throat pain. If the cause is a fungal infection (likeCandida)then antifungal medications will be used to treat the infection.
What to Know About Fungal Infections
Allergies
Certain foods (apples, cherries, tree nuts, bananas, and cucumbers among them) can lead to pollen food allergy syndrome (PFAS) and symptoms of itchy or swollen throat.While there is a wide range of treatment options for allergies, this type means avoiding the food that causes it.
Causes of Itchy Throat and How to Treat It
Acid Reflux
A Look at Acid Reflux
Environmental Irritants
Irritation from dry air, chemicals, or cigarette smoke can cause a sore throat. Causes can be as diverse as cold temperatures, the chemicals used in indoor swimming pools, and the sulfur dioxide from volcano eruptions.
Treatment will usually mean limiting or removing the cause of the exposure.
What to Do for a Dry Throat
Laryngitis
Laryngitisis an inflammation of your voice box. This can happen when you overuse your voice.
Laryngitiscan be a problem for singers and other people who use their voices as part of their work. The condition also causes hoarseness and throat pain when talking.
Intubation
Intubationis a procedure where a breathing tube is inserted into the airway. This can cause irritation that leads to throat pain.
Breathing tubes are used during surgery or due to illness or injury. The pain is temporary and will usually go away a day or two after the tube is removed.
Surgery
Throat surgeries like tonsil removal or athyroidectomy(removal of the thyroid) can cause throat pain. It’s also common to experience temporary throat pain after other surgeries when anesthesia was used, or if you become dehydrated.
Other Medical Procedures
Medical procedures likeesophagogastroduodenoscopy(EGD) may cause throat pain. During an EGD, an endoscope is inserted through the mouth and into the throat. This procedure is also called an upper endoscopy.
Throat Cancer
Tumors or other growths associated withthroat cancercan cause throat pain. This is not a common cause of sore throat. Other causes are much more likely.
Why Does My Throat Hurt When I Swallow? Causes When You Are or Are Not Sick
When to See a Healthcare Provider for Throat Pain
If your sore throat lasts more than a week and you do not know its cause, see a healthcare provider. Your provider will need to rule out serious conditions that might lead to dangerous health problems.
Viral and Bacterial Infections
It is hard to tell the difference between bacterial and viral throat pain. Strep throat can lead to serious complications if left untreated, so when in doubt, get tested. Almost any healthcare provider can perform a strep test. This includes family practitioners and urgent care providers. Anat-home testis undergoing testing for approval.
Post-Nasal Drip
A sore throat with post-nasal drip is rarely cause for concern.Still, if it lasts longer than a few weeks, you should see a healthcare provider. Your primary care provider is a good place to start, but you may also need to see anallergist. An allergist can determine if allergies are the cause of your throat pain.
Primary care and general practitioners often diagnose acid reflux. They can perform diagnostic tests or refer you to a specialist if needed.
Over-the-counter and prescription medications can treat throat pain related to acid reflux.It is still important to see a healthcare provider for an initial diagnosis, though. This will help rule out any serious conditions.
Throat Pain After Surgery
Throat pain that happens just after you have hadgeneral anesthesiaor a breathing tube inserted is probably not cause for concern. If the throat pain does not go away within a few days, though, you may want to contact your healthcare provider.
Some surgeries, such as a thyroidectomy, can cause throat pain on their own, so keep this in mind.
When to Call 911 for an EmergencySome conditions that cause throat pain, likeepiglottitisor an accidental poisoning, are actual emergencies. Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you have throat pain with:Persistent droolingInability to swallowDifficulty breathing
When to Call 911 for an Emergency
Some conditions that cause throat pain, likeepiglottitisor an accidental poisoning, are actual emergencies. Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you have throat pain with:Persistent droolingInability to swallowDifficulty breathing
Some conditions that cause throat pain, likeepiglottitisor an accidental poisoning, are actual emergencies. Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you have throat pain with:
How to Recognize and Treat Poisoning
How Throat Pain Is Diagnosed
There are many different ways to diagnose throat pain. A healthcare provider may examine you, look at your medical history, or order tests and/or imaging.
Throat Culture
A throat culture is a test where the back of the throat is brushed with a long cotton swab.The swab is usually sent to a laboratory to be analyzed for bacteria. If it is a rapid strep test, you will get immediate results.
Rapid strep tests can sometimes produce false negatives.For this reason, the throat culture is usually sent to the lab for further testing. You may get a call in a day or two to confirm a strep throat diagnosis.
Negative Strep Throat Test: What Else Mimics Strep?
Allergy Testing
During a skin test, a clinician exposes you to an allergen (something you may be allergic to) through a tiny scratch in your skin. If you are allergic, you will have a reaction. Blood tests can also look for antibodies (immune system proteins) to specific allergens.
The results of skin testing are available immediately. Blood test results may take a few days.
The 5 Types of Antibodies
Medication Trials
A trial of acid reflux medication can help your healthcare provider find the cause of your sore throat. If you respond to the medication, your provider may diagnose you with acid reflux.
Similarly, a trial ofantihistamine medicationcan help your provider to diagnose allergies. This may be done before allergy testing.
Imaging
Medical imaging includingcomputed tomography (CT) scans, ultrasounds, ormagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanscan be used to diagnose throat pain. This may be done if the suspected cause is a lump, growth, or sinusitis.
Acid reflux and similar problems are often diagnosed with an upper endoscopy. Another test that can be used is abarium swallow.During this test, you will be asked to drink a thick solution containing barium. The barium coats your esophagus and stomach to make them visible on x-rays.
Physical Exam
Your healthcare provider will also do a physical exam to look at your throat and feel your neck. You’ll also be asked about your symptoms and health history.
Your provider will examine you for lumps or bumps in the throat. A lump or bump that accompanies a sore throat could be a lymph node. It could also be something more concerning, like cancer. If your provider cannot identify it as a lymph node, you may need abiopsy.
What Is Stage 3 Cancer?
How Throat Pain Is Treated
There are a few options fortreating your sore throat. Many of these can be started right away.
Lifestyle Treatment Options
Some simple steps can help ease your sore throat:
You also can try lozenges, hard candies, tea with honey, or frozen treats to help soothe the throat. Gargling with salt water can help: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water and rinse your throat with it.
Can Drinking Tea Help You Stay Hydrated?
Medications
There are a variety of medications available for treating the causes of throat pain.Other medicationscan treat sore throat symptoms.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections like strep throat. They do not work against viruses. This treatment may be a one-time injection or oral antibiotics taken over a period of time.
Make sure to let your healthcare provider know if you have any drug allergies. There are many alternative antibiotics you can take if you are allergic topenicillinor another antibiotic.
Antihistamines
Antihistamines can help your allergy symptoms.When you encounter an allergen like pollen, mold, or dander, your body releases histamine. Histamine plays a role in the sensation of pain, so taking an antihistamine can help with an allergy-related sore throat.Over-the-counter antihistamines include:
Acid Reflux Medication
Successful treatment of acid reflux can take time. The sooner you are diagnosed and treated, the sooner symptoms like sore throat will go away.
Your healthcare provider may start you on a trial of an H2 (histamine) blocker or a proton pump inhibitor (PPI).Both of these medication types are available over the counter. They include:
Pain Medication
Pain medication can help control the pain from any type of sore throat. Over-the-counter options include:
These medicines are very effective at controlling sore throat pain.
If your sore throat pain is severe and/or the pain makes it hard to swallow, your provider may prescribe glucocorticoids. These include:
Over-the-counter throat sprays like Cepacol (benzocaine/glycerin) and Vicks Formula 44 (glycerin/phenol) can also help relieve your pain. Cough drops may also be helpful.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Warm, caffeine-free tea can help you stay hydrated. Some people report relief after taking a commercial product called Throat Coat. Among other things, Throat Coat contains:
Findings on a variety of Chinese herbs andacupunctureare inconclusive and more study is needed.Traditional providers don’t usually recommend these remedies. Still, some people have found them helpful.
Talk to your healthcare provider before takingherbal medications, especially if you are also taking prescribed medication.
Preventing Throat Pain
Preventing Viral and Bacterial Infection
Preventing Acid Reflux
Acid reflux can be related to your weight. Ask your healthcare provider if this may be true for you. If so, weight loss is a great lifestyle adjustment. It can reduce your symptoms and help prevent long-term throat pain.
Long-term Allergy Treatment
Ask your healthcare provider about long-term use of oral or nasal allergy medications. Immunotherapy such asallergy shotsmay also be an option.
Summary
Sore throats can have many causes, including viruses and bacteria, acid reflux, and allergies. See a healthcare provider if your sore throat lasts more than a week or if you have painful swallowing. A sore throat can be diagnosed with lab tests or a simple exam. Sometimes imaging may be required.
Over-the-counter medications can treat the cause and the symptoms of many sore throats. Alternative remedies may also help. If you have a bacterial infection, you may need antibiotics.
One-sided throat pain, with or without swallowing, could have several causes. They include a sinus infection, a tooth abscess, tonsillitis, or swollen lymph nodes due to an infection, just to name a few.
Sore throat and other COVID symptoms can last five to seven days or longer in some cases. For some people, symptoms may come and go for days to weeks after they first begin.
35 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.Pharyngitis - sore throat.
UpToDate.Patient education: Sore throat in adults (Beyond the Basics).
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Strep Throat.
Mara-Koosham G, Stoltze K, Aday J, Rendon P.Pulmonary renal syndrome after streptococcal pharyngitis: a case report.J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. 2016;4(2):2324709616646127. doi:10.1177/2324709616646127
Del Mar C.Acute sinusitis and sore throat in primary care.Aust Prescr. 2016;39(4):116–118. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2016.046
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of candidiasis.
Swift CJ, Ong J.Eosinophilic oesophagitis: an insidious but treatable cause of sore throat.Br J Gen Pract. 2017;67(655):91–92. doi:10.3399/bjgp17X689341
American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Pollen food allergy syndrome.
Clarrett DM, Hachem C.Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).Mo Med. 2018;115(3):214-218.
Fung K, MacDonald AJ (2023). Chronic Sore Throat.Functional Illness of the Head and Neck. Springer, Cham. doi:0.1007/978-3-031-12998-8_11
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.Laryngitis.
El‐Boghdadly K, Bailey CR, Wiles MD.Postoperative sore throat: a systematic review.Anaesth. 2016;71(6):706-17. doi:10.1111/anae.13438
Gemechu BM, Gebremedhn EG, Melkie TB.Risk factors for postoperative throat pain after general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation at the University of Gondar Teaching Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2014.Pan Afr Med J. 2017;27:127. doi:10.11604/pamj.2017.27.127.10566
Harvard Health Publishing.Influenza: How to Prevent and Treat a Serious Infection.
Burova N, Bychkova V, Shephard A.Improvements in throat function and qualities of sore throat from locally applied flurbiprofen 8.75 mg in spray or lozenge format: findings from a randomized trial of patients with upper respiratory tract infection in the Russian Federation.J Pain Res. 2018;11:1045–1055. doi:10.2147/JPR.S149331
American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).
Padur AA, Kumar N, Guru A, et al.Safety and effectiveness of total thyroidectomy and Its comparison with subtotal thyroidectomy and other thyroid surgeries: a systematic review.J Thyroid Res. 2016:7594615. doi:10.1155/2016/7594615
Parthasarathy V, Snyder B, Saddawi-Konefka R.A Lot to Choke on: Case of Adult Epiglottitis with Concurrent Peritonsillar Abscess in a Patient with a Sore Throat.J Emerg Med. 2018 Dec;55(6):841-844. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2018.09.017.
Sadowski A, Dougherty J.Not all sore throats are pharyngitis.Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2017;1(4):280–282. doi:10.5811/cpcem.2017.5.33316
Ali M, Han S, Gunst CJ, Lim S, Luinstra K, Smieja M.Throat and nasal swabs for molecular detection of respiratory viruses in acute pharyngitis.Virol J. 2015;12:178. doi:10.1186/s12985-015-0408-z
American Academy of Family Physicians.Sinusitis.
Banerjee S, Ford C.Rapid tests for the diagnosis of group a Streptococcal infection: a review of diagnostic test accuracy, clinical utility, safety, and cost-effectiveness [internet]. In:CADTH Rapid Response Report. Ottowa, ON: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
Sandhu DS, Fass R.Current trends in the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease.Gut Liver. 2018;12(1):7–16. doi:10.5009/gnl16615
Gyawali CP, Carlson DA, Chen JW, Patel A, Wong RJ, Yadlapati RH.ACG Clinical Guidelines: Clinical Use of Esophageal Physiologic Testing.Am J Gastroenterol. 2020 Sep;115(9):1412-1428. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000000734.
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Common Colds: Relief for a Stuffy Nose, Cough and Sore Throat.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Headaches.
Sadeghirad B, Siemieniuk RAC, Brignardello-Petersen R, et al.Corticosteroids for treatment of sore throat: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials.BMJ. 2017;358:j3887. doi:10.1136/bmj.j3887
The Botanical Institute.Best Tea for Sore Throat Pain.
Jau PY, Chang SC.The effectiveness of acupuncture point stimulation for the prevention of postoperative sore throat: A meta-analysis.Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Jul 15;101(28):e29653. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000029653.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About handwashing.
Ness-Jensen E, Hveem K, El-Serag H, Lagergren J.Lifestyle intervention in gastroesophageal reflux disease.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2016;14(2):175–82.e823. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2015.04.176
James C, Bernstein DI.Allergen immunotherapy: an updated review of safety.Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017;17(1):55–59. doi:10.1097/ACI.0000000000000335
Johns Hopkins.COVID symptoms - frequently asked questions.
Kaiser Permanente.Sore throat and other throat problems.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
