Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is It?SymptomsCausesCOVID-19ContagiousnessWhen to Seek CareTreatmentHome RemediesPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is It?
Symptoms
Causes
COVID-19
Contagiousness
When to Seek Care
Treatment
Home Remedies
Prevention
Cobblestone throat describes the bumpy, cobblestone-like texture of inflamed tissue in the back of the throat. The bumps are sometimes mistaken for throat cancer, however, cobblestone throat is not dangerous and is usually a harmless result of a minor problem such as a viral infection, postnasal drip, or breathing in dry air.
Cobblestone throat is a symptom rather than a condition, so it usually goes away once the underlying cause resolves. While home remedies will not cure the underlying cause, they can help relieve the soreness, hoarseness, and other symptoms that often come with cobblestone throat.
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What Is Cobblestone Throat?
These lymphatic tissues swell as part of an immune response to extra mucus in the back of the throat, leading to the formation of bumps. The bumps take on the appearance of a cobblestone road, hence the term “cobblestone throat.”
Healthcare providers sometimes use the term when referring topharyngitisor sore throat. Pharyngitis can either be an acute (short duration) symptom, or chronic (lasting 12 weeks or more).
When is a sore throat an emergency?Seek immediate medical attention if your sore throat develops with severe symptoms like:Difficulty swallowingSpeech problemsVomiting or coughing up bloodThroat swelling
When is a sore throat an emergency?
Seek immediate medical attention if your sore throat develops with severe symptoms like:Difficulty swallowingSpeech problemsVomiting or coughing up bloodThroat swelling
Seek immediate medical attention if your sore throat develops with severe symptoms like:
Acute Pharyngitis
Chronic Pharyngitis
Chronic pharyngitis is a sore throat that lasts longer than 12 weeks.The discomfort associated with a chronic sore throat can also come and go over time. Recurrent viral and bacterial infections can cause chronic sore throat. However, chronic conditions likeallergies,acid reflux, and chronic mouth breathing are more often to blame. Although rare, sore throat can also be a sign of head and neck cancer.
Other Causes of Sore Throat
Some less common but sometimes more serious causes of sore throat include:
Cobblestone Throat Symptoms
Cobblestone throat often occurs with other symptoms, such as:
The symptoms you experience depend on the underlying cause.
For example, cobblestone throat that occurs without a cough or nasal congestion most likely points to a bacterial infection.On the other hand, a viral infection is more likely to cause fatigue, muscle aches, headache, and fever in addition to cobblestone throat.
Cobblestone Throat vs. HPVHuman papillomavirus (HPV) can sometimes infect the throat, but HPV does not cause cobblestone-like bumps. While an oral infection of HPV can cause a sore throat, visible lesions usually appear as white or red patches or as a lump in the neck.
Cobblestone Throat vs. HPV
Human papillomavirus (HPV) can sometimes infect the throat, but HPV does not cause cobblestone-like bumps. While an oral infection of HPV can cause a sore throat, visible lesions usually appear as white or red patches or as a lump in the neck.
What Causes Cobblestone Throat?
A stuffy nose withpostnasal drip, a leaking of nasal drainage down the back of your throat, can cause a cobblestone effect.Bacterial and viral infections likestrep throat,colds, and influenza cause the most cases of pharyngitis, but some other common causes include:
Can stress cause cobblestone throat?Stress doesn’t cause cobblestone throat, but it can contribute to some of the conditions that cause cobblestone throat. For example, stress may cause you to adopt unhealthy habits such as poor hydration, which may lead tothroat pain, inflammation, and cobblestone throat.
Can stress cause cobblestone throat?
Stress doesn’t cause cobblestone throat, but it can contribute to some of the conditions that cause cobblestone throat. For example, stress may cause you to adopt unhealthy habits such as poor hydration, which may lead tothroat pain, inflammation, and cobblestone throat.
Could It Be COVID-19?
Cobblestone throat has been reported as a symptom of COVID-19.However, each variant of the illness has unique symptoms, and not all include a sore, cobblestone throat. The same variant can cause different symptoms in each infected person.
Is Cobblestone Throat Contagious?
Cobblestone throat is a symptom, so it is not contagious in itself. However, some of the conditions that lead to cobblestone throat are contagious. Bacterial infections like strep and viral infections like COVID-19can all be passed from person to person.
If you don’t know what caused your symptoms, it is best to stay home until they resolve to avoid potentially spreading your condition to other people.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
An acute sore throat can last up to two weeks, while chronic infections last longer. If your sore throat lingers for more than a few weeks or worsens over time, you should make an appointment to see a healthcare provider.
See a healthcare provider right away if you have trouble swallowing or speaking, if your throat is swollen, or if you are coughing up blood.
Your healthcare provider may be able to diagnose the cause of your symptoms with a simple throat exam. If they suspect a bacterial infection, they may take a throat culture or give you a rapid strep test.
A sore throat that doesn’t go away or includes unusual symptoms could be a sign of more serious problems likethroat cancerorGERD.
Cobblestone Throat Treatment
There isn’t a specific treatment for cobblestone throat. Since it manifests as a symptom of another underlying condition, it will go away once that underlying condition resolves.
In the meantime, over the counter (OTC) pain-relief medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen) may be used to control pain and swelling.
A viral infection usually clears on its own, although healing may take a few weeks. If a bacterial infection like strep throat causes inflammation and swelling, your provider will likely prescribeantibioticsto resolve the infection.
How long does cobblestone throat last?Pharyngitis, which can give your throat a cobblestone appearance, can last for two weeks, but in some cases, it may linger for longer. Your healthcare provider can help you identify a cause and find proper treatment.
How long does cobblestone throat last?
Pharyngitis, which can give your throat a cobblestone appearance, can last for two weeks, but in some cases, it may linger for longer. Your healthcare provider can help you identify a cause and find proper treatment.
Prevention Tips
You can’t avoid every infection, but there are a number of things you can do toreduce your riskof developing pharyngitis. This includes:
Summary
9 SourcesVerywell 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.La Mantia I, Andaloro C.Cobblestone appearance of the nasopharyngeal mucosa.Eurasian J Med. 2017;49(3):220-221. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2017.17257Kundu S, Dutta M, Adhikary B, Ghosh B.Encountering chronic sore throat: How challenging is it for otolaryngologists?.Indian J Otalaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(1):176-181. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1191-5BMJ Best Practice.Acute pharyngitis.Tanz R.Sore throat.Nelson Pediatric Symptom-Based Diagnosis. 2017;1(1):1-14. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-39956-2.00001-7Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pharyngitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group A streptococcal pharyngitis.Inui G, Tomita K, Yamasaki A.Cobblestone throat in a younger patient infected with the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.AJTMH. 2023;109(2):1-2. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.22-0747El-Anwar MW, Elzayat S, Fouad YA.ENT manifestation in COVID-19 patients.Auris Nasus Larynx. 2020;47(4):559-564. doi:10.1016/j.anl.2020.06.003UCLA Health.Hot sauce and other home remedies for a sore throat.
9 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.La Mantia I, Andaloro C.Cobblestone appearance of the nasopharyngeal mucosa.Eurasian J Med. 2017;49(3):220-221. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2017.17257Kundu S, Dutta M, Adhikary B, Ghosh B.Encountering chronic sore throat: How challenging is it for otolaryngologists?.Indian J Otalaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(1):176-181. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1191-5BMJ Best Practice.Acute pharyngitis.Tanz R.Sore throat.Nelson Pediatric Symptom-Based Diagnosis. 2017;1(1):1-14. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-39956-2.00001-7Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pharyngitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group A streptococcal pharyngitis.Inui G, Tomita K, Yamasaki A.Cobblestone throat in a younger patient infected with the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.AJTMH. 2023;109(2):1-2. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.22-0747El-Anwar MW, Elzayat S, Fouad YA.ENT manifestation in COVID-19 patients.Auris Nasus Larynx. 2020;47(4):559-564. doi:10.1016/j.anl.2020.06.003UCLA Health.Hot sauce and other home remedies for a sore throat.
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.
La Mantia I, Andaloro C.Cobblestone appearance of the nasopharyngeal mucosa.Eurasian J Med. 2017;49(3):220-221. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2017.17257Kundu S, Dutta M, Adhikary B, Ghosh B.Encountering chronic sore throat: How challenging is it for otolaryngologists?.Indian J Otalaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(1):176-181. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1191-5BMJ Best Practice.Acute pharyngitis.Tanz R.Sore throat.Nelson Pediatric Symptom-Based Diagnosis. 2017;1(1):1-14. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-39956-2.00001-7Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pharyngitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group A streptococcal pharyngitis.Inui G, Tomita K, Yamasaki A.Cobblestone throat in a younger patient infected with the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.AJTMH. 2023;109(2):1-2. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.22-0747El-Anwar MW, Elzayat S, Fouad YA.ENT manifestation in COVID-19 patients.Auris Nasus Larynx. 2020;47(4):559-564. doi:10.1016/j.anl.2020.06.003UCLA Health.Hot sauce and other home remedies for a sore throat.
La Mantia I, Andaloro C.Cobblestone appearance of the nasopharyngeal mucosa.Eurasian J Med. 2017;49(3):220-221. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2017.17257
Kundu S, Dutta M, Adhikary B, Ghosh B.Encountering chronic sore throat: How challenging is it for otolaryngologists?.Indian J Otalaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(1):176-181. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1191-5
BMJ Best Practice.Acute pharyngitis.
Tanz R.Sore throat.Nelson Pediatric Symptom-Based Diagnosis. 2017;1(1):1-14. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-39956-2.00001-7
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pharyngitis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group A streptococcal pharyngitis.
Inui G, Tomita K, Yamasaki A.Cobblestone throat in a younger patient infected with the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.AJTMH. 2023;109(2):1-2. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.22-0747
El-Anwar MW, Elzayat S, Fouad YA.ENT manifestation in COVID-19 patients.Auris Nasus Larynx. 2020;47(4):559-564. doi:10.1016/j.anl.2020.06.003
UCLA Health.Hot sauce and other home remedies for a sore throat.
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