Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTop 6 CausesAccompanying SymptomsDo You Have to Treat Chronic Pharyngitis?Treatment (Without Fever)Treatment (With Fever)Misdiagnosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Top 6 Causes
Accompanying Symptoms
Do You Have to Treat Chronic Pharyngitis?
Treatment (Without Fever)
Treatment (With Fever)
Misdiagnosis
Chronicpharyngitis—also known as a chronicsore throat—lasts longer than a common sore throat. Though most sore throats last five to 10 days, the chronic form can last up to 12 weeks or longer. It can also occur as a sore throat that comes and goes.
A chronic sore throat can appear as a common symptom of aviral or bacterial infection. It can also be related to other causes likeallergies, pollution, or tumors.
Treatment of a chronic sore throat depends on the cause of the problem. You may be advised to use certain drugs, remove triggers, or have surgery to treat the problem.
This article describes chronic pharyngitis causes and treatments. It also includes the risks of leaving certain types of chronic sore throats untreated.
skynesher / Getty Images
Sore Throat
Causes: Why Does Chronic Pharyngitis Linger?
The following conditions are the most common causes of chronic pharyngitis that lingers:
1. Viral Infections
Viral infectionsare diseases that occur when a virus enters the body of a living host and invades normal cells. The virus uses these cells to multiply and produce other viruses like themselves. Examples of viral infections that can cause chronic pharyngitis include the following:
2. Bacterial Infections
Bacterial infectionsresult from harmful types of bacteria, which are single, complex cells that invade your body. Bacteria can survive inside or outside your body and without the need for a host. Bacterial infections occur when there are too many harmful bacteria for yourimmune systemto fight.
Examples of bacterial infections that can cause chronic pharyngitis include the following:
3. Allergies
Allergiesoccur when your body encounters a substance that it identifies as threatening your well-being. Even if the substance is harmless, your immune system produces antibodies to fight them. The antibodies release chemicals that result in allergic reactions.
The following allergies can cause symptoms that include chronic pharyngitis:
4. Irritation
Certain internal and external factors can cause irritations that lead to chronic pharyngitis. These factors can cause chronic pharyngitis until you are no longer encountering the substance or condition that caused them.
Factors that can trigger chronic pharyngitis include the following environmental factors;
Chronic pharyngitis can also occur when your throat is irritated due to the following physical conditions:
5. Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR)
Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR)is a condition in which yourupper esophageal sphincteris damaged. When this occurs, it allows the acid that has flowed back into youresophagusto enter your throat andlarynx(voice box). The acidic substance irritates your throat, causing chronic pharyngitis.
6. Tumors
Chronic pharyngitis can occur as a symptom ofbenign(non-cancerous) ormalignant(cancerous) tumors. Tumors that can cause a sore throat typically include throat, tongue, and larynx tumors.
Viral vs. Bacterial InfectionsChronic pharyngitis can occur as a symptom of a viral or bacterial infection. Both conditions can cause severe throat pain and other symptoms ranging from mild to life-threatening.However, these diseases differ in the types of germs that cause them. Viruses cause viral infections, while bacteria cause bacterial infections. The difference is vital to getting the right treatment.Antibioticsonly treat bacterial infections like strep throat and whooping cough. These drugs do not work on viruses. Using antibiotics to treat a viral infection is useless and can leave you vulnerable to the side effects of these drugs without the benefits.
Viral vs. Bacterial Infections
Chronic pharyngitis can occur as a symptom of a viral or bacterial infection. Both conditions can cause severe throat pain and other symptoms ranging from mild to life-threatening.However, these diseases differ in the types of germs that cause them. Viruses cause viral infections, while bacteria cause bacterial infections. The difference is vital to getting the right treatment.Antibioticsonly treat bacterial infections like strep throat and whooping cough. These drugs do not work on viruses. Using antibiotics to treat a viral infection is useless and can leave you vulnerable to the side effects of these drugs without the benefits.
Accompanying Chronic Sore Throat Symptoms
Other symptoms of a chronic sore throat can include the following:
Is Treatment for Chronic Pharyngitis Optional?
How to Treat Chronic Sore Throat Without Fever
Treatment for a chronic sore throat without fever usually involves therapies to reduce pain and other bothersome symptoms. These therapies can include:
If you have a sore throat for two weeks or longer without a fever, your sore throat may result from a factor other than a viral infection. Consult your healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis. Therapies will vary to treat the cause of your pain and may include the following:
How a Sore Throat Is Treated
How to Treat Chronic Sore Throat With Fever
A chronic sore throat with fever requires medical attention for a proper diagnosis. Fever is often a symptom of many bacterial infections. Though a fever can occur in viral and bacterial infections, a high fever may indicate a serious bacterial infection.
Treatment of strep throat includes the same types of symptom relief for treating chronic sore throat without fever. In addition, you will likely be prescribed one of the followingantibiotics that treat strep throat:
If your chronic pharyngitis is the result of another bacterial infection, another class of antibiotics may be prescribed.
Every Antibiotics Question You Have, Answered
Misdiagnosed Chronic Pharyngitis
Misdiagnosed chronic pharyngitis can delay treatment and allow symptoms to remain and possibly worsen, affecting your quality of life. Chronic bacterial pharyngitis misdiagnosed as chronic viral pharyngitis can allow the bacteria to reproduce and potentially spread to other parts of your body.
Because chronic pharyngitis can be a symptom of other conditions, it can be misdiagnosed as the following:
Summary
Chronic pharyngitis is a sore throat that lasts longer than most common coughs. It can also come and go in many attacks.
The problem can occur alone or as a symptom of another ailment. It is common for a chronic sore throat to be the result of a virus or bacteria. The problem can also occur from a range of other ailments, ranging from external factors to cancer.
Treatment can include drugs, changing your environment, or surgery. It may also involve treating symptoms while you allow the problem to resolve itself.
It’s important to learn the source of chronic pharyngitis that endures without progress. Some causes, such as bacterial infections and cancer, can worsen with delays in treatment.
6 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.Kundu S, Dutta M, Adhikary BK, Ghosh B.Encountering chronic sore throat: how challenging is it for the otolaryngologists?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(Suppl 1):176-181. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1191-5American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.Sore throats.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sore throat.OSF Healthcare.What to know about strep throat.National Institutes of Health.Soothing a sore throat.Li Z, Huang J, Hu Z.Screening and diagnosis of chronic pharyngitis based on deep learning.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(10):1688. doi:10.3390/ijerph16101688
6 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.Kundu S, Dutta M, Adhikary BK, Ghosh B.Encountering chronic sore throat: how challenging is it for the otolaryngologists?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(Suppl 1):176-181. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1191-5American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.Sore throats.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sore throat.OSF Healthcare.What to know about strep throat.National Institutes of Health.Soothing a sore throat.Li Z, Huang J, Hu Z.Screening and diagnosis of chronic pharyngitis based on deep learning.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(10):1688. doi:10.3390/ijerph16101688
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.
Kundu S, Dutta M, Adhikary BK, Ghosh B.Encountering chronic sore throat: how challenging is it for the otolaryngologists?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(Suppl 1):176-181. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1191-5American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.Sore throats.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sore throat.OSF Healthcare.What to know about strep throat.National Institutes of Health.Soothing a sore throat.Li Z, Huang J, Hu Z.Screening and diagnosis of chronic pharyngitis based on deep learning.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(10):1688. doi:10.3390/ijerph16101688
Kundu S, Dutta M, Adhikary BK, Ghosh B.Encountering chronic sore throat: how challenging is it for the otolaryngologists?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(Suppl 1):176-181. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1191-5
American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.Sore throats.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sore throat.
OSF Healthcare.What to know about strep throat.
National Institutes of Health.Soothing a sore throat.
Li Z, Huang J, Hu Z.Screening and diagnosis of chronic pharyngitis based on deep learning.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(10):1688. doi:10.3390/ijerph16101688
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?
