Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesSymptomsTreatmentTestingAt-Home Care

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Causes

Symptoms

Treatment

Testing

At-Home Care

Sore throats account for approximately 12 million outpatient healthcare visits annually, about half of which involve children and adolescents.

Viruses like a cold or flu cause most sore throats and typically go away on their own. Group A strep—theStreptococcusbacterium that causes strep throat—is the most common bacterial cause of sore throat. It accounts for 15% of sore throats in adults and up to 30% in children and typically requires antibiotic treatment.

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Woman sitting at home with her hand to her throat, wondering “why does my throat hurt when I swallow?"

My Throat Hurts When Swallowing: Why?

When the mucous membranes in your throat become swollen or inflamed, a sore throat (sometimes known aspharyngitis) can develop, making it painful when swallowing.The most common cause of a sore throat is a virus, but sore throats can also result from:

Feeling: Symptoms of Swallowing Pain in Throat

Throat pain is the most common sore throat symptom. However, you may also experience additional symptoms, including:

Causes of a Sore Throat With No Other Symptoms

When to Medically Treat Swallowing Throat Pain

If your sore throat remains for five to seven days, your symptoms worsen, or you experience any new symptoms, such as those described below, follow up with a healthcare provider:

Testing to Confirm Swallowing Throat Pain

When you seek testing to confirm throat pain when swallowing, a healthcare provider will perform the following:

There are two options for strep tests. They may order a rapid strep test, which is 70% to 90% effective at identifying Group A strep; these results are usually available within a few minutes. Depending on the results of your rapid test and your symptoms, the provider may send a sample of your throat secretions to a lab for additional testing, which takes 24 to 28 hours but produces more definitive results.

Causes of Throat Pain and Treatment Options

How to Relieve Throat Pain

Should I Go to the ER or Urgent Care?The American College of Emergency Physicians recommends the following to help you decide whether to seek care at an emergency department or urgent care:Emergency departmentsare available 24 hours a day, seven days a week year-round and are considered the best choice for any severe illness or injury.Urgent careis an excellent choice for less severe illness or injury; many are open after many primary care healthcare providers.

Should I Go to the ER or Urgent Care?

The American College of Emergency Physicians recommends the following to help you decide whether to seek care at an emergency department or urgent care:Emergency departmentsare available 24 hours a day, seven days a week year-round and are considered the best choice for any severe illness or injury.Urgent careis an excellent choice for less severe illness or injury; many are open after many primary care healthcare providers.

The American College of Emergency Physicians recommends the following to help you decide whether to seek care at an emergency department or urgent care:

Summary

A sore throat results from swollen or inflamed mucous membranes in your throat, resulting in pain and other symptoms. Most sore throats are due to a viral infection and usually resolve independently within five to seven days. Since viral infections cannot be treated with antibiotics, recommended care includes lukewarm salt water gargles, OTC painkillers, drinking plenty of fluids, and rest.

If the sore throat symptoms worsen, or symptoms occur like pain with opening the mouth or fever reaches 100.4 degrees F or higher, you should see a healthcare provider for further evaluation.

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.Wolford RW, Goyal A, Belgam Syed SY, et al.Pharyngitis. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519550/Ashurst JV, Edgerley-Gibb L.Streptococcal pharyngitis. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525997/National Health Service.Sore throat.Harvard Health.Sore throat (pharyngitis).National Library of Medicine.Pharyngitis.American College of Emergency Physicians.Emergency care vs. urgent care: what’s the difference?

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.Wolford RW, Goyal A, Belgam Syed SY, et al.Pharyngitis. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519550/Ashurst JV, Edgerley-Gibb L.Streptococcal pharyngitis. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525997/National Health Service.Sore throat.Harvard Health.Sore throat (pharyngitis).National Library of Medicine.Pharyngitis.American College of Emergency Physicians.Emergency care vs. urgent care: what’s the difference?

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.

Wolford RW, Goyal A, Belgam Syed SY, et al.Pharyngitis. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519550/Ashurst JV, Edgerley-Gibb L.Streptococcal pharyngitis. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525997/National Health Service.Sore throat.Harvard Health.Sore throat (pharyngitis).National Library of Medicine.Pharyngitis.American College of Emergency Physicians.Emergency care vs. urgent care: what’s the difference?

Wolford RW, Goyal A, Belgam Syed SY, et al.Pharyngitis. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519550/

Ashurst JV, Edgerley-Gibb L.Streptococcal pharyngitis. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525997/

National Health Service.Sore throat.

Harvard Health.Sore throat (pharyngitis).

National Library of Medicine.Pharyngitis.

American College of Emergency Physicians.Emergency care vs. urgent care: what’s the difference?

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