What Causes Throat Pain? How To Relieve it By Home Remedies?

Sore throat is commonly caused by viral, not bacterial infections where antibiotics is not required. Further allergy and acid reflux can also contribute to throat pain. Thus, home remedies are increasingly advised to provide relief from mild throat pain such as gargling with warm salt water and over the counter pain killers.

However, if sore throat is not going away in 5-7 days or you are not able to maintain usual food intake than its time to visit your ENT Specialist for treatment.

Causes of throat pain:

Infection by contagious viruses and bacteria are reasons of majority of throat infection.

Virus Infection: Viral infections such as cold, flu, measles, chicken pox and infectious mononucleosis are often associated with throat infection. There could be runny nose, fever, muscle aches and swollen glands in the neck.

Bacterial infection: Strep throat caused by streptococcus bacteria. It is treated by antibiotics as same bacteria can cause scarlet fever or damage heart valves and kidneys. Sending throat swab for bacterial culture is the only way to confirm diagnosis.

Tonsillitis and sinus: Infection can also cause a sore throat.

Epiglottitis: Epiglottitis is a dangerous type of throat infection and an emergency condition. Symptoms like painful swallowing, drooling of saliva, muffled speech and difficulty in breathing are a few of the symptoms indicating that throat pain could be epiglottitis.

Allergy to dust, pollen and mold are common causes of sore throats.

Irritation caused by dry heat/ dry air, smoking, pollutants, chemicals can also result in sore throat.

Acid reflux, or a regurgitation of stomach content into the throat is a common cause of throat pain, patients usually describe symptoms as feeling of some lump in throat or as if hair is stuck along with pain or raw sensation in throat.

Tumors of the throat and tongue can also cause sore throat along with other associated symptoms, important being hoarse voice, difficulty in swallowing, difficulty in breathing, blood from mouth and weight loss.

HIV infection or lowered immunity can also cause a recurrent or chronic sore throat.

Treatment of Throat pain:

If diagnosed as bacterial infection, ENT doctor will prescribe a suitable antibiotic along with supportive medications.

Viral infection lowers your immunity thus, making you susceptible to secondary bacterial infection. Thus doctor may recommend antibiotics at some stage of your viral throat pain.