Pharyngitis - sore throat Information | Mount Sinai - New York

To soothe a sore throat, drink warm liquids such as tea with honey or lemon. Gargle a few times a day with warm water mixed with about a half-teaspoon of salt. Share Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Home HealthLibrary Pharyngitis-sorethroat Pharyngitis-bacterial;Sorethroat Share Pharyngitis,orsorethroat,isdiscomfort,pain,orscratchinessinthethroat.Itoftenmakesitpainfultoswallow. Structuresofthethroatincludetheesophagus,trachea,epiglottisandtonsils. Haveyouevergottenareallybadsorethroat?Sobadthatyourthroatfeelsraw,likeit'sbeenrubbedwithsandpaper?Itcanhurtjusttoswallow.Pharyngitisisabigwordthatbasicallymeanssorethroat.It'satypeofsorethroatthat'scausedbyinflammationofthepharynx.Yourpharynxisatubeinthebackofyourthroat.Itsitsbetweenyourtonsilsandyourvoicebox.Whenbacteriaorvirusesgetintoyourthroat,theycancauseaninfectionthatmakesyourpharynxswollen,tender,andred.Thisiscalledpharyngitis.Often,GroupAstrepbacteriacausepharyngitis,knownasstrepthroat.Themainsymptomofpharyngitisisasorethroat,butyoumayalsohaveothersignsofaninfection,suchasafever,headache,jointandmuscleaches,andswollenglandsinyourneck.Yourdoctorwillnoticethatyourpharynxisswollenandredwhenlookingatyourthroat.Youmayalsoneedaswabcalledathroatculturetomakesureyoudon'thavestrepthroat.Ifyoudotestpositiveforstrepthroat,yourdoctorcanprescribeanantibiotictokilloffthebacteria.There'sanothercommontypeofbacteriathatcancausethroatinfections:Fusobacteriumnecrophorum.IcallitF-throat.AntibioticsareimportantforF-throat.Butpharyngitisthat'scausedbyaviruswon'tgetbetterwithantibiotics.You'lljustneedtotakecareofyourselfandwaitforyourbodytofightofftheinfection.Tosootheasorethroat,drinkwarmliquidssuchasteawithhoneyorlemon.Gargleafewtimesadaywithwarmwatermixedwithaboutahalf-teaspoonofsalt.Sleepwithacool-mistvaporizertokeepyourthroatmoist.Popsiclesmaybesoothing.Andsuckoncoughdropsorlozenges.Ifyourthroatisreallyraw,youcantakeanover-the-counterpainreliever.Sorethroatsaremorecommonduringthewintermonths,sowashyourhandsoftenandtrytonotbetooclosetopeoplewhoaresick.Ifyoudogetasorethroat,stayhomeandrestuntilyoufeelbetter,oratleastuntilthere'sbeennofeverfor24hours.Keepwashingyourhandsoftensoyoudon'tpasstheinfectiontootherpeopleinyourfamily.Pharyngitisshouldgoawayinafewdays,butifitdoesn't,callyourdoctor.Alsocallifyouhaveaveryhighfever,arash,orswollenglands.Getemergencyhelprightawayifyouhavetroublebreathing. Causes Pharyngitisiscausedbyswellinginthebackofthethroat(pharynx)betweenthetonsilsandthevoicebox(larynx).Mostsorethroatsarecausedbycolds,theflu,coxsackievirusormono(mononucleosis).Bacteriathatcancausepharyngitisinsomecases:StrepthroatiscausedbygroupAstreptococcus.Lesscommonly,bacterialdiseases suchasgonorrheaandchlamydiacancausesorethroat.Mostcasesofpharyngitisoccurduringthecoldermonths.Theillnessoftenspreadsamongfamilymembersandclosecontacts. Symptoms Themainsymptomisasorethroat.Othersymptomsmayinclude:FeverHeadacheJointpainandmuscleachesSkinrashesSwollenlymphnodes(glands)intheneck ExamsandTests Yourhealthcareproviderwillperformaphysicalexamandlookatyourthroat.Arapidtestorthroatculturetotestforstrepthroatmaybedone.Otherlaboratorytestsmaybedone,dependingonthesuspectedcause. Treatment Mostsorethroatsarecausedbyviruses.Antibioticsdonothelpviralsorethroats.Usingthesemedicineswhentheyarenotneededleadstoantibioticsnotworkingaswellwhentheyareneeded.Sorethroatis treatedwithantibioticsif:Astreptestorcultureispositive.Yourprovidercannotdiagnosestrepthroatbysymptomsoraphysicalexamalone.Acultureforchlamydiaorgonorrheaispositive.Sorethroatcausedbytheflu(influenza)maybehelpedbyantiviralmedicines.Thefollowingtipsmayhelpyoursorethroatfeelbetter:Drinksoothingliquids.Youcaneitherdrinkwarmliquids,suchaslemonteawithhoney,orcoldliquids,suchasicewater.Youcouldalsosuckonafruit-flavoredicepop.Gargleseveraltimesadaywithwarmsaltwater(1/2tspor3gramsofsaltin1cupor240millilitersofwater).Suckonhardcandiesorthroatlozenges.Youngchildrenshouldnotbegiven theseproductsbecausetheycanchokeonthem.Useof acool-mistvaporizerorhumidifiercanmoistentheairandsootheadryandpainfulthroat.Tryover-the-counterpainmedicines,suchasacetaminophen. PossibleComplications Complicationsmayinclude:EarinfectionSinusitisAbscessnearthetonsils WhentoContactaMedicalProfessional Contactyourproviderif:YoudevelopasorethroatthatdoesnotgoawayafterseveraldaysYouhaveahighfever,swollenlymphnodesinyourneck,orarashSeekmedicalcarerightawayifyouhaveasorethroatandtroublebreathing. References FloresAR,CasertaMT.Pharyngitis.In:BennettJE,DolinR,BlaserMJ,eds.Mandell,Douglas,andBennett'sPrinciplesandPracticeofInfectiousDiseases.9thed.Philadelphia,PA:Elsevier;2020:chap59.HarrisAM,HicksLA,QaseemA;HighValueCareTaskForceoftheAmericanCollegeofPhysiciansandfortheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.Appropriateantibioticuseforacuterespiratorytractinfectioninadults:adviceforhigh-valuecarefromtheAmericanCollegeofPhysiciansandtheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.AnnInternMed.2016;164(6):425-434.PMID:26785402www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26785402/.ShulmanST,BisnoAL,CleggHW,etal.ClinicalpracticeguidelineforthediagnosisandmanagementofgroupAstreptococcalpharyngitis:2012updatebytheInfectiousDiseasesSocietyofAmerica.ClinInfectDis.2012;55(10):e86-e102.PMID:22965026www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22965026/.TanzRR.Acutepharyngitis.In:KliegmanRM,St.GemeJW,BlumNJ,ShahSS,TaskerRC,WilsonKM,eds.NelsonTextbookofPediatrics.21sted.Philadelphia,PA:Elsevier;2020:chap409.vanDrielML,DeSutterAI,HabrakenH,ThorningS,ChristiaensT.DifferentantibiotictreatmentsforgroupAstreptococcalpharyngitis.CochraneDatabaseSystRev.2016;9:CD004406.PMID:27614728www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27614728/. VersionInfo Lastreviewedon:7/19/2021 Reviewedby:LindaJ.Vorvick,MD,ClinicalAssociateProfessor,DepartmentofFamilyMedicine,UWMedicine,SchoolofMedicine,UniversityofWashington,Seattle,WA.AlsoreviewedbyDavidZieve,MD,MHA,MedicalDirector,BrendaConaway,EditorialDirector,andtheA.D.A.M.Editorialteam. FindaDoctor RequestanAppointment RelatedArticles Rheumaticfever close× close×