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Causes of sore throat
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The leading cause of damage to the mucous membrane of the mouth and pharynx is infection. However, it should be noted that the causes of sore throat may also be non-infectious factors: mechanical damage, exposure to tobacco smoke, inhalation of contaminated or supercooled air, overstrain of the vocal apparatus, foreign body in the throat, trauma to the throat, and diseases of other organs and systems.
Causes of sore throat in adults
- Infections (viruses, bacteria, fungi)
- Air Pollution and Poisonous Gases
- Smoking
- Reception of hot or irritating food / drinks
- Chronic cough, overstrain of the vocal cords, or breathing through the mouth
- Drainage of the paranasal sinuses in congestion of mucus
- Overdose of nasal drops or sprays
- Surgical treatment / radiotherapy of larynx diseases
- Ingestion of foreign objects
- Medicines (eg, holinoblokatory)
Infectious causes of sore throat
|
Viruses |
Bacteria |
Mushrooms |
|
Influenza virus Adenoviruses Parainfluenza virus Rhinovirus Enteroviruses Herpes simplex virus The Epstein-Barra virus Respiratory syncytial virus Coronavirus Cytomegalovirus |
Often:
|
Candida albicans Mycobacterium tuberculosis Neisseria gonorrhoeae Neisseria meningitides Corynebacterium dipntheriae |
|
Rarely:
|
Dangerous diseases accompanied by pain in the throat in adults:
- angina pectoris
- myocardial infarction
- malignant neoplasms: oropharyngeal cancer and oral cavity
- infections: diphtheria, abscesses (abscesses) of tonsils and pharynx, HIV infection
- blood diseases
Causes of sore throat in children
Usually, the sore throat in children is a manifestation of a viral infection (less often bacterial)
Other causes of sore throat:
- stomatitis (especially herpetic, aphthous and candidiasis);
- acute epiglottitis, tracheitis or laryngotracheitis (croup);
- foreign bodies in the upper respiratory tract;
- the flow of the discharge from the nose to the back wall of the pharynx, for example, in allergic rhinitis;
- irritation of the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract: dry air, smoke, including with active and passive smoking
Dangerous diseases accompanied by pain in the throat of children
Pain in the throat is observed with acute epiglottitis - inflammation of the epiglottis). Usually this disease occurs in children 2-4 years old. Typical short fever, then suddenly there is a sharp difficulty in breathing and swallowing. Cough is not typical. The disease can result in death if the patient is not hospitalized on time
Time of occurrence of pain in the throat during swallowing is also varied, for example, only in the mornings or in the evenings, periodically or throughout the day, several days, or worse at night. These variants of pain in the throat often accompany the disease, which can be understood only by the otorhinolaryngologist after a detailed examination of the throat with the study of complaints and clinical manifestations.
One of the most common causes of sore throat:
- Viral pharyngitis.
- Angina.
- Paratonzillar abscess.
- Foreign body of throat.
- Injury of pharynx.
- Excessive drying of the throat (dry throat).
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