When we talk about a sore throat, we refer to a painful inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the pharynx. This condition is also called pharyngitis, and usually, it is associated with colds or influenza. It is known that sore throats usually heal by themselves, but they should not be ignored, because there can appear complications. A sore throat can appear because of a viral infection, a bacterial infection, or because of the environmental conditions.



Sore throats appear more often in the winter season, and the most affected are the children. Acute sore throats appear suddenly and usually last 3-7 days, but a chronic sore throat lasts longer, and appears because of an unresolved underlying condition or disease.

About 90-95% of all sore throats are caused by viruses, and usually, responsible for these are the cold and flu viruses. There appears an inflammation in the throat, and sometimes, tonsillitis can appear as well. There also appear symptoms characteristic to a cold: a runny nose, cough, congestion, hoarseness, conjunctivitis, and fever. The level of the pain from the throat varies, from mild to very severe, making difficult for the patient to eat, breathe, swallow, or speak

Another group of viruses, the adenoviruses cause sore throats and they also cause infections of the lungs and ears. The symptoms that appear are those mentioned before, and also: runny nose, white bumps on the tonsils and throat, cough, mild diarrhea, vomiting, and a rash.

The coxsackie virus is another type of viruses that can cause a severe sore throat. It is known that it can cause a disease called herpangina, common in children up to age ten. Herpangina is sometimes called the summer sore throat, because it appears more often in the summer or early autumn.

After the person was exposed to the virus, in about 3-6 days a sudden sore throat appears, and also a high fever. There also form tiny grayish-white blisters on the throat and in the mouth, which fester, becoming small ulcers. Persons with herpangina may vomit, have abdominal pain, feel very bad, and the throat pain is often severe.

When the Epstein-Barr virus infects one specific type of lymphocyte, there appears mononucleosis, also known as the kissing disease. One of the main symptoms of mononucleosis is a severe sore throat.

It is known that viral sore throats are contagious, they pass from person to person when sneezing and coughing. There is no sure way to tell if a sore throat was provoked by a viral infection or by bacteria, unless there are performed some laboratory tests.

About 5-10% of all sore throats are caused by bacteria. Group A Streptococcus provokes a type of infection called strep throat. It is known that anyone can have a strep throat, but it appears more frequently in children.

A severe sore throat can also appear because of the pharyngeal gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted bacterial disease.

It is known that not all the sore throats are caused by an infection. Pharyngitis can appear because of the heavy alcohol consumption, breathing polluted air or chemical fumes, heavy smoking or breathing secondhand smoke and other factors. People who breathe through their mouths at night because of nasal congestion can also get a sore throat, but that improves during the day. It is also known that postnasal drip can irritate the throat and make it sore. A thing that is good to know is that sore throat caused by environmental conditions is not contagious.