What is a sore throat? (What causes a sore throat in Edinburgh)
A sore throat is an irritation or pain in the throat that occurs when doing activities such as talking or swallowing. It’s not always caused by an underlying health condition. It can be caused by alcohol, tobacco, strained throat muscles, spices, or dryness. The most common sign related to a sore throat is pain. Keep reading to find out more about what causes a sore throat in Edinburgh and how to treat it.
A good number of sore throat cases are caused by environmental factors like dry air and infections. However, a sore throat normally goes away on its own without any treatment, even though it can get really uncomfortable.
How can I tell if I have a sore throat?
Symptoms related to a sore throat vary depending on the cause. These symptoms are:
– Tenderness
– Dry throat
– Burning sensation
– Scratchy feeling
– Irritation
The throat and tonsils can also turn red, and talking or swallowing can make the symptoms worse.
Other symptoms can be:
– Appetite loss
– Body aches
– Nasal congestion
– Headache
– Fever
– Swelling of neck glands
– Runny nose
– Chills
– Swallowing problems
What causes a sore throat in Edinburgh?
A lot of sore throat cases can result from viruses that cause the flu and common cold. It’s rare for bacterial infections to lead to a sore throat.
Viral infections
The viral infections associated with a sore throat are:
– Flu (influenza)
– Mono (mononucleosis)
– Common cold
– Chickenpox
– Measles
– A childhood ailment known as Croup
– COVID-19
Bacterial infections
Some bacterial infections can result in a sore throat, the most known being group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes), leading to strep throat.
Other causes of a sore throat in Edinburgh
Other causes of sore throat are:
– Allergies. Allergic reactions to certain substances such as molds, dander, pollen, and dust can lead to a sore throat. Postnasal drip may complicate the situation by irritating and inflaming the throat.
– Dryness. Dry air can result in a scratchy and rough throat. Breathing through the mouth, especially due to nasal blockage, can also lead to a dry, sore throat.
– Irritants. Both indoor and outdoor air pollution due to chemicals or tobacco smoke can result in a chronic sore throat. Throat irritation can also be caused by eating spicy foods, drinking alcohol, and chewing tobacco.
– Muscle strain. Throat muscles can be strained by talking loudly, yelling, or talking for a long time without a break.
– Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). This is a digestive system complication whereby the stomach acids climb back into the esophagus (food pipe). Other signs and symptoms associated with this condition are hoarseness, heartburn and regurgitation of stomach contents.
– HIV infection. People who are infected with HIV can sometimes experience a sore throat, with other symptoms related to flu. Persons with HIV may also suffer from recurring or chronic sore throat because of a fungal infection referred to as oral thrush or a viral infection known as cytomegalovirus (CMV), which can turn out to be severe for people with weakened immune systems.
– Tumors. Cancerous tumors in the throat, larynx (voice box), and mouth can lead to a sore throat. Other signs and symptoms that accompany these tumors are swallowing difficulties, lump in the neck, hoarseness, bloody phlegm or saliva, and noisy breathing.
What are the home remedies for a sore throat?
Many home remedies can be effective in treating a normal sore throat. You should start by getting plenty of rest to give your immune system enough room to deal with the infection.
There are also a number of ways you can minimise the pain that comes with a sore throat:
– Drinking warm fluids that give your throat a soothing feeling. These fluids can be warm soup, warm water mixed with lemon, hot tea with honey, or herbal tea, which has especially proven to be really effective in treating a sore throat.
– Gargling with warm water mixed with half to a full teaspoon of salt
– Cold treats such as ice cream can help in cooling and numbing the throat
– Sucking on hard sweets can coat your throat with sugar, which is a demulcent
– Clearing your nose of mucus using a nasal spray from a site like https://serp.co/best/airmax-nasal-dilator/
can help to reduce mouth-breathing and post-nasal drip
– Keep your voice rested by talking less until your throat feels better
Check out our previous blog post on how to stay healthy this winter and avoid infections such as a sore throat:
How will Newington Pharmacy Help with the Minor Ailments Scheme?
You can get in touch with Newington pharmacy at any time to get treatment for a sore throat as well as get more insight on how to deal with the symptoms associated with it. We treat a sore throat under our NHS Minor Ailments Scheme. These treatments may include:
– Pracetamol and ibuprofen
– Medicated lozenges that include anti-inflammatory medicines, antiseptic, or anaesthetic
– Anaesthetic spray
You can learn more about other minor ailments that we treat under the NHS Minor Ailments Scheme here.
This blog post was written on behalf of Newington Pharmacy by Pharmacy Mentor.