Recurring Sore Throat

One of the frequent illnesses affecting people is sore throat. Sore throat is an infection in the upper respiratory tract. It is also known as ‘pharyngitis’. However, only 10 to 20% of the patients are diagnosed with strep throat. The symptoms of strep throat and recurring sore throat overlap which makes diagnosis based on clinical grounds very difficult. For recurring sore throat, a swab of the throat is normally taken, to identify the cause of sore throat.

Children and adolescents are more prone to recurring sore throats than adults as adults usually develop immunity towards it. Children usually get a sore throat due to viral infection and in addition have running nose and/or cough. Sore throats are contagious, hence, proper precautions should be taken.

Recurring Sore Throat Causes
Causes of sore throat are:

• Common viruses, viruses causing flu, Epstein-Barr virus can cause sore throat. There are some viruses which can also cause blisters in the mouth and throat. Read more on epstein-barr virus.
• If a person breathes through his mouth, it can cause dry and sore throat.
• Tonsillitis is the most common cause of sore throat in children.
• Draining of the sinus can cause sore throat.
• Sore throat can also be caused due to smoking.
• Breathing polluted air in big cities frequently causes sore throat.
• Hay Fever is also commonly known to cause sore throat. Read all about hay fever for more information.
• Drinking alcohol causes dehydration and also dries the throat, causing sore throat.
• Almost anything and everything under the sun can causes allergies which can give rise to hay fever.

Recurring sore throat swollen glands is a result of glands working overtime to fight the bacteria or virus causing the recurring sore throat. Recurring sore throat and fever is caused due to streptococcus bacteria. Rapid strep test is conducted to find out the exact cause of sore throat. The results of this test take about 15 minutes. However, rapid strep test is unable to tell if the cause of sore throat is bacteria. Hence, although the results will take about 24 hours to come, a throat culture test is more accurate.

Treating Recurring Sore Throat Caused By Bacteria
If, according to the swab analysis report, the recurring sore throat is caused by streptococcus bacteria, a course of an antibiotic (like penicillin) is normally prescribed. If a patient is allergic to penicillin, alternative drugs are prescribed. In case the infection is caused by a bacteria other than streptococcus, instead of penicillin, another type of antibiotic may be prescribed. For information on sore throat home remedies, click here.

Treating Recurring Sore Throat Caused By Virus
Antibiotics are not useful to treat an infection caused by virus. If a sore throat is caused by a bacteria, it will take its own course and then go away. Normally, viral infection takes anywhere between 7 to 10 days to go away. If Epstein-Barr virus has caused the sore throat, it may take a minimum of 4 weeks to go away. When sore throat is caused by epstein-barr virus, plenty of rest is recommended, to the extent that you should not strain yourself by exercising. To treat headache or any other aches, any pain killers can be taken. Read more on sore throat cure.

Treating Recurring Sore Throat Caused By Allergy
The first step would be to find out what are you allergic to? In my case, for example, I get a recurring sore throat if I breathe in polluted air. You will have to seek help from your health care professional to find out what is triggering allergies in you. If the condition is bad, your health care professional may prescribe some medicines which will help in curing you of this allergic sore throat. Here's more on sore throat treatment.

Home Remedies To Treat Sore Throat
The age old remedy of gargling with warm salt water helps in treating sore throat. If available, you can also add turmeric to the salt water. Throat lozenges, frozen desserts will help in keeping the throat well hydrated, as sore throat is often accompanied by dry throat. If the room you spend maximum amount of time in is dry, it is advisable to use a humidifier in that room. Similarly, use a humidifier in your bedroom as well before you go to bed. Keep yourself well hydrated. Consume a lot of liquids. It is recommended to drink warm soups for lunch and dinner. This will help to soothe a sore throat. Read more on sore throat remedies.

If you have been suffering from recurring sore throat, here is a tip, which will help you to fight sore throat. Washing hands frequently (certainly before eating) is the tip. Children are most affected with recurring sore throat and cough. Therefore, not long ago, tonsils were removed to avoid recurring sore throat infection but now it is not the same because as the child grows older, he develops immunity.