Throat Ulcer Symptoms

Throat ulcers are one of the most painful conditions that can affect the oral and digestive tract. There are many conditions that can lead to throat ulcers. These vary right from sexually transmitted diseases to physical trauma to the throat and idiopathic causes. As there are so many varied causes of throat ulcer, symptoms and treatment for this condition will also vary accordingly. Given below are the various symptoms depending on the type of disease causing them.

Throat Ulcers Due to Candidiasis
Candidiasis is a fungal infection that is caused due to Candida albicans. Also known as oral thrush, this condition is mostly seen in people who have low immunity or who are severely immunocompromised, like people who have AIDS. When a person has a throat yeast infection, the ulcer symptoms in throat first appear as a white patch. This white patch may or may not be scrapable, although it is advisable to not scrape it intentionally for fear of spread of infection. If scraped off, it reveals a raw, red and bleeding surface on the throat. These white spots on throat are usually painful and lead to a burning sensation, especially while swallowing.

Throat Ulcers Due to Herpes
One of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases is herpes. Herpes can be genital or oral in nature. Oral herpes can spread from the mouth and the inner cheek lining to the throat. Herpes in throat leads to symptoms like blisters near the uvula and the soft palate. If these small blisters burst, then they tend to lead to painful scars that cause severe burning sensation in throat. The person will also often have difficulty swallowing and so, may lose his or her appetite, which in turn, could lead to weight loss. Some general symptoms, like fever, malaise and headache may also be seen.

Throat Ulcers Due to Canker Sores
A canker sore on tonsil or throat is said to be one of the most painful conditions that can affect the mouth or the oral cavity. Canker soresare nothing but aphthous ulcers. This is a condition where there is a painful and open sore inside the mouth that occurs due to a break in the surface of the mucous membrane. This is a non-contagious condition and the exact cause of it is not known, but vitamin deficiency has been implicated. These ulcers usually lead to symptoms like slight burning sensation just before they are visible in the throat. They eventually appear as a red spot after which there is a break in the mucous membrane and formation of an open ulcer or sore in throat. This ulcer appears as a white or yellow ulcer with inflamed, red colored borders. The ulcer is very painful and leads to a sharp burning sensation and causes immense amount of throat pain when swallowing.

These were the various throat ulcers symptoms depending on the underlying condition causing them. Based on the symptoms alone, more often than not, a diagnosis can be reached. However, there are times when a detailed history and further tests also need to be done to reach a final diagnosis, only after which a treatment plan can be chalked out. It is best to not take the throat ulcer symptoms and signs lightly, as the throat is a very strategically placed part of the body. Any infection can easily spread from the throat to digestive tract and the rest of the body. Hence, one must always get this condition diagnosed and treated at the earliest.