You must have suffered from sore throat once in your life. One of the reasons behind the sore throat is throat infections. Throat infections are as common as a headache. But all throat infections are not the same. The cause behind them is usually different.
The irritation or scratchiness in the throat is the condition that is known as a sore throat. You must have noticed that sometimes this soreness needs treatment and sometimes it subsides on its own. You can consult the best general physician in Karachi if you have this type of symptoms.
What are the causes of a sore throat?
Here are the main causes of sore throat;
- Viral infections (like cold, flu)
- Bacterial infections (like strep throat)
- Allergies
- Irritants like smoke, chemicals
- Injuries
- Tumor
- Acid reflux from the stomach
What are the symptoms of a sore throat?
If you have a sore throat, you may feel the following symptoms;
- Pain or scratchy sensation in the throat
- Pain while swallowing anything
- Inflammation in glands in your throat
- Inflamed tonsils
- Pus in your tonsils
- Muffled voice
How can I identify the infectious sore throat?
If you have the following symptoms along with sore throat, your sore throat is due to viral or bacterial infection;
- Fever
- Cough
- Sneezing
- Sputum with cough
- Runny nose
- Body aches
- Nausea or maybe vomiting
Types of throat infections
Most throat infections are viral infections. In viral infections, cold and flu are examples. These infections resolve on their own usually. The patient suffers from low-grade fever in this case. The cough is also mild with little or no sputum.
While in the case of bacterial infections, the patient suffers from high-grade fever with a sore throat. The sputum production is also high that’s why productive cough can be seen in these cases. This type of infection needs antibiotics for treatment, otherwise, fever does not subside. The most common example of bacterial throat infection is strep throat, an infection of the throat and tonsils caused by the group Streptococci bacteria. In children, 40 percent of throat infections are due to these bacteria.
Home remedies for sore throat
You can try these home remedies, if your symptoms are mild usually in viral infections, before going for medications;
- Gargles with table saltwater solution
- Sucking the lozenges
- Drinking ginger tea
- Take honey in warm water
- Take cinnamon decoction
Sore throat is not a big problem unless it is left untreated. It may worsen and cause severe damage to your tonsils and immune system. It is always better to treat the illness in its early stages. You can consult the best general physician in Karachi through Marham.
Marham is also providing an online consultation facility, where you can find and consult the best doctors in Pakistan through online video consultation. Marham’s official website and mobile app provide this facility. It’s a trustworthy method of consultation that is only a click away now. Your privacy is Marham’s priority as your information is highly confidential.