Sore throat

• Painful sore throat, especially when swallowing
• Scratchy throat
• Dry throat
• Redness in the back of the mouth
• Fever
• Halitosis (bad breath)
• Mild cough
• Swollen neck glands (these are the lymph nodes that can be felt in the hollow between the neck and jawbone)
• Hoarseness
• You might also experience difficulty swallowing, feeling or being sick, headache and fatigue

Causes of infectious sore throat
In up to 95% of cases in adults, a sore throat is caused by a virus.⁴ It is less common for them to be caused by bacteria.⁴

Depending on which part of the throat is infected, they can be called different medical terms:

• Pharyngitis is another name for a general sore throat, it is when the part of the throat behind the soft palate gets inflamed and swollen.⁵ This can be caused by either a viral or bacterial infection.
• If your voice box or vocal cords become swollen, you might have contracted laryngitis, most often due to a viral or bacterial infection.^{8, 9} As well as a sore throat, laryngitis can also cause hoarseness (making it hard to talk), an irritating cough and the desire to constantly clear your throat ⁸
• A common childhood illness that can also affect teenagers and adults, tonsilitis can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection of the tonsils at the back of your throat.¹⁰ Typical symptoms are similar to sore throat, such as difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, and swollen neck glands.¹⁰ More severe symptoms include pus-filled white spots at the back of the throat and bad breath.¹⁰

While antibiotics are often used to treat a sore throat caused by bacteria, these same antibiotics have no effect on viruses.³

Overuse of antibiotics can give rise to antibiotic resistance, which means that they no longer work as well against bacterial infections as they used to.¹¹ This can lead to the development of ‘superbugs’ or multi-resistant germs, such as MRSA.¹¹ Taking them when they are not needed can also lead to unwanted side-effects, therefore antibiotics should only be used under the supervision of a doctor.¹¹

• Drink plenty of fluids – these should be cool or warm
• Eat cool, soft foods
• Suck lozenges, ice lollies, ice cubes and hard sweets (avoid in younger children, however)
• Adults can gargle with warm, salty water
• Use an air humidifier or menthol inhalations to help soothe the airways
• Rest

• Overusing your voice, but don’t whisper as this can actually cause more strain on your throat
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Hot food and drinks as these can cause irritation
• Places where air quality is poor or pollution is high
• Allergens

Sore throats will often heal on their own, and the associated pain can be relieved with home remedies and other topical treatments.³ If your symptoms persist, do not improve, or become more serious, please consult your GP. Here are a few things to look out for:³

• Your symptoms do not improve after 2 weeks or you often get sore throats
• You have a severe sore throat
• You often get a sore throat
• You have a very high temperature
• You are worried about your sore throat

If you have trouble breathing, you are drooling or have difficulty swallowing your saliva or your symptoms suddenly get much worse, then get emergency help.³

Preventing a sore throat requires following good hygiene measures to reduce the risk of picking up the viruses or bacteria that are the most likely causes.^{3, 13}

• Wash your hands regularly^13,14
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze – and bin used tissues straight away^13,14
• Don’t touch your eyes or mouth¹³
• Stop smoking¹⁴
• Drink less alcohol¹⁴