Symptoms of a sore throat
Synonyms
Cold, hoarseness, sore throat, throat pain
introduction
Patients with a sore throat usually complain of an initially rough feeling in the back of the neck and in the throat. At times the rough feeling is accompanied by slight swallowing disorders with pain. Within a very short time this feeling will be replaced by moderate to severe pain in this area. Characteristically, the pain only occurs when swallowing. (please refer: Pain when swallowing)
The patients are usually symptom-free between swallowing processes. In particular, the intake of food (nutrition) and in this case solid food is pain-causing.
Depending on the underlying disease, the sore throat is also accompanied by fever, skin rashes, and moderate to severe headache and body aches, as well as a feeling of weakness and poor general well-being. In the case of bacterial infections, white deposits can sometimes be found on the tonsils. In the case of viral infections, this evidence is usually missing. Sore throats caused by pharyngitis (inflammation of the throat) usually result in spontaneous healing.
After approx. 3 days, the sore throats have subsided in half of the patients, 85% are free of fever. After a week about 90% of the patients no longer complain of a sore throat. The average duration of a sore throat was reported to be 3-5 days. In addition to this rather harmless and frequent course, complex courses that occur again and again must be feared. In principle, the complications are divided into purulent complications and non-purulent complications. One of the purulent complications is the Peritonsillar abscess. These complications are usually announced by severe to severe sore throats when swallowing. Furthermore, edematous swellings in the back of the throat can be seen. The uvula may be displaced to the opposite side by the swollen masses. The reason for this complication is beta-hemolytic Streptococci of the groups ABC and G as well as the so-called GAS pharyngitis causative streptococcus pyogenes.
But also anaerobic bacteria can such a abscess cause. In rarer cases you can also Otitis media (Otitis media) or Inflammation of the sinuses (Sinusitis) accompany a complicated process. The non-purulent complications include acute rheumatic fever and acute Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Furthermore, it is possible that streptococci can be carried around and spread in the body if not treated. In the worst case, this can result in a Myocarditis result. Especially if the patient does not take physical care, the risk of this complicated process increases.
Accompanying pain with a sore throat
Sore throats can have different causes and, depending on the disease and individual course, can also be associated with pain.
The most common reason for a sore throat is a flu-like infection. The flu or tonsillitis can also cause a sore throat.
The infection causes other, unspecific symptoms such as limb or muscle pain to occur. '
Earache often occurs around the same time or after the sore throat. This can be explained by the anatomy of the ear, nose and throat area. The middle ear is connected to the throat area by a canal. The connection is normally used to equalize pressure, for example when overcoming large differences in height.
In the case of an infection that takes place in the throat area, however, the pathogens can colonize this channel and thus also infect the middle ear. An infection that was primarily in the throat area can trigger otitis media and cause ear pain. Especially when bacteria are the cause of the otitis media, antibiotics should then be given at the latest.
Find out more about the topic here: Sore throat and earache
a headache
Headache is a very real one unspecific symptom which can have different causes. If a headache occurs together with a sore throat, a viral infection is usually responsible for the symptoms. Headache kick relatively often as part of a cold and are, in addition to a sore throat, a symptom that is often complained about. However, the headache may have nothing to do with the sore throat and another reason is causing the headache to occur. There one adequate hydration It is recommended for both sore throats and headaches, this is a suitable measure to alleviate the symptoms. Pain reliever medication can also help relieve the sore throat and headache. In very rare cases, a headache can also be a symptom of a serious illness Headache that is very severe and / or that lasts for a long time always remain one require medical evaluation.
Fever with a sore throat
A sore throat and cough often occur together as part of an upper respiratory tract infection. These infections of the upper airways occur more frequently, especially during the wet and cold season.
Pathogenic germs attack the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and irritate it. The mucous membrane becomes inflamed and swollen. Very often the responsible germs are viruses, in most cases so-called cold viruses. But bacteria can also be the trigger for infections. These include, for example, streptococci or mycoplasma.
As a concomitant symptom, fever is particularly often associated with infections of the upper respiratory tract. It mainly arises when the body's own immune system has to deal with a pathogenic germ.
Many antibodies are formed during this process. Some of them are called pyrogens. These intervene in the temperature regulation system and generate a fever.
Read the detailed article on this: Fever and sore throat
In most cases, a fever is a sensible measure of the body, as many responses to combat the existing inflammation are accelerated at elevated body temperatures.
A fever is a body temperature of 38.5 ° C or more.
Read more on the topic: Causes of fever
The feeling of a "lump in the throat"
The irritation of the mucous membrane in the upper airways often leads to a reflex-like contraction of the respiratory muscles.
This quickly squeezes out the air and creates a cough.
A so-called lump in the throat is also often associated with a cough and sore throat. If you have a lump in your throat, you have the feeling that a foreign body, such as a crumb or a small object, is in the area of the airways.
A tightness in the throat develops and many find it difficult to breathe and swallow (please refer: Pain when swallowing).
To get rid of this feeling, you often try to get rid of it with the help of coughing or clearing your throat. Most of the time, however, this does not show any improvement. The most common cause of a lump in the throat is caused by an infection.
The feeling of a lump in the throat is mainly triggered by a very brittle and dry mucous membrane of the throat. It is therefore particularly useful to drink a lot. This keeps the mucous membranes moist and free of irritation. In addition, it makes sense to drink fluids in the context of an infection. If there is a fever, there is a loss of fluid, which must be compensated for by a renewed intake.
Read more on the topic: Causes of difficulty swallowing
Burning in the throat
A sore throat can also take the form of Burn express. Burning can be done, for example, after consuming hot or acidic Food, by infection occur with various pathogens or through other diseases. Often it is more like that harmless Causes, but one should doctor visit to rule out serious illnesses.
Symptoms of a sore throat in the baby
If a infant Suffering from a sore throat is difficult to find out. Usually a sore throat occurs in babies under one cold on. Other symptoms like sniff and Sneeze as well as a high temperature can be indications that it is a cold. A cold in a baby is usually not a cause for concern and is very common in babies overall. Sore throats and other cold symptoms in babies do not necessarily need to be treated. There are some remedies that promise symptom relief. So can Ointments on the chest used or removed if there is mucus in the nose. The baby should be animated to drink as much as possible although this can be difficult due to the sore throat. In the case of medication, the treating pediatrician should be consulted so that the duration and dose of the medication are respected. A doctor's visit is also recommended if bronchitis, fever, shortness of breath or a severe exhaustion occurs. He can then make a diagnosis and initiate individual therapy for the baby.
Symptoms of a sore throat in HIV
In most cases, the symptom of a sore throat is a viral infection, but in most cases it is rhinoviruses, i.e. the cause of a cold. HIV is a virus that can attack the human organism and one Immune deficiency triggersbecause it affects certain immune cells in the body. Sore throats are one of the typical symptoms that can occur soon after an HIV infection. Others too unspecific symptoms such as fever, lymph node swelling and a general feeling of weakness are among these initial symptoms. Especially when there is an increased risk of HIV infection, such as a Contact with infected blood or unprotected sexual intercourse A sore throat can be an indication of an infection with HIV. In order to determine whether the sore throat is actually a sign of HIV infection, a doctor can take blood, which is then examined for the pathogen. However, a safe diagnosis of HIV requires a number of blood tests.
