Sore throat is widespread and a common throat condition treated by doctors. It makes a person feel so uncomfortable and interrupts in performing routine tasks such as eating, sleeping, talking, and drinking. It is important to know the causes behind the sore throat, and how it can be avoided. It can also indicate poor self-care.
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What Is A Sore Throat?
An irritable and painful condition of the throat is referred to as a sore throat. A sense of pain, irritation, and scrappy throat make it difficult to swallow and even speak. If a person suffers from a sore throat, then he might have swollen tonsils, and pus builds up near tonsils. It makes the condition even worse and complicated.
Why Is Throat Hygiene Important?
The throat is a common passage that our digestive and respiratory systems share. Any problem in the throat will also cause problems in the digestive and respiratory tract. A healthy throat is essential to not just the well-being of the throat itself but many organs it is leading to.
Common Causes Of Sore Throat
There could be a number of reasons behind a sore throat, getting to know the real cause behind sore throat is important as medications and remedies could be used accordingly. Let us have a look at some causes of sore throat.
Allergy
The main reason behind a sore throat could be associated with some allergies a person might have. Most people have a sore throat as a byproduct of allergy. There is a wide range in the type and nature of allergies.
The most common allergy leading to sore throat could possibly occur due to pollen, certain food, certain medication, and pollution. An allergy-related sore throat can prove more adverse related to cause other reasons as it accompanies other allergy-related symptoms such as a rash, swollen glands, painful muscles, and joints.
Its treatment includes immunotherapy which can be acquired from a medical expert. Therapy usually includes a series of allergy shots to develop immunity against certain allergy types.
Bacteria
A type of bacteria, especially streptococcus is the main cause of trouble in the throat. If turned adverse, it can cause an onset of the sore throat followed by fever. This bacterium is highly contagious. It can easily spread when people come in contact with each other. Shaking hands, sneezing, coughing, and sharing foods can all become means of the bacterium spreading.
Some hygienic measures can help to avoid it. Washing hands more often, maintaining a distance in public places, covering mouth and nose in case of coughing or sneezing can help to prevent it. Sore throat due to bacteria is treated with some antibiotics.
Virus
Only 15% of sore throat is bacteria caused, and the rest is due to virus inflammation. If the reason behind sore throat is not a bacterial infection, then it is certainly a viral sore throat. It is easy to distinguish between strep throat and sore throat due to the virus. The most common reason can be a virus affecting the throat due to cold and flu.
It is distinguishable as it accompanies other symptoms, including fever, body aches, running nose, and scratchy voice. Antibiotics would not be useful to overcome viral sore throat. It takes some time to get rid of the virus; usually, it takes a week or two.
Some precautions and home remedies can help overcome them. Using warm water, gargling with a saltwater solution, taking tablets, sipping warm drinks, and using a humidifier will help feeling better. Staying at home and isolating yourself for a while will prevent the virus from spreading.
Drug Abuse
In general, drug and alcohol addiction can harm the mouth and throat in many ways. It can damage the cells of the throat, and a person might seem to cough hard. A person may complain of a constant sore throat if excessively uses drugs and alcohol. Drug abuse is not only harmful to overall health but also has bad effects on the mouth and throat.
Common drugs such as heroin and cocaine can damage teeth and give the mouth a pungent odor. Likewise, excessive use of alcohol can damage cells. It is also identified as the main cause of throat cancer in most cases. There are a number of options to overcome such an undesired situation.
Medical assistance can be attained. Support from family and friends can also be useful to get rid of such bad habits. If a person thinks that circumstances are beyond his control, he can get assistance from experts. Moreover, if you are wondering does insurance cover alcohol rehab, do not worry, experts can guide you about it too.
Smoking
Smoking and even passive smoking can have damaging effects on health, especially the throat. The throat is the first place where the smoke enters. Firstly, smoking can act as a direct irritant that acts on the back of the throat. Secondly, the smoke going in through smoking can damage cilia (tiny hair) present in the throat. It results in heavy mucous and heaviness in the throat.
Chemicals in smoke can cause sore throat as well as other throat problems such as pain and damage to vocal cords. Passive smoking is when a person is a nonsmoker. He/she is not actually smoking him/herself but is taking in secondhand smoke or environmental smoke. Passive smoking has the same effects on inhalers, as are those of habitual smokers.
Quitting smoking can assure overall health and a sound body. Certain changes can help get rid of the problems associated with smoking and consequent outcomes. Using chewing gum can prove helpful in giving up on this health hazard habit. Also, a medical expert might give some action plan to follow.
Conclusion
Throat hygiene is crucial to avoid irritable throat problems such as Sore throat. Sore throat not only hampers routine tasks but in adverse cases leads to some serious health problems. Knowing the core cause of this problem is important so you can get it treated accordingly.
