Sore Throat

Summary

Your throat is a tube that carries food to your esophagus and air to your windpipe and larynx (also called the voice box). The technical name for the throat is pharynx.

You can have a sore throat for many reasons. Often, colds and flu cause sore throats. Other causes can include:

• Allergies
• Mononucleosis
• Smoking
• Strep throat
• Tonsillitis

Treatment depends on the cause. Sucking on lozenges, drinking lots of liquids, and gargling may ease the pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers can also help, but children should not take aspirin.

Find an Expert

• American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
• Find an ENT American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pharyngitis National Institutes of Health

Diagnosis and Tests

• Difference between a Sore Throat, Strep, and Tonsillitis American Academy of Pediatrics
• Strep A Test National Library of Medicine

Treatments and Therapies

• Mouth Dryness or Thick Saliva American Cancer Society
• Sore Throat: Diagnosis and Treatment Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Patient Handouts

• Pharyngitis Medical Encyclopedia
• Pharyngitis – viral Medical Encyclopedia

Reference Desk

• Pharynx Anatomy National Cancer Institute

Journal Articles

• Sore Throat

Start Here

• Sore Throat American Academy of Family Physicians
• Sore Throat Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Sore Throat: When to See a Doctor American Osteopathic Association
• Sore Throats American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery

Children

• Sore Throat (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• When a Sore Throat Is a More Serious Infection American Academy of Pediatrics

Symptoms

• Sore Throat: Symptoms and Causes Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Throat Problems (Symptom Checker) American Academy of Family Physicians

Encyclopedia

• Throat swab culture Medical Encyclopedia